Taurine supplements?

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Diana&Tom

Diana&Tom

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Does anyone here give their cats a taurine supplement? I just checked the ingredients of the food I give my seven-year-old civie, Sapphire, and there's no mention of it. It's a good quality (more than 50% chicken) complete wet food so I wonder if having that much meat means that added taurine isn't necessary? But I understand that taurine is destroyed or at least lessened during processing, so I'm just a bit alarmed. I know taurine is vital to cats and lack of it can cause health damage that may not be apparent for months or years...

Any comments anyone???

Diana
 
Hi Diana,

The foods from Happy Kitty and zooplus are quite good for listing as-fed taurine content. You need to ring other manufacturers to try to get more info on the as-fed values in their products.

IIRC heart muscle is high in taurine so maybe look for that in the ingredient listings. Here's a good article:

http://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/no-bull-taurine-is-a-must-for-kitty

Zooplus do a taurine supplement (I think it's under the Felini brand). I used it for Saoirse at times but I can't remember the dosing. I was very nervous/cagey with supplements because of pancreatitis issues.


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
Hi Diana,

The foods from Happy Kitty and zooplus are quite good for listing as-fed taurine content. You need to ring other manufacturers to try to get more info on the as-fed values in their products.

IIRC heart muscle is high in taurine so maybe look for that in the ingredient listings. Here's a good article:

http://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/no-bull-taurine-is-a-must-for-kitty

Zooplus do a taurine supplement (I think it's under the Felini brand). I used it for Saoirse at times but I can't remember the dosing. I was very nervous/cagey with supplements because of pancreatitis issues.


Mogs
.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mogs. I feed Saff a Zooplus product - Miamor Mild Meal - and it doesn't list taurine so I'm a bit worried.
Just when I thought I'd got her onto a good food (she'd been on Whiskas until a few months ago)... looks like my work is not yet done...
 
It might be worth contacting Zooplus customer service about the Miamor. Sometimes they'll contact the manufacturer to get specific as-fed nutritional analysis values for you if they're not listed on the labels.


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
It might be worth contacting Zooplus customer service about the Miamor. Sometimes they'll contact the manufacturer to get specific as-fed nutritional analysis values for you if they're not listed on the labels.


Mogs
.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mogs, it's worth a try although I have to say that in my experience and that of a fellow UKer, Zooplus's customer service is pretty useless. But I'll give it a go, you never know.
 
Diana&Tom said:
in my experience and that of a fellow UKer, Zooplus's customer service is pretty useless
Click to expand...
You surprise me. NOT!!!! :rolleyes:

I found it helps if you email them with the request. Then call. Then escalate.

If you can, try to dig up the manufacturer's website and email them. There can be a bit of a language barrier but that's why God gave us Google Translate. ;)

Joy. :banghead:


Mogs
.
 
Critter Mom said:
You surprise me. NOT!!!! :rolleyes:

I found it helps if you email them with the request. Then call. Then escalate.

If you can, try to dig up the manufacturer's website and email them. There can be a bit of a language barrier but that's why God gave us Google Translate. ;)

Joy. :banghead:


Mogs
.
Click to expand...
Thanks again, Mogs, you're such a star. I did try looking for the manufacturer's website and there doesn't seem to be one - a Google search for Miamor just brings up Zooplus and Bitiba and one or two others. So a tad stuck there.
Life is never simple, is it...
 
Chris & China said:
It's listed as a "complete and balanced" food, so it should be just fine....usually foods that don't contain everything they need are listed as "supplements"
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Thanks Chris, that's what I've been thinking up to now - just wondering why the manufacturer wouldn't want to reassure customers of the ingredients by listing them. All a bit of a minefield!
 
Diana&Tom said:
just wondering why the manufacturer wouldn't want to reassure customers of the ingredients by listing them. All a bit of a minefield!
Click to expand...
Many foods contain sufficient taurine but frequently the processing destroys a sufficient amount of the taurine such that it does not meet the AAFCO standards. If they do not meet the AFCCO standards then the food can't be list as being complete and balanced. Since no taurine was added it can't be listed in the ingredients.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2244&aid=657
 
Larry and Kitties said:
Many foods contain sufficient taurine but frequently the processing destroys a sufficient amount of the taurine such that it does not meet the AAFCO standards. If they do not meet the AFCCO standards then the food can't be list as being complete and balanced. Since no taurine was added it can't be listed in the ingredients.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1 2244&aid=657
Click to expand...
Thanks Larry, that's interesting - and scary. I thought all commercial cat food contained the recommended amount of taurine but it appears not. It's very worrying, given how essential taurine is, and I'm surprised actually that it doesn't come up as a topic here more often.
 
In the mid 70's I don't remember Big Box pet stores and I bought either wet Pig-Slop "low ash" from Safeway or $$$Hills from my vet. I don't recall ever being educated about taurine and neither does my vet whose father was also a vet. Below is the link to a Google search, not one specific site, with the drop-down list of questions and answers about taurine. Heart health and development caught my eye since Noah, his three brothers and mom and dad all had cardiomyopathy. From Google "The cause for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may remain unknown in many cases. However, genetic mutations and predispositions are known to lead to HCM in cats." Noah's family may all be here now if their great grandparents had a diet with taurine. I shudder to think what the next "should have known better is".
?? What happens to excess taurine in the diet? Is it expelled or does it build up somewhere in a non-healthy way?
?? As a supplement has anyone had a negative taste reaction?
https://www.google.ca/search?source....64.psy-ab..2.14.3215...0i131k1.0.Y6XeXnyItUw
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
In the mid 70's I don't remember Big Box pet stores and I bought either wet Pig-Slop "low ash" from Safeway or $$$Hills from my vet. I don't recall ever being educated about taurine and neither does my vet whose father was also a vet. Below is the link to a Google search, not one specific site, with the drop-down list of questions and answers about taurine. Heart health and development caught my eye since Noah, his three brothers and mom and dad all had cardiomyopathy. From Google "The cause for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may remain unknown in many cases. However, genetic mutations and predispositions are known to lead to HCM in cats." Noah's family may all be here now if their great grandparents had a diet with taurine. I shudder to think what the next "should have known better is".
?? What happens to excess taurine in the diet? Is it expelled or does it build up somewhere in a non-healthy way?
?? As a supplement has anyone had a negative taste reaction?
https://www.google.ca/search?source=hp&ei=5bhPWpDLOtTijwOcrorQDQ&q=taurine cat food&oq=taurine cat food&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l2j0i22i30k1l8.2241.10360.0.11455.16.16.0.0.0.0.554.3223.0j6j7j5-1.14.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..2.14.3215...0i131k1.0.Y6XeXnyItUw
Click to expand...

Exactly - I shudder to think of the problems, sometimes fatal, caused by lack of taurine ( and who knows what else) that might be avoided if only vets and owners were better educated about feline health. But then I guess, short of being given the "Absolutely Everything You Need To Know To Keep Your Cat Healthy" book when we become owners, it's just a continuous learning process full of trial and error and "if onlys"...

As far as taurine is concerned, I gather that supplements can be given to make up any shortfall in food, and any excess is expelled in the usual way. But as @Critter Mom said above, not everyone always wants to give supplements for very good reasons, so a *proper* amount already in commercial foods would be sensible. Pet food manufacturers sensible...? Ah.....

Anyways, I am really concerned about this issue and have been researching foods (here in the UK) today so it's off to Pets At Home tomorrow I think to purchase some Country Hunter which is supposedly one of the better quality foods available here (not a usual supermarket brand). It actually lists taurine as an ingredient or should that be additive, so at least the manufacturer is trying.

If my cat doesn't like that food I will resort to a supplement. My previous cats lived long and healthy lives and I was in blissful ignorance of how vital taurine is, but I'm just not prepared to risk the medium to long-term effects of lack of it.
 
If anyone's interested (@Critter Mom ?) I've heard back from Zooplus ref my query about taurine content in the food I'm feeding my civie. They say (from the supplier) that there is sufficient natural taurine in the meat in this product; it is only added to a product when there is not enough meat in it. It does have a high meat content and Zooplus says taurine content is approx 500mg/kg which I don't know is right or not, but most manufacturers are probably blissfully unaware of how processing can destroy nutrients, so I think I'll be looking to supplement.
So more or less what we thought. Thanks everyone for your input.

Diana
 
Diana Just seeing your post so I thought I would weigh in.

Taurine is essential as you well know and heat processing destroys some of the naturally existing taurine. According to one article
"that it breaks down when heated, so cooking the meat will destroy over half of the available Taurine. "

You really can't use too much. I use taurine in my home-made food and still supplement extra with the feedings, since I have never been able to find if freezing can destroy any % of taurine. Since taurine is water soluble it is flushed from the system, much in the same way as B12 is. From the same article and others I have read:

"If you do feed your cat a homemade diet, you must add a Taurine supplement. Fortunately, there are few side effects of too much Taurine in the diet because a cat's body can't store it. So if you make sure, however you do so, that your cat gets from one hundred to three hundred milligrams of Taurine per day your cat should do well."

http://petcaretips.net/cat_taurine.html

I personally use the NOW brand taurine. At one time it was one of the few taurine products where ingredients were not sourced from China. Not sure if that is still the case now, but I try to avoid supplements from China. You can buy it either in capsules in doses of 500 or 1000 mg per capsule ( gelatin capsule which can easily be opened) or in powder form and you measure the appropriate dose you need. Neither of my kitties ever noticed when I sprinkled taurine on their food.


41wByLeqIeL._AC_US218_.jpg


It is available in the UK as well as other brands.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=1000mg taurine&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=185250384879&hvpos=1t2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10596124816250652361&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=9041128&hvlocphy=9001207&hvtargid=kwd-16619542167&ref=pd_sl_21ry5ioxc5_b
 
Tuxedo Mom said:
Diana Just seeing your post so I thought I would weigh in.

Taurine is essential as you well know and heat processing destroys some of the naturally existing taurine. According to one article
"that it breaks down when heated, so cooking the meat will destroy over half of the available Taurine. "

You really can't use too much. I use taurine in my home-made food and still supplement extra with the feedings, since I have never been able to find if freezing can destroy any % of taurine. Since taurine is water soluble it is flushed from the system, much in the same way as B12 is. From the same article and others I have read:

"If you do feed your cat a homemade diet, you must add a Taurine supplement. Fortunately, there are few side effects of too much Taurine in the diet because a cat's body can't store it. So if you make sure, however you do so, that your cat gets from one hundred to three hundred milligrams of Taurine per day your cat should do well."

http://petcaretips.net/cat_taurine.html

I personally use the NOW brand taurine. At one time it was one of the few taurine products where ingredients were not sourced from China. Not sure if that is still the case now, but I try to avoid supplements from China. You can buy it either in capsules in doses of 500 or 1000 mg per capsule ( gelatin capsule which can easily be opened) or in powder form and you measure the appropriate dose you need. Neither of my kitties ever noticed when I sprinkled taurine on their food.


41wByLeqIeL._AC_US218_.jpg


It is available in the UK as well as other brands.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=1000mg taurine&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=185250384879&hvpos=1t2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10596124816250652361&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=9041128&hvlocphy=9001207&hvtargid=kwd-16619542167&ref=pd_sl_21ry5ioxc5_b
Click to expand...

Many thanks Mary Ann, much appreciated.
 
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