Garden Keeper’s Reminder: Mobile readers can click on the link next to the web address to open the reader for a better reading experience. The full article is approximately 1500 words and should take about 3 minutes to read. OPEN article table of contents. Preface: How to tell if my cat lacks taurine? How much taurine should be consumed daily? What happens if too much taurine is consumed? Are there side effects? What are the food (animal) sources of taurine? How to purchase taurine? What should be noted when buying? How to add it to home-cooked food for better absorption? Summary. Preface: Around 1980, taurine was first considered a necessary component of cat diets. To this day, the American Cat Food Association stipulates that cat food must contain taurine. The garden keeper will use this article to tell you about the methods of supplementing and purchasing taurine. If you are a cat parent looking to purchase taurine, believe that spending five minutes reading the article will be very rewarding! This article will tell you the following: What is taurine? What effects does it have on cats? How to tell if my cat lacks taurine? How much taurine should be consumed daily? What happens if too much is consumed? Are there side effects? What are the food (animal) sources of taurine? How to purchase taurine? How to add it to home-cooked food for better absorption? — Ready, the article is about to begin — What is taurine? What effects does it have on cats? Taurine (Taurine) is an amino acid, an essential nutritional requirement for most mammals. Taurine is found in animal muscles, and most mammals, such as humans, dogs, etc., can produce taurine from other amino acids to meet their body’s needs. However, cats have limited ability to produce taurine on their own and need extra supplementation, which will be explained in detail in the later part of the article. A deficiency of taurine in the body can cause the gradual degeneration of retinal cells, ultimately damaging vision and leading to blindness, that is, Feline Central Retinal Degeneration (FCRD), and the damage to vision is irreversible. Long-term lack of taurine is a significant hazard to cats’ health, as they cannot produce enough taurine on their own. According to a 2012 study by the European Food Safety Authority: Taurine deficiency is directly related to Feline Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), which is characterized by ventricular dilation and weakened heart contraction. After becoming ill, with taurine supplementation, dilated cardiomyopathy can usually be partially or completely reversible. In short, taurine can help cats: prevent retinal degeneration, prevent heart muscle diseases. Extended reading: A Comprehensive Analysis of Canine and Feline Heartworm Prevention! Essential Disease Knowledge for Pet Parents! ‘Cat and Dog Care’ How to tell if my cat lacks taurine? In the early stages of taurine deficiency, the development of clinical symptoms in cats is very slow, and it is difficult to see whether they lack taurine. Because of this, the American Feed Control Association (AAFCO) stipulates that taurine is a necessary component of cat food, which can be obtained through daily diet, ensuring that cats can absorb taurine stably. The garden keeper suggests that cat parents must understand how much taurine cats must consume daily and how to consume it to ensure the taurine nutritional content in cats’ bodies.
According to professional veterinarians, cats begin to experience degradation of photoreceptor cells in the retina after six weeks of taurine deficiency. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the daily intake! The following is a Q&A on how much taurine cats should consume daily. The daily requirement of taurine for cats is related to their protein sources, food processing methods, and dietary fiber intake. The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has established a minimum standard that taurine content in wet food should reach 0.2% dry matter basis. For instance, if a 5 kg cat consumes 300g of main food cans with a moisture content of 80%, the dry matter weight is 60g. Thus, 60 * 0.2% = 0.12g, which equals 120mg. The minimum standard set by AAFCO is that a 5 kg cat must consume at least 120mg of taurine per day! Cat parents can calculate the intake of their feline friends! If your cat has heart-related issues, consult a professional veterinarian for a higher taurine intake. What happens if cats consume too much taurine? Are there any side effects? Taurine is a safe essential amino acid for cats, and there have been no reports indicating side effects. However, it must be noted that any excessive intake of nutrients must pass through the kidneys and be excreted through urine. As far as it is known, excessive intake of taurine does not cause additional bodily harm and will simply be excreted. Nonetheless, cat parents should understand the daily taurine intake of their cats to ensure accurate nutritional supplementation. The following sections discuss where taurine can be obtained from, along with purchasing and feeding recommendations. What are the sources of taurine in food (animals)? Taurine is found in animal muscles, and the amount of taurine in muscle depends on the function of the muscle. Deeper and harder muscles typically contain higher amounts of taurine. Larger animals like cattle have lower taurine content in their muscles, while smaller animals such as fish, shellfish, and birds have higher concentrations of taurine in their muscles. Fish and shellfish have higher taurine content, such as mussels and clams. Generally, the taurine content in raw food is difficult to quantify precisely, and after cooking, the intake may include not only taurine but also excessive amounts of salt and fat. Therefore, it is not recommended to rely solely on raw food for daily taurine supplementation. Additional intake through supplements is necessary to ensure that cats receive an adequate amount of taurine daily! The following provides guidance on how to select and supplement taurine correctly for cats. What should be considered when purchasing taurine? There are many taurine supplements for cats and dogs on the market. When purchasing, it is recommended that cat parents carefully examine the product labels for the manufacturer’s raw material source. Each raw material manufacturer has a different process for producing taurine, and the quality of the raw materials may vary. It is advisable to research the raw material manufacturers online before purchasing. It is also important to pay attention to the amount of taurine per unit when selecting supplements. Some manufacturers may add various additives to their nutritional products and claim that they contain taurine, but the actual per-unit content may be insufficient for daily intake.
Many cat parents often ask: with powder, tablet, and capsule forms available on the market, which one should I choose? In fact, capsules are just powder enclosed in a shell. The quality depends on whether the shell itself contains any additional additives. However, capsules are typically opened and sprinkled into the food for consumption, and the shell can be omitted. Tablets require binders to hold their shape, so it is recommended to purchase taurine products in powder or capsule form. The following guidelines have been compiled by the editor:
Choose high-quality taurine raw materials
Consider whether compound additives are included
If compound additives are present, pay attention to the adequate taurine content per unit
Powder > Capsules > Tablets, tablets contain binders
How to add taurine to homemade food for better absorption?
Taurine is a water-soluble vitamin-like substance and can easily dissolve in water during cooking, making it difficult to fully ingest. Professional nutritionists would suggest steaming and feeding the food with the broth. However, it is also important to note that broth can easily accumulate salt, so be cautious not to overburden your cat’s kidneys when feeding broth. During cooking, water-soluble taurine is almost entirely present in the broth, and often, it is not supplemented at all!
In summary, as an essential part of a cat’s daily nutrition, taurine is already added to food by many manufacturers, so most cats do not typically face a deficiency in taurine. However, if you are concerned about insufficient taurine supplementation or if your cat has heart-related issues, the editor suggests that cat parents first determine the minimum amount of taurine their cat needs per day and then follow the purchasing advice above, adhering to the principle of ‘more is better than less’, to supplement their cat’s needs! Ensure the health of your feline friend and strive to be a diligent cat owner!
Reference: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2736
If you have any questions about taurine or other nutritional supplements for your pet, or if you wish to provide feedback or discuss, feel free to email us or leave a comment below for a one-on-one discussion with the editor!
Interested cat parents can read our article on feline herpesvirus to understand the symptoms, transmission routes, treatment, and prevention methods in just three minutes! Essential health knowledge for cat parents, stay tuned for the editor’s latest articles!
[Cat Body Language] Understand 18 Types of Cat Body Language in 3 Seconds
[What to Do If Cats Fight] Preventing Cat Fights + Emergency Peacekeeping Guide for Multi-Cat Households
For new dog owners: 7 Essential Items, Care Tips, and Knowledge for Dog Ownership
Thank you for watching. If you find the editor’s articles very useful, please feel free to share below with anyone in need of information!
