Content
- Taurine, the best ally for cat health
- Where do we find taurine?
- Does commercial cat food contain taurine?
- What does the lack of taurine do to cats?
Taurine is one of the most important essential amino acids for the correct functioning of the heart muscle, vision, digestive system and reproduction in cats. Unlike other mammals, cats need the presence of this amino acid in their body.
Unfortunately, cats cannot synthesize, from other amino acids, enough taurine for its proper functioning. Therefore, to cover their needs, it is necessary to give them this amino acid externally, that is, through food.
A deficiency of taurine can be detrimental to a feline's health and can produce blindness, heart or growth problems, and nervous system deficiencies. If you have a cat at home, keep reading this PeritoAnimal article and find out what the cats are. Taurine-rich cat food, and thus can maintain the health of your pet.
Taurine, the best ally for cat health
As its name says, taurine is so essential that all cat food must contain it. Taurine is an amino acid that is only found under natural conditions in proteins of natural origin and that helps in many ways. Discover the properties of taurine-rich cat food:
- Acts as an antioxidant
- Regulates water and salt in cells throughout the body
- Stimulates muscle growth
- Helps the production of bile
- Positive presence in the cells of the retina of the eye (hence the problem of blindness in its absence)
Where do we find taurine?
The best option is to give the cat the taurine in a natural way, that is, to obtain the amino acid from animal protein sources. Always try to give him good quality, animal-friendly, organic protein. At each meal, a cat should take between 200g to 300mg of taurine.
We will now see which foods contain taurine:
- Chicken: in particular the legs, where there is more presence of taurine. The liver is also very good. Chicken skin or fat should not be given, as taurine is found in the muscle.
- beef or cow liver: beef liver contains high doses of taurine, as well as the heart, which also pays a lot for being large. The ideal would be to offer the raw meat to the feline, but as this can be dangerous, we recommend that it be cooked for about 5 minutes before offering it to the cat. Always pay attention when selecting meat. Ensure the quality of the food and an ideal sanitary origin.
- Eggs: eggs and dairy products also have a good dose of taurine.
- Seafood: shrimp have even more of this amino acid than other animal proteins. Are
- excellent food to feed your cat offering a good amount of taurine, however we know that unfortunately this is not a food that is within everyone's reach due to its high price.
- Fish: Fish are a great source of taurine, especially sardines, salmon and tuna.
Does commercial cat food contain taurine?
Yes, the commercial feed we usually buy contains good amounts of taurine, but it should be high-end and as natural as possible.. There are some very good ones that are made with quality dehydrated meats.
Low quality pet food is a bad option for your cat when it comes to taurine. They are made from lots of grains and little natural taurine, and the taurine they use to make up for the lack is usually from artificial sources.
When you go to the supermarket or a pet store, check the ingredients list of the feed. If you see that they include taurine as one of the ingredients, it is a sign that this is artificial because it was added. Remember that this amino acid must already be present in the food naturally.
Know more taurine-rich foods for cats? Comment and share with us!
What does the lack of taurine do to cats?
Taurine deficiency in cats can lead to a number of changes in the feline, such as central retinal degeneration or cardiomyopathy - a group of diseases that affect the cat. cardiac muscle.
The first signs that a cat suffers from taurine deficiency come after a long period, between 5 months and two years. This deficiency primarily affects the retina in neutered adult cats, causing their degeneration, or it can also cause dilated cardiomyopathy.[1]
According to studies, only 4 out of 10 taurine-deficient cats show clinical symptoms and the diagnosis can be made through blood test of the feline. Kittens that are born with a deficiency of taurine can also be stunted.
In addition to the foods we have already mentioned, a veterinarian may prescribe to the feline, in more serious cases, the taurine supplementation. After diagnosis and beginning of supplementation, an improvement in their health status is expected between one and three weeks in relation to cardiomyopathy, while retinal degeneration and less development in puppies are irreversible.
And since we're talking about feline feeding, in the following video, you'll discover seven fruits that cats can eat:
If you want to read more articles similar to Taurine-rich food for cats, we recommend that you enter our Balanced Diets section.