Why taurine is an important component of dog food
We are quite often asked by customers why the dog food from Bellfor contains taurine. This question is quite justified. After all, we point out that our products contain only natural ingredients.
Accordingly, the taurine contained in dog food easily gives the impression that we are not following our guidelines in this respect. Occasionally, individual customers even express the fear that taurine could be potentially unhealthy for their four-legged friend.
Why this is not the case and why taurine is an important component of our dog food is explained below.
What is taurine anyway?
The term taurine is probably already familiar to many dog owners. It is not only found on dog food labels, but also the cans of many energy drinks. The purpose of taurine in these drinks is to increase the effectiveness of the caffeine in the drink.
Taurine is an aminoethanesulfonic acid that is produced during the breakdown of the amino acid cysteine. The body needs taurine, for example, for the production of bile acid. Apart from that, it is probably also important for the central nervous system and the growth of muscles.
The name taurine is derived from the Greek word for bull (tauros). This is because the aminoethanesulfonic acid taurine was first isolated from the bile of an ox in 1824.
What makes taurine so important for dogs
If there is a taurine deficiency in a dog, the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases significantly. This is especially true for the already quite widespread heart disease DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy).
In principle, dogs can produce taurine from other amino acids themselves. However, some dog breeds are not capable of this and therefore very often suffer from a taurine deficiency.
The exact reasons for this are still unclear and the data situation is still very low in this respect. However, it is known that especially large dogs, like the Doberman and Newfoundland, are increasingly affected by problems with the body's own taurine production.
To avoid a taurine deficiency and the associated health risks such as suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, taurine can be supplied to the dog either as a dietary supplement or in the form of an additive contained in the food.
Taurine in Bellfor dog food
Dog food from Bellfor is a complete food. This means that it provides your dog with all the necessary nutrients. It is important to us that this is guaranteed for all breeds and that you do not have to worry about whether the variety of your choice is suitable for your dog when you buy our food.
Although the issues of DCM and taurine deficiency primarily affects large breeds of dogs, taurine should not be missing from dog food. This also applies, of course, to high-quality products made from natural ingredients such as dog food from Bellfor.
We, therefore, add one gram of taurine per kilogram of food to our dog food. You can therefore be sure that your dog is optimally supplied with taurine at all times, regardless of breed, and that the risk of developing dilated cardiomyopathy is reduced accordingly.
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