Also called · Taurine
What it is
Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid involved in bile acid conjugation, retinal function and heart muscle function.
Dogs can synthesise taurine from cysteine, but cats have low synthetic capacity and must get it from the diet. It is one of the reasons cats are classed as obligate carnivores.
What it does
For cats it is an essential nutrient
A shortfall causes dilated cardiomyopathy and retinal degeneration. Once retinal damage progresses it does not recover.
Why it is added to cat food
It is easily lost in processing, so adding taurine separately is standard in cat food. Many products also market the addition as a differentiator.
How to feed it
No extra supplementation is needed if a complete and balanced cat food is the main diet. The problems come from feeding dog food to a cat, or from long-term home cooking.
The point is preventing deficiency, so meeting the requirement through the daily main diet is the principle.
What to watch for
It is not only taurine. Vitamin A (cats cannot convert β-carotene), niacin (cannot convert from tryptophan) and arachidonic acid (cannot convert from linoleic acid) all stack up in the same gap.
Common questions
No. Overfeeding fish creates other problems — thiaminase destroying vitamin B1, and vitamin K deficiency.
Concerns this ingredient relates to
General nutrition information. It does not replace a diagnosis or a prescription. If your animal has a medical condition or is on medication, talk to your veterinarian first.