Unlike cats, dogs can manufacture their own taurine, but this mechanism most likely works best for dogs on a meat-based diet, not those on a low-quality commercial diet. This would suggest that recommendations for taurine levels are too low for canine as well as feline diets. Homemade diets were also found to be problematic for taurine content.ĭogs can also have taurine-responsive cardiac problems, which are especially prominent in certain breeds, most commonly the Golden Retriever, American Cocker Spaniel, and Newfoundland.
Crude protein in most of these diets was above the recommended minimum, projecting a false idea of their nutritional adequacy. Taurine was the most common under-supplied nutrient. A recent in-depth nutritional analysis of 26 commercial plant-based diets found that none met the minimum nutritional standards recommended by AAFCO and FEDIAC. However, we still see cases of feline heart disease which are responsive to taurine. Its importance for cats in particular has prompted AAFCO to increase the recommended amounts of taurine in cat food. This is probably the most important supplement for the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Note that some of these heart problems are breed-related, so response to supplements can also be breed-related.
This article provides an overview of cardiac-supportive supplements for dogs and cats. In dogs, we most often see chronic valvular disease, DCM, heartworm, and primary arrhythmias. The most common types of heart or heart-related disease in cats are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertension, and chronic heart failure (CHF).
A range of supplements can help support your cardiac patients, and make an effective addition to your treatment plan. Heart problems are relatively common in dogs and cats.
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