Benefits of Taurine for Your Cat's Health
9 Dec 2021
Cats are obligate carnivores. Unlike herbivores or omnivores, they are not able to synthesize the taurine they need from other amino acids like methionine and cysteine. In addition, many animal species can use glycine or taurine to conjugate bile acids into bile salts, but cats can only conjugate bile acids with it. This low rate of synthesis combined with the loss of it in bile contributes to an increased dietary requirement of taurine for cats. With insufficient amounts of this essential amino acid in their diet, cats can develop central retinal degeneration, reproductive failure and impaired fetal development or heart cardiomyopathy.
Therefore, the Association of American Feed Control Officials, or AAFCO, recommends the minimum allowance of taurine for wet food to be 0.2% on a dry matter basis. The chance is that this amount might be covered by the natural taurine in meat alone, but due to a significant amount of variability of its concentrations in meat, high solubility in water, danger of delay in exhibiting clinical signs of deficiency and the fact that supplementation is relatively safe with no reports of any issues associated with overdose, it might be beneficial to always have a small amount of excess in your raw cat food. So a reasonable amount of taurine to add is approximately 250 mg of taurine per 1lb of meat.
For the benefits of taurine, it provides 5 key benefits of cats which are ;
Supports brain health : Taurine helps regenerate brain cells. It plays a critical nutritional role in brain cell growth, differentiation, and development.
Maintains healthy eyesight in pets : Without Taurine, the retinas of cats may deteriorate.
Reduces the risk of DCM in cats : Cats cannot synthesize taurine, that’s why they need it in their diet.
Supports reproductive health : In cats, lack of taurine may lead to reproductive complications like reproductive failure or poor growth in kittens. Taurine also promotes reproductive health in cats and dogs.
Protects the immune system : The fundamental role of taurine in the immune system is related to its antioxidant properties. Taurine protects tissues from oxidative stress associated with the pathology of various inflammatory diseases.
7 tricks in adjusting your dog’s behavior to being potty trained!
Have you ever just chill, relax, but suddenly smell a weird odor, causing you to block your nostrils from your dog not defecating in the right place? Whether it's the floor, in the corner of the room, the rug, the legs of the table, the curtains, the bed, or our favorite set of sofas. Anyone who encounters this problem will definitely have a headache because in addition to the damage that has occurred, it’s followed by the issue of cleaning, which is quite difficult. Plus, the unpleasant smell as well. Many people may wonder, why is their dog not defecating in the right place? How do we fix this problem? This article has compiled solutions for you.
Are clothes necessary for dogs and cats? Which breeds are required to wear them?
When entering winter, we will see a variety of winter fashion out there, a variety of eye-catching colors, which is no different with pet’s fashion clothes that are equally bold. Seeing the choices of clothes picked for them is like bringing a small fashion week to the house. In addition, we are united in showing off their cuteness and adorableness, often seen on social media, but in fact, has anyone ever wondered how necessary those clothes are? Do dogs and cats really need to wear coats in winter? Let's find out.
What to do in the cold weather? 6 tips to take care of your pets in winter
The cold wind has begun to blow, you can already feel the coldness. Many people may already start to plan for a family trip, both local trips and traveling abroad. But don't forget to take care of your pets, like your dogs and cats. It’s a must to prepare them for the cold weather, especially when the weather is rapidly changing like this. Our pets can get sick and ill very easily because of the weather since they aren’t able to adapt well. Today, we have 6 great tips for taking care of your pets during the winter.