Taurine is an essential amino acid for cats which is essential for normal heart muscle function, healthy vision, healthy digestion and structural development for kittens.
Unfortunately, cats are unable to manufacture sufficient amounts of Taurine and have to acquire it through their diets. Most commercial and balanced cat food contain sufficient taurine for your cat. If your cat is on a raw diet, it might be prudent to supplement their raw diet with taurine power which can be sprinkled on their raw food.
It is often hard to tell if your cat has taurine deficiency as the signs are slow to develop depending on your cat’s age and health. Below are some of the ramifications of prolonged taurine deficiency.
Blindness – Lack of taurine may cause retina cells to not function properly and deteriorate overtime leading to feline central retinal degeneration (CRD)
Heart disease – Taurine deficiency is the cause of dilated cardiomyopathy which is the weakening of the heart muscle. This usually leads to heart failure.
Decreased Growth in Kittens – Insufficient levels of taurine in pregnant cats can result in improper structural development of kittens which is why it is important to maintain adequate taurine levels during pregnancy and lactation.