Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has largely abandoned their investigation into correlations among certain dog foods and canine dilated cardiomyopathy, dog food buyers still make purchasing decisions influenced by the investigation.

With so many new pet owners joining the market and driving sales of pet food and pet supplies forward, there seems to be opportunity everywhere, one industry executive said.

The latest research on DCM and grain-free pet food underscores the importance for more studies to happen, including on other pet food ingredients and aspects.

During the past decade, one veterinarian has observed a rise in the prevalence of cystine urolithiasis, a type of bladder stone, especially during the past five years.