Taurine Is Beneficial To Your Dogs Heart and Kidney

Taurine is a water-soluble amino acid. It has recently become a hot topic when referring to the nutritional composition that makes up the human and animal physical structure. Taurine has been found to be very beneficial to various components of the mammal skeletal system such as heart, kidneys and blood.

According to dictionary.com, Taurine is "a colorless crystalline substance, C2H7NO3S, formed by the hydrolysis of taurocholic acid and found in the fluids of the muscles and lungs of many animals."

Taurine, being a catalyst, is needed to help the flow of important elements within the body from one cell to another. Elements such as Potassium, Calcium and Sodium rely on Taurine to move between cells.

Initially Taurine was used in cat foods because of the beneficial properties it brings. Lately dog foods have also implemented the use of Taurine in them.

Taurine is most abundantly found in the retina and cases of blindness have been linked to Taurine deficiency in kittens, however in most cases, the same studies showed a reversal of the blindness when Taurine supplements were administered.

Taurine is also a great asset to the heart. For instance, there were cases where kittens who suffered dilated cardiomyopathy (a disorder of the heart muscle without any known cause) because of a lack of Taurine in their bodies.

Taurine is not present in all dog foods. Thus, you need to read the dog food label carefully, making sure that Taurine is present. Almost all dog food manufacturers are concerned only with profit gains and are not interested in your dog's health. This is why you must do your homework so that you know the types of food you are feeding your dog.

Dogs don't know any better, of course, and will eat anything at all that is placed before them. Your dog depends on you to feed him the best.

With competition getting tougher and tougher, research projects to develop healthy dog foods is not top priority on the producer's list. This is because research such as this take up time and use up money. Hence you must educate yourself about dog foods in order to ensure the health of your dog.