News of certain pet food brands’ possible link to heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or enlargement of the heart) in dogs has alarmed pet owners for quite some time now. Even more so when the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) released a list identifying 16 pet food brands implicated in their ongoing investigations. Pet owners got worried as even high-end pet food brands were included in the list.
But what is DCM? How does taurine help prevent this? Does your dog food even have it? To put your worries to rest, here’s what you need to know.
Taurine is an amino acid found in fresh meat. Most healthy dogs can naturally synthesize taurine from their food. However, studies suggest that foods lacking the proper formulation of ingredients, and particularly foods with lower quality meat, decreases the body's ability to synthesize taurine. This is especially concerning for at-risk breeds and could lead to taurine deficiency, posing a risk for heart disease.