Nutrients, such as taurine, are vital in enabling the bodies of cats and dogs to function properly. When thinking about pet food, it’s common to focus on the ingredients of a formula such as the type of meat used. But the ingredients are actually just vehicles to carry nutrients, and it’s the nutrients that matter most.
What are nutrients?
Nutrients fall into two broad categories:
• Macronutrients – protein, fat, carbohydrates and water should form the majority of the diet.
• Micronutrients – these include vitamins and minerals, and are essential but needed in much lower quantities.
Nutrients have four key jobs:
• Build and maintain the body
Muscles, hair and skin are made from protein, for example.
• Give energy
Carbohydrates, fat and protein enable the body to create heat, to move and to produce other forms of energy.
• Start and control processes
Iron, for example, is used in red blood cells to help transport oxygen around the body.
• Nourish and protect the body
Some nutrients prevent disorders and help fight the effects of aging and others aid recovery.
What does taurine do?
Taurine is an amino acid found in tissues and organs throughout the body, including the muscles, heart, brain and retina. Unlike most amino acids, taurine is not incorporated into protein chains, but it does play many other important roles. For example, it:
• Strengthens the heart
• Supports healthy blood flow
• Protects the retina and vision
• Helps the liver to function properly
• Promotes reproductive health
• Has an antioxidant effect that helps protect against aging
Is taurine good for cats?
Taurine is essential to include in your cat’s diet because they can’t produce it themselves. If a cat’s food is too low in taurine they become deficient in it, which can cause a variety of serious health problems.
It can, for example, slow their growth and affect their ability to reproduce. In severe cases it can also lead to their retinas degenerating and them becoming blind. There’s also a link between taurine deficiency and a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
How much taurine does a cat need?
For commercial pet food, the minimum taurine requirement for adult cats is 0.25g/1000 kcals of dry food and .50g/1000 kcal for canned foods (AAFCO, 2019). However, taurine requirements can vary per cat, so it’s always best to consult your veterinarian if you’re worried that your cat isn’t getting enough.
Do dogs need taurine?
Dogs have the ability to make taurine from two other amino acids – cysteine and methionine. For this reason, it’s not considered essential in their diet. However, because of the many health benefits it offers, it’s still an important nutrient to include in a diet, especially as some dogs can become deficient in it.
In particular, some dogs can become deficient if not consuming enough precursors or for other reasons., as with cats, low levels of taurine in the blood have been linked to the heart condition DCM in dog breeds that are predisposed to it.
How much taurine does a dog need?
Taurine requirements haven’t been formalized for commercial dog food. If you’re concerned your dog may be deficient, or you want advice on how much taurine your dog needs in their diet, please ask your veterinarian.
Signs a cat or dog is taurine deficient
As taurine has such wide-ranging health benefits, the signs that your cat or dog is deficient can vary and may include:
• Poor eyesight
• Stunted growth
• Difficulty breathing
• Irritated skin
• A thin coat and dry, brittle hair
If your cat or dog is presenting any of these symptoms, or you have any other concerns about their health, it’s always best to take them to the veterinarian for a check-up.
How to include taurine in a cat or dog’s diet
The richest sources of taurine are meat (including internal organs such as liver and kidney), seafood and eggs – it’s not found in plant foods. At Royal Canin, all our diets for cats and dogs include taurine from meat and/or from supplemental sources, as part of a carefully balanced nutritional mix designed for each specific breed or health requirement.
We know that the quality, as well as the quantity, of a cat or dog’s dietary protein may play a role in preventing taurine deficiency and other health concerns. As such, the majority of proteins we use are highly digestible, which helps your pet to absorb as many nutrients as possible from their food and contributes to the very high quality of our formulas.
