In 2023, Maya was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that gradually impairs a dog’s capacity to pump blood. She first displayed weakness, then difficulty walking, and finally arrhythmias. Severe heart enlargement was confirmed by veterinary testing. She was treated, but congestive heart failure claimed her life in October 2024 at the age of ten.

In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, her owners, Ryan and Diana Walsh, are now the lead plaintiffs. They claim that Blue Buffalo marketed its grain-free products as superior and safe while knowing that there was a connection between those diets and serious cardiac conditions in dogs, as demonstrated by FDA complaints and clinical studies.

It’s not an easy science. Peas and other legumes that are frequently used in grain-free formulas have been closely examined by researchers to see if they could impede the absorption of taurine, a small amino acid that is essential to the canine heart. Research has indicated that dogs that were given taurine supplements and switched off grain-free diets had better heart function.

However, the FDA effectively halted its investigation in late 2022 after beginning it in 2018, citing a lack of evidence to prove a clear causal connection. That pause has evolved into a separate segment of the discourse. It gives some scientists comfort. Some believe it left thousands of pet owners in the dark.

The fact that a second lawsuit is currently circling the first is what makes this case unique. In a separate lawsuit filed in federal court in Connecticut, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co. requests that a judge determine who is responsible for paying Blue Buffalo’s defense costs. The company was insured by Nationwide and Hartford from 2016 to 2018, and Nationwide contends that some of the alleged injuries might not have been covered during that time.

It consented to defend Blue Buffalo, but only under a reservation of rights, which is a courteous legal way of saying, “We’ll pay now, but we want our money back later.” The insurer is requesting that the court reimburse its legal fees and distribute those expenses proportionately.

The frequency with which pet food has recently appeared in court is difficult to ignore. Due to claims that Pedigree’s vitamin D levels were up to four times higher than allowed, Mars Petcare is being sued in its own class action. A pattern, or at least the appearance of one, is emerging. After premium pricing, wellness branding, and ingredient lists that resemble a farmer’s market, lawsuits alleging that the marketing was inaccurate start to surface.

It’s really unclear if Blue Buffalo will be held accountable. Grain-free diets are still widely marketed and supported by some veterinarians, and the FDA’s own reluctance gives the company leeway to resist. However, there is a substantial financial risk and the proposed class may comprise millions of consumers. As this develops, it seems more likely that Blue Buffalo’s internal knowledge and timing will determine the outcome of the case than chemistry.

Under discovery, corporate marketing language often ages poorly. Regardless of the legal ramifications of Maya’s passing, the lawsuit she spearheads is already altering the debate over what constitutes “healthy” on a dog food bag.

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