#TAURINE LEVELS IN DOGS UPDATE#
#TAURINE LEVELS IN DOGS FREE#

This is not the first time that diet has been linked to heart disease in dogs.

3 Although the methionine content in pulses is lower compared to animal-based proteins, this can easily be accounted for by using ingredients rich in this amino acid or using supplementation. Therefore, taurine is not considered necessary in dogs’ diets if enough methionine and cysteine are present. 3 Cats must get taurine from their diet, but dogs can make taurine using two other amino acids, methionine and cysteine. In dogs and cats, taurine also plays an important role in activating bile acids in the liver, enabling them to break down fats.

3 Though the exact function of taurine is not entirely understood, it is known to be involved in heart health.

#TAURINE LEVELS IN DOGS FREE#

Most amino acids are used to make protein, but taurine is a free amino acid in the body. 2 So, what is going on? To dive deeper into this issue, we must look at what is currently known about the relationship between diet and the development of heart disease in dogs. Complicating the matter further is that genetics may also play a role in the development of DCM. 1 Millions of healthy dogs around the world eat grain-free diets their entire lives this is the first time that grain-free diets have been implicated as a potential cause of heart disease.

DCM is also reported to occur in dogs eating diets that are not grain-free. However, some dogs with DCM on grain-free diets showed normal blood taurine levels. It is thought that foods with high levels of peas, potatoes, and lentils may cause low taurine levels in dogs and contribute to heart disease. As a public health agency, the FDA released these reports to bring this issue to consumers’ attention so that any new information can be reported and collected by the FDA. Why were these reports released? Some veterinarians reported to the FDA that they had observed an increase in DCM in dogs that were being fed grain-free diets. Regardless, the FDA has still not confirmed a cause-and-effect relationship between grain-free diets and canine DCM, and notes that not only have there been cases of nutritional DCM identified in dogs eating both grain inclusive and grain free foods, but that pulses and legumes have been used for decades in petfood with no ill-consequences.

#TAURINE LEVELS IN DOGS UPDATE#

Since the initial statement from the FDA in 2018, there have been two subsequent updates and a question-and-answer page released by the FDA, with the second update identifying pet food brands that have most frequently named in cases reported to the FDA. 1 The initial statement from the FDA suggested a potential relationship between the amino acid taurine and DCM in dogs. These ingredients are commonly found in diets that are advertised as “grain-free”. There has been a lot of buzz about the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) statements alerting pet owners about a possible link between dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a type of heart disease, in dogs eating diets containing peas, lentils, potatoes and other legume seeds as main ingredients. As such, they will continue to monitor the research for meaningful data, but do not intend to release any additional updates. In December 2022 the FDA announced that there is insufficient data to establish causality between grain-free foods and development of nutritional DCM.

Taurine levels in dogs