How do you treat taurine deficiency in cats?

What happens if a cat does not have taurine?

Without enough taurine, your cat’s immune system may not function optimally. As a result, your pet might not be able to fight off viruses as easily as healthy cats and may suffer from frequent illnesses. Diabetes. Taurine helps the body regulate blood sugar.

Can I give my Cat taurine for heart disease?

The decision will be made based on the type of heart disease (DCM or HCM) that your cat has and how severe the problem is. In the case of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), supplementing your cat’s diet with taurine can help its heart, provided the heart isn’t in full failure.

How effective is taurine supplementation for dilated cardiomyopathy?

When being used to treat dilated cardiomyopathy, taurine supplementation is usually effective if the disease is caught in its early stages. Taurine supplementation may slow or stop the progression of retinal degeneration, but is usually not successful in reversing the damage.

Can a cat with dilated cardiomyopathy have a low taurine level?

What he discovered was that every cat with dilated cardiomyopathy had low taurine levels in their blood. Sixteen out of the first 21 cats had been on a diet of Hill’s Science Diet Maintenance, or Hill’s H/D and three on Purina Cat Chow.

What happens if taurine deficiency goes untreated?

“Clinical signs of taurine deficiency are slow to develop.”. If caught early enough, dilated cardiomyopathy may be reversible with dietary supplementation. Left untreated for too long, retinal degeneration will lead to irreversible blindness, while dilated cardiomyopathy will progress to heart failure and death.

Is there a link between taurine and heart disease in cats?

With the nutritional changes made to commercial cat food following the 1987 research revelation that linked taurine deficiency with feline heart disease, the diagnosis of DCM has significantly decreased. However, one cat population is still at significant risk.

Can taurine cause DCM in cats?

Deficiencies of two amino acid or amino acid-related compounds also can cause a nutritional DCM. Taurine deficiency has been investigated extensively in cats with DCM, where it is known to cause DCM that is reversible with taurine supplementation 18, 19.

Is supplementarysupplementation an effective treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy?

Supplementation is a safe, inexpensive, and effective treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in domestic mammals, however it is currently unlicensed in Europe and the United States for human medical treatment. Recent genome-wide association studies of DCM have identified the locus of the taurine transporter ( SLC6A6 ).

Can taurine prevent myocardial infarction in dogs?

It is interesting to note that fatal dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, induced by taurine deficiency, can be prevented by taurine supplementation (46). Also, taurine has been reported to exert an antioxidant effect against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats (47).

Should I add taurine to my cat’s diet?

Supplementing your cat’s diet with additional taurine isn’t always necessary. Again, all commercially available cat foods have enough taurine in them for their labeled life stage. If your cat has a taurine deficiency related illness, your cat may require supplementation in addition to eating an appropriate diet, at least until symptoms dissipate.

Why is my cat’s taurine level low?

Taurine levels can run low if your cat is in less than perfect health. A recent illness or chronic health condition, such as kidney disease, might deplete your cat’s levels of taurine. Let your vet know about any health issues your cat may be experiencing. [4]

What is the best source of taurine for cats?

We Recommend Natural Sources of Taurine for Cats. Shellfish – Excellent sources of Taurine, with high levels in clams, scallops, krill and shrimp. Fish – Cold water fish such as sardines or salmon are excellent, natural sources of Taurine that cat’s love. Meat – All meat contains Taurine, with dark poultry meat being one of the best sources.

Can taurine deficiency cause dilated cardiomyopathy in cats?

In this paper, we report two cases of taurine deficiency induced dilated cardiomyopathy in cats diagnosed by increased left atrial size and ventricular diameters in both systole and diastole, with low systolic function.

What is a low plasma taurine level in dogs?

Plasma taurine concentration was low (≤40 μ mol/L) in 8% of dogs. Dogs with low plasma taurine were older, less active, had more medical problems and treatments, and had lower plasma albumin, cyst (e)ine, tryptophan, and α -amino-n-butyric acid concentrations than the other dogs ( P < 0.05).

Do cats need taurine in their food?

Cats (but not dogs) always require a source of taurine in their food. If they do not have it, one of the diseases that they can develop (and possibly die from) is – you guessed it – DCM. Taurine-deficiency DCM is well documented in cats.

Can taurine deficiency in dogs be reversed?

Relatively few dogs were presented for later clinical evaluation. Some taurine-deficient dogs had a DCM that was reversed after taurine supplementation. Retinal degeneration similar to that described in cats as a result of taurine deficiency was not observed.

What is the role of taurine in heart disease treatment?

Because taurine is a physiological antagonist of HOCl, supplementation with this agent protects the heart by diminishing the inflammatory response in cases of acute coronary artery disease ( 28 ).

What happens when a cat has DCM?

In cats with DCM, the heart muscle becomes very thin and weak, preventing them from pumping blood and supplying oxygen to the body normally. This is a fatal disease if not corrected early on.

Does taurine attenuate the effects of calcium paradox in the heart?

MAPK activation and apoptotic alterations in hearts subjected to calcium paradox are attenuated by taurine. Cardivas Res. 2006;72:163–74. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] 26.

Does taurine lower cholesterol in mice?

In mice, taurine has been shown to lower serum LDL and very low-density lipoproteins by 44%, while elevating high-density lipoprotein concentrations by 25%; taurine also decreased the concentration of cholesterol in the liver by 19% (51).

Is taurine effective in the treatment of cardiovascular disease?

There is a wealth of experimental information and some clinical evidence available in the literature suggesting that taurine could be of benefit in cardiovascular disease of different etiologies.

Does taurine deficiency accelerate hypertension in rats?

Although taurine deficiency in uninephrectomized rats has been shown to accelerate the development of hypertension in response to high dietary NaCl (97), different responses have been reported with taurine supplementation on salt-induced hypertension in rats (98).

Can taurine deficiency cause enlarged heart in dogs?

If dealing with heart disease, the deficiency can leads to enlarged heart size (dilated cardiomyopathy). Certain breeds of dogs appear to be predisposed to taurine deficiency: American cocker spaniels and giant breed dogs like the Newfoundland, amongst others.