If your dog is one of the breeds listed below, taurine may be a missing element if your dog’s diet. Here’s how to know if your dog’s taurine levels are troublingly low.
You know how important your dog’s diet is to thier overall health and wellness, but did you know that your dog’s food may be deficient in an essential nutrient – one that protects their heart, brain, muscle, and eye function? You may not be giving your dog the taurine they need to stay healthy.
Don’t panic – your dog may not need it. Most dogs can synthesize taurine from other nutritional elements, so they don’t have to be given taurine in their food or via supplements. However, if your dog is one of the following breeds, they may be suffering from a genetic deficiency that prevents them from creating taurine in their own body. Such breeds are:
- Retriever (golden and Labrador)
- American cocker spaniel
- Great Dane
- English setter
- Newfoundland
- Saint Bernard
Your vet should be consulted about possible lack of taurine if you have one of the above breeds, since taurine deficiency does not present physical symptoms. It does, however, lead to medical problems that do have symptoms, and these problems can be quite serious. The most dangerous complication from long-term taurine deficiency is dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. If your dog exhibits these signs, contact your vet immediately:
- Fainting
- Weight gain
- Sluggishness
- Coughing
- Excessive drooling
- Fatigue after mild exercise
If your vet determines that your dog does suffer from a taurine deficiency, a program of taurine supplementation may be recommended. Fortunately, DCM can be managed if it is caught early and addressed swiftly. Zignature dog food taurine concentrations will help satisfy your dog’s dietary needs, but your vet will recommend a diet plan that supports your dog’s specific health concerns.
To read more on topics like this, check out the blog category.
