PULSAR Taurine Supplement for Heart Health
PetTest and their affiliated companies are always expanding their product lines; if they see a need for a product or supplement, they ACT! I am happy to share with everyone that PetTest, under their new supplements brand, Astro Pet Products, is now offering a new supplement! You can now purchase PULSAR Taurine Supplement for Heart Health!
Let’s go over what taurine is, what it does for the body and why it is so important for our dogs and cats!
What is taurine?
Taurine is an amino acid that is synthesized from methionine and cysteine. It is a crucial amino acid for the body that is needed for growth, reproduction, maintenance and repair.
All mammals including dogs and cats require the amino acid taurine for many functions which includes:
- Cardiovascular system
- Brain function
- Retinal function
- Digestion
- Immune system
- Reproductive health
What are some sources of taurine?
Taurine is found abundantly in meat, fish, seafood, shellfish, eggs and dairy. It can also be found in seaweed, and legumes. Fruits and vegetable contain little to no taurine and grains contain no taurine.
- Shellfish has the highest amounts of taurine. Per 100 grams of oysters there is 345 – 446 mg of taurine.
- Dark meat has more taurine in it than white meat does. There is about 170 mg of taurine in 100 grams of chicken thigh meat. There is about 18 mg of taurine in 100 grams of chicken breast.
- An egg yolk has approximately 3.7 mg of taurine.
- Dairy has small amounts of taurine, a glass of milk has about 6 grams of taurine but 100 grams of cheddar cheese has 0 mg of taurine.
How do dogs and cats break down taurine?
Here’s how the body breaks down protein into taurine:
Meat, fish, seafood, shellfish, eggs, dairy
↓
Methionine (precursor amino acid)
↓
Cysteine (precursor amino acid)
↓
Cysteine sulphinic acid (CSA)
↓
Hypo taurine
↓
Taurine
When it comes to dogs and cats breaking down protein into taurine, there are distinctions, but I want to explain the difference between essential, non-essential and conditional amino acids first.
- Essential amino acids = must be included in diet.
- Non-essential amino acids = do not need to be included in diet.
- Conditional amino acids = should be included under certain circumstances.
Cats can only synthesize small amounts of taurine so they require sources of taurine in their diet. So, for cats, taurine is an essential amino acid.
Commercial and prescription diets will include the proper amounts of taurine per NRC requirements. This is a guideline that was put in place and is followed by the AAFCO.
Homemade diets may be lacking in taurine so supplementation may be necessary. If a cat has a taurine deficiency or has specific disorders like fatty liver disease, DCM or retinal degeneration, taurine supplementation is necessary.
Dogs can synthesize taurine from methionine and cysteine so it considered a non-essential amino acid, but there are certain breeds that are prone to heart disorders like dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) so taurine is a conditional amino acid, so supplementation is recommended.
Commercial and prescription diets may have added taurine, a lot of food manufacturers started adding taurine to their formulas in 2018; there is no NRC guideline for taurine requirements in dogs (remember they can synthesize it).
BUT, there are breeds that are prone to DCM and taurine deficiency, these include:
- Dobermans
- Great Danes
- Boxers
- Scottish Wolfhounds
- Portuguese Water Dogs
- Saint Bernards
- Dalmatians
- Cocker Spaniels
- Labrador Retrievers
Large breed dogs are at higher risk for taurine deficiency due to having a higher requirement for taurine. There are also disorders like liver disease, retinal degeneration, DCM and malabsorption issues that require supplementation. Breeds that are predisposed to DCM should get taurine supplements.
Concerned about taurine toxicity? Don’t be! Cats urinate out excess taurine and dogs’ bodies break down and use surplus taurine.
Now, the great news is that taurine supplementation is easy and with PULSAR you know that you’re getting a high-quality product!
PULSAR comes in an easy to dose powder form for dogs and cats, is made in the USA, and is made with a human-grade ingredient… taurine.
Make sure you purchase PULSAR today to add to your pet’s supplement regimen; I gave taurine to Lucy and Frank and wish PULSAR had been available back then!
Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Canine Nutrition Coach
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
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