Have a great day. ~Tricia Rudy and Trixie

Hey,

Happy Wednesday!

How are your amino acids today? All in order? Good to hear it.

Even if you don’t know exactly what amino acidsare or what they do, I’m pretty sure you know they’re important. In fact, many of them are essential to life itself. 

One of the more talked about amino acids, when it comes to pets, is taurine, which aids the function of the nervous, digestive and immune systems. The market for taurine supplements for dogs is sizeable.

It’s something we address in a new article on the site: How Important is Taurine for Dogs?

Dogs need taurine. A deficiency can cause all manner of health issues.

In fact, recent research has established a link between taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in certain dog breeds. A similar link to DCM in cats led to the routine addition of taurine to cat food.

So do dog parents need to add taurine to their dogs’ diets? Should dog food manufacturers be adding it? 

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Ideally, no. The good news is the vast majority of dogs will never suffer taurine deficiency. That’s because, unlike cats, dogs can produce their own taurine from a good and balanced diet, especially if it’s full of high-quality meat.

However, if a dog isn’t getting the right food — or has a genetic disposition to taurine deficiency, as some dogs do, particularly among larger breeds and American Cocker Spaniels — then there could be an issue. 

Luckily, your vet, with your keen observations, will be able to diagnose taurine deficiency and advise on a remedy. 

And while your dog’s tolerance for taurine is pretty robust, making an ‘overdose’ highly unlikely, it’s wise — for your dog and your pocket — to avoid adding supplementswithout veterinary input. 

For a bit more detail, particularly on the potential symptoms of taurine deficiency, I highly recommend reading the article here.

That’s it from me today. Time to keep my taurine levels up with a hearty breakfast. 

Until next time,

Andrew

Editor
The Dog Food Advisor
Saving Good Dogs From Bad Dog Food