Effects of L-Taurine Deficiency in Cats: What Happens?
In experiments, it has been discovered that cats lacking taurine can suffer from a variety of degenerative and digestive system issues, which include:
1. Retinal degeneration, leading to a decline in vision and, in severe cases, complete blindness.
2. Dilated cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle becomes weak and cannot contract properly, resulting in heart failure.
3. Inability to secrete bile, causing digestive difficulties and preventing the absorption of nutrients.
4. Infertility in female cats, leading to miscarriages.
5. Delayed growth in kittens, potentially resulting in dwarfism.
6. Dull coat color and a tendency to experience largescale hair loss.
7. Dental caries, periodontal disease, and gingivitis.
8. Immunodeficiency, making them prone to skin diseases, feline AIDS, and feline herpesvirus.
Since the 1980s, scientists have confirmed that taurine is crucial for a cat's physiological functions. Consequently, almost all dry and wet cat food products now include additional taurine, just like lysine, as it is one of the essential amino acids. Cats have limited ability to synthesize taurine on their own, so they require it from animalbased proteins or through supplementation.
Both dry and wet cat food carry the risk of taurine deficiency. While imported feed contains added taurine to meet basic needs, the hightemperature, highpressure cooking process and extended storage during transportation can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the taurine content.
For cats that consume homemade meals, the risk of taurine deficiency is even greater. Without the ability to test and control the levels of vitamins, taurine, proteins, and other essential nutrients, these cats are at a higher risk than those on dry or wet food diets. According to official data from the Taiwan Animal Protection Department, among cats that died due to homemade diets, 37.2% of the deaths were attributed to taurine deficiency, which is significantly higher than the death rates from other causes.
