Dog owners are being warned against feeding their pets leftover dinner as a common vegetable could be linked to a deadly disease.
Experts found a link between the consumption of veg in some grain-free dog food and the development of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
The condition causes a dog's heart muscle to enlarge, making it harder to pump blood around the body.
Findings have been flagged to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who is already investigating the link.
Dr Lisa Freeman told NBC News: "Until we know the exact cause, we want to be cautious of all the ingredients the FDA is investigating.
"Peas might be a good clue as to where we can be looking.
"As one more piece of the puzzle, this doesn’t give us the final answer, unfortunately. But it gives us things to follow up on.
"This research helps us narrow down the targets to look at so we can focus on the most likely causes and get to an answer more quickly and prevent other dogs from being affected."
Owners are being warned to avoid giving their pets peas and other pulses from their dinner plates.
But other veterinary organisations say it's fine to do so.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) says dogs are fine to eat peas "on occasion," as long as they're not tinned as these tend to have added salt, reports the Express.
AKC has a list of vegetables on its website that it recommends for dogs to eat.
And the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) have echoed the same advice.
