Do Dogs Need Taurine Supplements?
In recent days, taurine supplements have gained popularity among pet owners due to the attention from FDA being concerned about the high rate of heart diseases in dogs. Across the globe, half of the taurine supplements manufactured are used in the pet food industry. A healthy diet is a huge component of any dog’s well-being and knowing the ingredients in your dog’s daily food is one of the first steps towards healthy and happy living. Introducing your dog to taurine supplements is important in your dog’s overall well-being. Taurine supplements are needed for fat digestion, membrane stabilization, essential for healthy heart function and proper development of your dog’s skeletal muscles among others.
The basic building block of protein be it in animals or human beings are amino acids. In humans, 22 amino acids are needed for the proper functioning of the body. However, when it comes to dogs, 12 of them are non-essential which means that their bodies can make them on their own. The other 10 amino acids are essential which means that they must be supplemented through the diet. Taurine supplements are known to be a dietary requirement for cats and some dog breeds as well.
Taurine Deficiency and Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs
Taurine supplements in pets are essential for healthy heart functioning and taurine deficiency is one cause of a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). While research is ongoing on whether grain-free food causes DCM, taurine deficiency is one of the common causes of DCM. Studies have found a connection between DCM and these dog breeds. Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards, English Setters, Irish Wolfhounds and Portuguese Water Dogs.
How Do Vets Test for Taurine Deficiency in Dogs?
Your veterinarian will first require a thorough history of your dog’s health, including a list of his diet and symptoms. After that, he/she will do a complete physical examination of your dog and conduct a routine blood examination which includes a complete blood count (CBC), Biochemical Profile, and Urine analysis. In dogs, there are normal ranges of blood-taurine concentrations and after the tests are out, you will be informed whether your dog’s taurine level is within the normal range. If the measured concentration is lower than the range, odds are that your dog is suffering from a taurine deficiency. You don’t have to panic since your veterinarian will guide you on how to boost it up.
What are The Health Issues Caused by Taurine Deficiency in Dogs?
Taurine is unevenly distributed in your dog’s body with certain tissues such as the heart, eye retina, and the brain has the highest concentration. Taurine deficiency is highly manifested in heart problems and retinal problems are identified through physical exams and/or through laboratory examinations. Some of the major symptoms of taurine deficiency in dogs include:
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Heart Disease
In most cases, your dog will be experiencing heart problems caused by a low amount of taurine in his body system. Taurine is evenly distributed throughout the body with a high concentration in the heart tissue. Taurine supplements in pets are essential for healthy heart functioning and taurine deficiency is one cause of a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) which in turn causes heart failure. If the blood work test reveals that your dog has low blood taurine, other diagnostic measures will be recommended to examine and diagnose the severity of the disease. Your vet will also advise you on the taurine supplements to give your dog and the amount to be given in each meal.
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Eye Problems
Likewise, taurine’s highly concentrated in your dog’s eye tissues. When the taurine levels are low, the retina cells of your dog’s eyes will eventually degenerate, impairing his vision. If your dog is experiencing problems with this eyesight, blood-taurine concentration should be examined if retinal damage is found during a physical examination by your veterinarian. If caught early, retinal degeneration may be reversible through dietary supplementation, however, if left untreated for too long, it can lead to irreversible blindness.
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Urinary Problems
If your dog is experiencing urinary problems and your vet finds out that he has cysteine stones/crystals in the urinalysis, high chances are that he has an issue with amino acids metabolism caused by low blood taurine deficiency.
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Decreased Reproductive Performance and Growth
Taurine is also important for optimal reproductive performance in adult dogs and growth in puppies. Both the mother and puppies must maintain adequate taurine levels during pregnancy, lactation and growth to ensure proper structural development.
Taurine Supplements for Dogs
After your dog’s blood tests are out and the results confirm that your dog is suffering from blood-taurine deficiency, your vet will recommend the use of taurine supplements. Taurine supplementation is the common treatment choice for dogs suffering from low blood taurine levels. The length of time that your dog will use these supplements will greatly depend on the severity of the taurine deficiency as well as your dog’s ability to maintain the levels of taurine as it is ingested.
Your vet will also advise you on how many days/ months you will be required to feed your dog with these supplements. In some dog breeds, lifetime taurine supplementation will be required to prevent recurrent taurine deficiency. On the other hand, some dogs will have their blood-taurine levels back to normal after a few meals with the supplements included. With such dogs, their symptoms will resolve within a matter of few weeks and the supplementation can then be discontinued. You will be required to take your dog for regular checkups to see whether his condition is improving.
Benefits of Taurine Supplementation in Dogs
- Supplemental taurine is relatively safe in both puppies and adult dogs. There have been no reports of problems associated with excessive dietary taurine.
- Healthy for pregnant dogs. When your dog is expectant, she should be fed with adequate levels of taurine supplements to maintain her health and ensure proper growth and structural development of her puppies. Low taurine levels are often associated with the birth of small-sized kittens, low birth weight and fetal abnormalities as well.
- Rapid growth in puppies. In growing puppies, proper supplementation go taurine is important to prevent heart abnormalities, eyesight problems, proper growth and structural development. In most cases, puppies with delayed growth rates are often associated with taurine deficiency.
How to Add Extra Taurine to Your Dog’s Diet
Taurine is one of the most important amino acids in dogs. Dogs need taurine for better eyesight, reproduction purposes and a healthy heart. Feeding your dog foods rich in taurine or introducing taurine supplements in his meals helps in improving the overall well-being of your dog. Taurine naturally occurs in meat and many pet foods companies add extra taurine to their canned or kibbled foods as up to 50% can be lost during the cooking process. For dog owners looking for an extra source of taurine to supplement their pet’s diet, here is a list of the products you can use as food toppers or treats. Note that ingredients used in the canned or cooked product will have more taurine loss than the ones which are raw or freeze-dried.
Shellfish–Clams, krill, shrimps, oysters, squid and scallops are some of the products rich in taurine. Although some of them can be hard to find, there are various freeze-dried canned foods and dehydrated treats that contain shellfish. For your convenience, these products are readily available.
Fish-Raw fish is a great treat to feed your dog. Capelin, sardines, salmon and tuna are just but examples of fish rich in taurine. If you don’t want to feed your dog raw fish, you can alternatively feed him a freeze-dried fish snack. Several types of fish are available in treat form such as fish skin rolls, freeze-dried fish treats either in parts or as a whole, fish flakes or dehydrated whole fish among others.
Meat and poultry-If shellfish and fish aren’t readily available, raw (frozen) and freeze-dried meat or poultry are some of the readily available types of meat also rich in taurine. In fact, dark poultry meat is higher in taurine than light meat. Organ meats such as heart and liver are also rich in taurine.
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FAQs About Taurine Supplements
Q: How Safe is Taurine?
A: Taurine supplementation is relatively safe with no reports of problems linked to excessive dietary taurine in pets.
Q: Where do I obtain taurine supplements and do I need a prescription?
A: The quality of taurine supplements vary significantly from one manufacturer to the other. Taurine supplements are readily available over the counter without any prescription. However, you can also consult your vet and he/she might have preferred supplement manufacturers that he/she will recommend.
Q: How effective are taurine supplements?
A: When being used to treat dilated cardiomyopathy, taurine supplementation is usually effective only if the disease is diagnosed in its early stages. The same case happens to retinal degeneration. The supplements will slow down and prevent it from progressing, however, it is usually not successful in reversing the damage.
Conclusion
If you are looking for an extra source of taurine to add to your pet’s diet, taurine naturally occurs in animal, fish and poultry meat. Your vet will also advise you on the taurine supplements you should use to increase the levels of blood taurine in your dog. Your vet will also schedule follow-up examinations to monitor how the dog is responding to the supplements.