Providing taurine in the diet or as a supplement only has the goal of meeting a cat’s basic nutritional needs and is not known to have any additional benefits if supplemented in higher amounts than what is required. Any retinal degeneration that has occurred due to taurine deficiency cannot be reversed, but taurine supplementation can prevent further degeneration from occurring.Ĭats with more severe DCM will require additional treatments and care, usually with a veterinary cardiology specialist, beyond just taurine supplementation. Digestive issues likewise can be corrected and resolve. In a cat with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) known to be due to taurine deficiency, if the disease is diagnosed early enough, supplementing with taurine can reverse the process affecting the heart and the cat can recover. However, our feline furry friends cannot synthesize taurine on their own and must obtain it in their diet, leading to the need for daily fresh dietary sources or supplementation.
Taurine is a nutrient that is naturally required for cats, so it is not considered either a supplement on its own, or a drug. Consulting with a veterinary nutritionist can help to ensure that a homemade cat food includes the appropriate vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients like taurine.Īlso Read: Top 10 Things Your Vet Wishes You Knew What Does Taurine Do for Cats?Ĭats should get taurine from their diet, but supplementation might be necessary for cats suffering from health conditions brought on by taurine deficiency. Since taurine has been supplemented universally in cat food by pet food companies, DCM has rarely been seen since the mid to late 1980s.ĭCM might still be seen in some cats, most often if the cat is being fed an inappropriate homemade diet or vegan diet that is deficient in proper meat sources, and therefore at risk of a taurine deficiency. In the 1980s, the link between taurine and DCM was made, as well as a deficiency of taurine in commercial diets’ ingredients being the cause for how prevalent DCM in cats was. However, as this change in ownership occurred, DCM became more prevalent, as did retinal degeneration and poor digestive health.Īt one point in time prior to the 1980s, DCM was actually the most common heart disease in cats, outpacing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) which is currently the most recognized heart disease in cats. Prior to the 1980s, as cat ownership transitioned from allowing cats to go outside often to hunt and kill rodents to keeping cats mostly indoors, commercial diets for cats became more common. Taurine became a mandatory ingredient in commercial cat foods in the 1980s.īefore taurine was recognized to be so essential in cats, early commercial cat foods did not contain sufficient levels of taurine. Taurine is required for bile acid conjugation in dogs and cats, a process required for digestion, so deficiency of taurine can also lead to digestive health concerns.įor breeding queens, taurine deficiency can lead to poor litter health with small litter size, lower birth weights, and kittens that are not strong or healthy. This degeneration of the retina of the eye is irreversible and leads to blindness.
Taurine deficiency has also been linked to feline central retinal degeneration (FCRD), as the amino acid is required for proper retinal health. This is a disease where the heart chambers dilate, leading to overall heart enlargement, but the heart muscle itself actually becomes thinner and flaccid, leading to poor contraction. Taurine deficiency can cause a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Taurine deficiency can cause serious diseases, including dilated cardiomyopathy and feline central retinal degeneration.Īlthough only a couple of health effects are seen from taurine deficiency, these health problems can be severe and even fatal.
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