.Topical minoxidil is a medication for hair loss, since 1996 it has been available as an over-the-counter product. According to a retrospective study in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association by Kathy C Tater, Sharon Gwaltney-Brant and Tina Wismer pet owners should be educated on the risk of dog and cat toxicosis from accidental minoxidil exposure.
Cat exposure was unintentional and usually while their owner was applying minoxidil for his/her own hair loss. The cat licked the owner's skin or pillowcase, or the pet was splashed during a medication spill
Dog exposure commonly happened because of exploration behavior, meaning searching through trash.
Clinical signs occurred in dogs and cats even with low exposure amounts, such as drops or licks. In patients that developed clinical signs, most developed moderate or major illness. Death occurred in 12.9% of cats that developed clinical signs after the pet owner's minoxidil use.
Avoidance is the best plan. Other commonly used human medication can also cause toxicosis in our pets such as hormone replacement therapies, and topical 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
Signs & symptons of cat poisoning

• Coughing
• Drooling/Salivation
• Seizure or twitching
• Difficulty breathing (labored or rapid)
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

Signs & symptions of dog poisoning

• Agitation
• Tremors
• Convulsions
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Seizures
• Heart problems
• Diarrhea
• Kidney failure

As heat waves spread across the state, and temperatures reach well into the 100's, it is important to keep yourself safe. But how often do we think about our pets in this weather? Our dogs and cats do not have the benefit of being able to take their fur off when it gets too hot like we can do with our clothes, so it's time to talk about how they keep cool! This post will cover how our pets stay cool (for dogs and cats), some symptoms of various heat related issues, as well as what you can do to help your pet.

As the sun shines and temperatures rise, our pets figure out how to stay cool the best they can. Both dogs and cats will move to cooler spots where shade or grass is abundant, as well as physiologically changing their bodies to stay cooler. Dogs will typically pant to stay cool, while cats typically groom themselves more frequently.

The physiology involved in keeping cool is actually very interesting! In times of hot weather, the blood vessels will actually dilate to help direct the blood more towards the skin. By directing the blood more towards the outside surface, the blood gives off heat which travels through the skin and is emitted outside the body. Heat that gets emitted outside the body does not get circulated back into the system, so the pet cools down. This is why our pets (and us too!) appear red on their skin when it is very hot outside. It is a sign that the body is doing everything it can to get rid of heat, and that should be a sign to get your pet to a cooler area with water and shade available.

Although our pets sweat through their paw pads, it is not the primary way that they use water to help keep cool. The sweat on their paws is mostly used for traction on the floor. Dogs will pant when they are hot, which works because the water on their tongue evaporates, taking some of the heat with it. Some dogs are better at this than others, with brachycephalic (short nosed) breeds having a harder time panting and breathing in general. This would be your pugs, bulldogs, and boxers. Panting also helps get a larger amount of cooler air into the body system. Cats don't typically pant unless is is very hot, but they will groom themselves more in the summer. As they lick their fur to make it wet, the water evaporates, again taking some of the heat with it. If you see your cat panting, it is time to get them inside where it is cool and get them plenty of water, as that  could indicate the potential for something worse to happen. The amount of variety with how our pets can stay cool is, well, pretty cool!

Clinical signs of your pet in the heat can vary in severity and duration depending on what is happening, and they can be anywhere from a mild irritant to life threatening. That being said, prevention is every ounce more valuable than treatment, so do try to keep the heat in mind as you do your outdoor activities.

Heat Exhaustion (also known as heatstroke) is where your pet overheats after being in the sun or warm temperatures too long. Normal temperature ranges for cats and dogs vary from 100.5 to 102.5, where anything above 102.5 is considered higher than normal. Symptoms that are mild can progress to more severe issues quickly when heat is involved, so it is important to look out for mild symptoms and act on it quickly before it becomes a problem. Symptoms you may notice at first include:

• Excessive panting
• Excessive drooling
• Difficulty breathing
• Vomiting

These are relatively normal signs of heat in general, as the panting is something you have likely seen a dog do before. We also share some of these signs as humans, where we can also have a hard time breathing in the heat as well as become nauseous or even vomit. When you notice your pet have these symptoms with it being so hot outside, it is important to act on it and get your pet cooled down using shade, air conditioning, or putting water on their paw pads  to help evaporate more heat off of them. If symptoms progress and the heat stays present, you may notice worsening of symptoms and some new ones such as:

• Diarrhea, with or without blood
• Weakness
• Incoordination or stumbling
• Sudden collapse
• Seizures

If you notice these symptoms, get your pet to a veterinary hospital to get checked out as soon as possible. Call them ahead of time so they can get prepared for your arrival, as time is of the essence for getting your pet cooled down properly. It is also important to not get your pet cooled down too quickly by putting them in cold water or giving them cold water, as this could cause dangerous blood pressure changes and potentially induce shock, which is a life threatening condition.

If you recall, the blood vessels can dilate to help blood get to the surface of the body. The veins can also constrict to force blood to keep away from the skin to stay warm. When you dump really cold water on your pet, the veins constrict, keeping blood away from the skin, so they cannot cool down that way. The secondary problem with this is that it also causes the local blood pressure to rise, forcing the heart to pump harder to make up for the new resistance it is encountering. This can lead to cardiac arrest if a great enough area of dog is covered in cold water - full submersion would be worst case scenario here. To prevent this just use warmer water! Water that is cool but not cold will help mitigate the chances of shock and help keep your pet cooler without any risk. The process of evaporation works wonders over time, and the other measures you take will help your pet in the short term until it takes effect. ​

Speaking of water, dehydration is another problem that can happen with hot sunny days. Your pet could be dehydrated if:

• You pull up its fur and it does not snap back down to where it was before. It will look like the fur is descending in slow motion, and in severe cases it may not return back to the normal position fully. This is known as skin elasticity.
• It is not eating like it normally does.
• It is lethargic.
• Vomiting or acting like it is vomiting but nothing is coming out.

It is always important to make sure your pet has water, but this is even more crucial during the hot summer days. If your pet starts to have symptoms of dehydration and you are unable to get water, it's health can decline rapidly. Water is the most important tool available to you while it is hot outside!

Something less common that could still happen is a sunburn on your pet. For dogs and cats this does not typically happen anywhere besides their nose, as they usually have enough fur to block out the sun. It is not a bad idea to use sunscreen safe for pets on their noses - this does not have hair protecting it, although a major problem with this is that the nose is awfully close to the tongue, and if they feel something on their nose they tend to lick it off. If your pet has short hair that is very thin, or no hair at all, like our sphinx cats, then sunscreen over the whole pet is definitely warranted. Again, make sure it is pet safe. If you don't have any on hand, you can use the sunscreen that is made for kids, as these typically have a decreased amount or no trace of harmful chemicals, such as oxybenzone. And of course, make sure you have a shady spot nearby.

One thing that summers and dry weather do is kick up weeds that have spines, needles, or hooks on them. While nature is effective in helping these plants get around, nothing is more frustrating to an owner (and us honestly) than a grass seed, foxtail, or many of the other names that basically mean "grass splinter that is embedded in pet". These typically get caught in the ears or between the toes of your pet, and cause irritation, swelling, infection, and constant itching. If you notice these signs at all, make an appointment with a veterinarian to have your pet looked at. These cases sometimes require sedation to remove the grass seed if it lodges itself in the body deep enough, so be prepared that this may be the case. The only way to avoid these is to stay away from tall grass and weeds, but this can be easier said than done. It is always helpful to know the signs and symptoms and act on it when appropriate.

Hopefully this post was insightful on how to help your pets stay cool. The heat waves are not an environmental condition to take lightly, and so it becomes imperative that you are well prepared. When it feels too hot for you, it is likely too hot for your pet. Keeping shade and water nearby, and checking in with your pet to make sure that they are doing oaky is the best way to go about handling the heat. If at all possible, stay indoors at the hottest times of the day, usually between noon and 5:00 p.m. Preparedness saves you a lot of trouble later down the road, and it can't hurt to have an extra bottle of water on hand for your pet. Hopefully the heat waves abate soon, but in the meantime stay safe and use good judgement! Have a safe and wonderful summer!

When you think about insurance, what are the first couple of words that come to mind? Do they involve positive, educated feelings about what insurance is and the benefits associated with it? Do they involve negative connotations of cost or dishonesty? Or do you scratch your head and wonder where to begin as far as talking about insurance? It can be a daunting topic to discuss, because there are so many legal rules to be aware of, and that's before you even begin discussing a policy with an agent. It can also seem useless at times, especially if you have not had any accidents or need for insurance recently. Pet insurance is no exception, with as little as 1.7% of all pets being insured in the United States. In other countries, such as the U.K and Sweden, these numbers are often in the double digits. With so little usage in the U.S, it is understandable why pet insurance is not often talked about or even understood. This blog article will discuss what pet insurance is, the different options available for insurance, as well as how owners can become more educated about insurance for their pets. There are many companies out there that offer pet insurance, and it is good to know the basics before you begin discussing the benefits of having pet insurance and which companies to consider.
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Insurance is where you pay a premium, often monthly, to a company in order to receive financial compensation or financial coverage in the case of an illness or accident. Pet insurance, by extension, is simply where you pay for coverage on your pet in case they get sick or hurt. Depending on the policy you sign up for, your premium may be low monthly payments, with the caveat that they will only cover 70% of costs. Alternatively, the company may pay for all expenses after a certain point you pay up to, called a deductible, as long as you make your monthly payments. Often these premiums are higher, but can be beneficial for covering larger unforeseen expenses. Balancing the best plan for your budget and pet comes down to your personal decision as a pet owner as well as what your budget will allow. Typically, it is best to set the deductible no lower or higher than the highest amount you are willing to pay out of pocket for your pet. By doing so, you can feel better about when insurance is called in, as you have previously already decided what your limit should be.
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Pet insurance is worth it for the same reasons that health or auto insurance is worth it for humans. Though it costs money each month, it allows for coverage of unexpected costs, such as a broken limb or serious illness. We cannot plan when these injuries or illnesses will happen, but putting money into insurance gives comfort and peace of mind knowing that, should an emergency come up, expenses will be less at the forefront of your medical decisions for your pet. Pet insurance has been proven to reduce the occurrence of economic euthanasia, where a pet is euthanized because the owner is financially unable to take care of it anymore, regardless of its age. These are tragic events, and can be prevented if insurance was utilized to help cover medical costs, particularly later in life. By taking the financial burden off owners, most pets can live longer, healthier lives due to the better care they receive.
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An argument can be made for putting money into a separate pet savings account, where you can pull out the money only for the pet. While on paper this idea is a good one, the downsides may discourage you from opting into a "DYI" insurance plan. One downside is that if you decide to go with this plan, you need time to accrue enough money to prepare for an emergency. If you decide to start putting in $100 a month into an account for your pet, but your pet gets into an accident that costs $2,000 to fix a month later, you do not have the financial strength of that account to cover the costs. In doing the math, you would need another 19 months to save enough money for that expense, in which time the pet could get into another accident, costing even more money! Insurance is useful in preventing these instances by offering coverage as soon as you sign up, depending on the company. This means that as soon as you are approved, you will get the money needed for that accident, regardless of when it happens after you are approved. The best treatment for your pet at a fraction of the cost you would pay out of pocket is now within reach, because you bought insurance. A win-win for your pet and your wallet!
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Some owners may offer the argument that their pet does not go outside of their home and will not get sick or injured due to a lack of real threats from the outdoors. These owners should be aware that many diseases and injuries can happen whether the pet is indoors or outdoors, such as hypothyroidism, Addison's disease, or even accidents such as broken limbs or lacerated soft tissue. Illnesses can become lifetime diagnoses, where lifelong medication is required. Without insurance, the bills can add up quickly for pills and testing. With insurance, the cost is mitigated and you do not have to put off important testing for your pet to make sure the right treatments are being given. By getting insurance, you can help ensure that your pet receives the care it needs regardless of the financial cost, depending on your insurance plan.
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Many times in the hospital we see small dogs presenting for limping or lameness, where the only incident that may have occurred is the dog jumping off the couch or bed! It is impossible to create a home that is 100% safe for the dog or cat while keeping its mental health as a priority. This means that no matter your home situation, the chances of a hurt limb are still present. While it is important to keep your home as pet friendly as possible, the risk still remains no matter how small. Insurance will help mitigate the financial damage from those incidents, and allow you to focus on getting the best care for your pet, which allows for the best chances of healing properly and making a full recovery.
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There are plenty of different pet insurance companies available in the United States, each with their own perks and company-specific plans available for pet owners. I believe that four stand out as a good variety of insurance that covers a wide variety of needs: Trupanion, ASPCA Pet insurance, PetsBest insurance, and HealthyPaws Insurance. These four can be compared, along with many others, at this website - https://petinsuranceinfo.com/pet-health-insurance/compare-providers . Each company has many different options and the only way to find out which is best for your pet is to decide for yourself what is affordable and reasonable coverage for your pet. Remember to take your pet's age, breed, and pre-existing conditions into account before making a decision - some of these companies will not cover these or charge extra. Ultimately, the decision should be yours to make, as long as you feel they will be able to supply the best insurance care for your pet. Treat your insurance search like your search for a good vet. Your pet's health should always come first! With a wide variety of plans including sickness and accident, accident-only, sickness-only, or a wellness plan, there is an insurance company that can fit your needs.
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Pet insurance should be obtained as early as possible. If your pet is older, it may have already developed conditions that are lifelong and require treatment, which may prevent certain insurance companies from writing a policy for your pet. By getting insurance when your pet is healthy and young, you can ensure that you have a policy prepared in the case that your pet gets injured or develops a severe illness. This also helps protect your puppies, as the most expensive year of owning a dog is typically the first one. This is because puppies have a tendency to eat things they shouldn't and injure or break limbs. With pet insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing that should your pet get injured unexpectedly, you have the means to help cover the expenses.
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To Our Clients,
 
          We hope you are faring well. As each week goes by we know the measures we take to keep you and our staff safe have been cumbersome and tiring.
Keeping our veterinary clinic open to care for our patients has been our top priority. To keep you and our staff safe and continue to maintain high-quality care (which is something none of us are willing to compromise on), we are limited to the amount of patients we can care for in one day. This means scheduling several weeks in advance for wellness exams. Often we are unable to accommodate same day visits. We are scheduling 2-4 weeks out for wellness visits and 3-6 weeks for surgical procedures.
Due to social distancing, phones and online communication have been heavily relied upon for communication which has resulted in increased phone volume, wait times or not being able to get through to us at all.  We apologize for these frustrations and hope you realize we are doing the best we can.
As a clinic we have come-up with solutions to mitigate these challenges.
 
Below is a list of alternatives to hopefully make your visit with us easier:

• In addition to calling upon arrival, you may text us at (801) 382-9871.
• We have created check in forms that can be filled out and submitted back to us before your appointment. These forms assist our staff with your pets needs and will assist with checking in. All forms can be found on our website or click the link below. These forms can be texted or emailed to you as well.

• You can text or email questions for the Doctor prior to your pets appointment time or at your check in to save time on the phone.
• Please keep in mind that you can always email us at [email protected] with medical questions or to inquire about an appointment.
• We have options for telemedicine appointments.

 
To assist everyone during this pandemic, we are asking the following of you:

• Allow 48 hours to respond or fill prescription requests. Controlled substances or medication being called into outside pharmacies may take up to 72 hours to complete. (Be mindful that it may take up to an additional 48 hours for the pharmacy to fill your medications)
• For your planning appointments average 1 hours. Sick visits may be longer.
• Please realize that requests for phone calls or emails on medical questions by our doctors may take up to 48 hours to be responded to.  A veterinary technician or assistant may be responsible for triaging these questions after they have checked with a veterinarian.
• We have multiple Dr’s and your pet may not be seen in the order of arrival.
• We follow local and state mask mandates and require anyone entering our building to wear a mask.
• We ask that you are courteous to those that answer our phones and be polite. We realize our clients are concerned for their beloved pets, we are too! We are trying our utmost to meet your needs.

 
Thank you so much for your support and understanding. Please stay safe, keep your pets safe and know that we are always doing the best we can for you.
 
North Ogden Animal Hospital
 
 
“I won’t let pain turn my heart into something ugly. I will show you that surviving can be beautiful.” -Christy Ann Martine

Pet food, specifically dog and cat food, has been a hot topic of research for its pertinence and complexity. Many owners want to give their pets the best care they deserve and this can be easily done through pet food, which is easy to understand on a basic level and is easy to administer for the owners. However, some foods may be harmful to our pets and could cause damaging diseases later in our pets' lives.
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One such controversial food that has been a hot topic of research recently has been grain-free food. Grain-free food is food that does not contain any grain or grain-based products, whereas grain-based food does contain grain or grain-based products, such as wheat, barley, and oats. Grain-free foods are varied in appearance and usually a main ingredient is used in substitute for the grain in a grain-based food. Some examples are duck, carrots, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, or even exotic meats such as kangaroo! Sometimes exotic ingredients in foods are referred to as boutique or exotic diets because their main ingredients are less common. These ingredients are less studied and not much is known about them from a nutritional standpoint. Homemade or raw food can also be considered to be in the grain-free category. Oftentimes owners that make their pets' food do not consider putting in grains of any sort, and the raw diet consists solely of raw meats. These may also have the potential of causing debilitating diseases later on in life, and the connection lies in whether there are grains or grain-based products in the food or not.
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​Grain-free foods may be potentially linked to an increase of heart disease known as Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) which causes a weakening of the heart. This link was first suggested when veterinary cardiologists were noticing uncommon breeds and atypical cases of DCM presenting to the hospital more frequently. DCM begins when the heart begins to expand, or dilate, weakening the muscle wall as it does. This also causes the chamber within the heart to expand outwards and become larger, which causes the heart to have to work harder to pump the same amount of blood through the heart due to the larger chambers within the heart. This can lead to serious complications such as heart arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, or sudden death. The severity of this disease has prompted a closer look at how we can diagnose and treat this disease more efficiently.
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How could grain-free foods be linked to a complicated and problematic disease such as DCM? Some researchers are discussing potential hypotheses such as toxic components found in the grain-free foods that may not be present in the grain-based foods or nutrient deficiency that may be grain-free specific. The toxic component has not been found if one exists, however we have examples in the past of dog foods containing dangerous chemicals such as the melamine-cyanurate complex that was popular in pet foods and infant formula until the late 2000's. These examples lay the groundwork for potential investigations into the possibility that a cardiotoxic chemical found in grain-free foods may be harmful when consumed.
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Others surmise that a nutrient deficiency is the cause of DCM, and that there simply isn't the correct balance of nutrients in grain-free foods. In the past cats had a history of problems with DCM, until it was discovered that there was a deficiency of taurine in most cat foods. When taurine supplementation was added to the pets' diet, or the food itself had an increase in taurine, it was found to significantly reduce the amount of DCM cases in cats. Could this be the same case for grain-free foods because of a deficiency in taurine or some other essential nutrient?
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​More research is needed, but we do know that age plays a role in the caseload of DCM - older pets are more prone to DCM because they are exposed to a diet for a longer period of time. Those that remain on grain-free diets for extended periods of time could be more vulnerable if the food was causing issues in the pets' health. We also know that different flavors of food change the bioavailability of nutrients in the food. Lamb and chicken flavored foods must be manufactured separate from each other if the food is to remain nutritionally sufficient, as lamb has more protein content than chicken. With this in mind, it may be that grain-free foods potentially are missing an essential nutrient or they have a mixture of nutrients that are reducing the nutrient bioavailability of the food. Either way, research into this field could bring promising leads into potential links between grain-free foods and DCM. 
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Regardless of the cause behind the potential link between grain-free foods and DCM, there are some barriers to getting the information out to our owners. Correct and scientifically sound numbers are difficult to come up with due to reporting bias. If there is a large population of golden retrievers, and only a few German shepherds and other breeds that are also reported, then the large amount of golden retriever cases can be partially explained by the large sample size. Research must be done diligently with respect to this bias in order to gather the correct information pertinent to the situation.
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Another barrier is the pet food marketing industry. Marketing has far outpaced research, and because of this, there are many foods that are marketed as safe and healthy with no scientific research or study to back up the claim. This is mostly seen in exotic ingredients, which do not have the same research and knowledge that other common ingredients have. Other foods may be marketing their nutritional value, while also lacking the capability to follow up on promises of healthy food due to facility structures and lack of proper monitoring. In both cases, greed outpaces research, and the recipient of this carelessness is our pets. It is important to ensure that the food you are feeding your pet is nutritionally sound and healthy. Speak to your veterinarian with any questions about any foods you are feeding your pet, as they can help point you in the right direction if you are feeling lost with all the pet foods and brands out there. There are lots of food brands, and it is important to do your research when you buy pet food.
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​It is clear that food choice and awareness about grain-free options are important to consider when feeding your pet. It should be noted that although grain-free food may be linked to an increase in DCM, it is not a guarantee that your pet will get DCM from grain-free food, only that it increases the likelihood of DCM diagnosis. In some cases, pets are allergic to grains, and in this situation it is up to the owner to determine what would be best for the pet. It is recommended that pet owners work with their veterinarian to find the correct solution for their pet. There are options to work around food allergies, such as finding grains your pet is tolerant to, or even getting allergy testing to discover what the allergy is comprised of then giving food that does not contain that specific grain. Regardless of the option you go with, avoiding grain-free food would be beneficial for your pets' health if at all possible. There may be some cases where grain-free food is a must for your pet, in which case it is important to continue to monitor your pet and ensure that veterinary visits are frequent enough to keep your pet safe. Ask your veterinarian for what they would recommend if this is the case.
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Giving an accurate diet history will also be helpful for getting the best advice from your veterinarian. With an accurate and complete diet history including flavors and specific brands, your veterinarian will be able to notice patterns and give you advice on what to feed your pet. Different flavors have different nutritional requirements and this necessitates some research into what would be best for your pet, which is furthered by a good diet history. It may also be beneficial to give your pet taurine supplements if you decide to give your pet grain-free food, although this should be discussed with your veterinarian beforehand. Though this isn't proven science yet, this was critical to helping cats avoid DCM as a common disease, and it may be the same case for dogs on a boutique, exotic, or grain-free diet.
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It should be noted that DCM caused by food could potentially be reversed partially by switching diet to a grain-based diet. It is never too late to consider the care you are giving your pet and switch if needed. Early signs of heart disease include, but are not limited to, weakness, shortness of breath, coughing, fainting, or lethargy. If you notice any of these signs in your pet, and your pet is on a grain-free diet, it would be beneficial to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to determine what should be done, if anything, to treat these symptoms before they worsen. As pet owners we are the advocate for our family, and we need to be monitoring and checking up on our pets to ensure that they are healthy, and be their voice if they are not. Discussion with your vet should be honest and open, with a goal of approaching the best care possible for your pet. Only by discussion and knowledgeable research can we figure out what's best for our pets.
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Ultimately the well-being of our pets is the primary reason for care and veterinary recommendations. Compliance with these recommendations will help support your pet's health and allow you to save money on future expenses to the hospital by taking care of your pet now before medical problems arise. Keeping grain-free foods out of your pets' diet should be a helpful first step to keeping your pet as healthy as it can be. By avoiding grain-free foods, listening to your vet for any recommendations, and keeping a keen eye out for any new research being done on grain-free foods and a potential DCM link, we can become better pet owners and take better care of our pets.