Taurine Deficiency in Cats

Taurine is a beta amino acid crucial to a cat's survival. Taurine is composed of two other amino acids called methionine and cysteine. Taurine is naturally found in raw meat but a synthetic version is often added to commercial cat foods. Just as people's bodies cannot manufacture Vitamin C, cat bodies cannot manufacture taurine. They need to eat taurine in order to get their daily requirements.

If a cat does not get enough taurine, that cat is at risk of developing many health problems, especially weaknesses of the retinas and heart muscle. Cats at most risk of developing taurine deficiency are those that eat home-cooked diets or vegetarian diets, notes "The Veterinarian's Guide to Your Cat's Symptoms" (Villard; 2010.)

Potential Health Problems

So what happens if a cat doesn't eat enough taurine? Plenty!

• Retinas degenerate until the cat goes blind
• Pregnant female cats abort or give birth to kittens with low birth weight
• Heart muscle weakens, causing dilated cardiomyopathy
• Kittens or immature cats do not grow as large as they should

All these problems occur because taurine helps maintain light-receptive cells in the retina, helps keep nerve cells grow properly and helps bile acids to conjugate and digest foods like fats. Most mammals need taurine in order to properly digest food. Dogs are lucky in that if taurine isn't present in their diet, their bodies can use glycine. However, some dogs, especially American cocker spaniels, can suffer from taurine deficiency, points out Shawn Messonier, DVM.

How Much Is Enough?

Unfortunately, it is not known how much taurine a cat needs to eat per day in order to remain healthy. Veterinarian Tracy Lord, DVM, estimates that for every 2.2 pounds of food that a cat eats, there should be 1 gram of taurine. That's about 75 to 100 milligrams per day.

But if your cat is healthy, then he or she is definitely getting enough. It could be that each cat needs a unique amount.

Because cats go blind or develop heart disease for many reasons (including genetic reasons), always take a cat to a vet to get a proper diagnosis. Although taurine is available over the counter for human use, the dosage should be determined by a veterinarian. The good news is that taurine tends to pass through a cat's body quickly and so overdoses are rare.

References

"The Veterinarian's Guide to Your Cat's Symptoms." Michael S. Garvey, DVM, et al. Villard; 2010.

Pet Place. "Taurine." Dr. Nicholas Dodman. http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/taurine/page1.aspx

Animal Wellness Magazine. "Cardiomyopathy." Shawn Messonier, DVM. Winter 2002. http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/art/aV44_18.htm

VetLord. "Taurine is essential for cats." Jan, 27, 2008. http://www.vetlord.org/taurine-is-essential-for-cats/