{"id":3875,"date":"2019-12-30T22:08:43","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T22:08:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.net\/blog\/?p=3875"},"modified":"2019-12-30T22:08:43","modified_gmt":"2019-12-30T22:08:43","slug":"breaking-taurine-might-not-be-behind-heart-disease-from-kibble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/12\/breaking-taurine-might-not-be-behind-heart-disease-from-kibble\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking: Taurine might not be behind heart disease from kibble"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header\">\n<h4>From Dogs Naturally Magazine<\/h4>\n<p>By:\u00a0<a title=\"Posts by Jean Hofve\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com\/author\/jean-hofve\/\" rel=\"author\">Jean Hofve<\/a>\u00a0&#8211;<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"entry-title\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-post-image  wp-post-image lazyloaded\" style=\"font-size: 16px;\" src=\"https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine.jpg 806w, https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine-150x79.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine-120x63.jpg 120w\" alt=\"\" width=\"237\" height=\"124\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine.jpg 806w, https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine-150x79.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine-120x63.jpg 120w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px\" data-frizzly-image-share-facebook=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dogsnaturallymagazine.com%2Ftaurine-diet-and-heart-disease-in-dogs%2F\" data-frizzly-image-share-pinterest=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/bookmarklet\/?is_video=false&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dogsnaturallymagazine.com%2Ftaurine-diet-and-heart-disease-in-dogs%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dogsnaturallymagazine.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F12%2FTaurine.jpg&amp;description=Breaking%3A%20Taurine%20might%20not%20be%20behind%20heart%20disease%20from%20kibble\" data-frizzly-image-share-twitter=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dogsnaturallymagazine.com%2Ftaurine-diet-and-heart-disease-in-dogs%2F&amp;text=Breaking%3A%20Taurine%20might%20not%20be%20behind%20heart%20disease%20from%20kibble&amp;via=%40DogsNaturally\" data-frizzly-image-post-id=\"42289\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine.jpg\" data-was-processed=\"true\" data-frizzly-indexer=\"0\" \/><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"blox_global_32665\" class=\"blox-container blox-content-raw blox-theme-default blox-scope-global \">\n<div class=\"blox-wrap \">\n<div class=\"blox-raw-container \">\n<div class=\"blox-raw-wrap\">\n<div class=\"gca-utility columns-container sub-post-info\">\n<div class=\"gca-column five-sixths sub-post-author\">\n<div class=\"shared-counts-wrap shortcode style-fancy\">In the summer of 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content frizzly_container\">\n<p>They alerted pet owners about the potential for heart disease in dogs on certain diets \u2026 diets that may be deficient in taurine.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone panicked \u2026 but was this panic warranted?<\/p>\n<h2>The Tale Of Taurine<\/h2>\n<p>Taurine is an amino acid found mainly in meat. Unlike other amino acids, which are used mainly to build proteins, taurine is a loner. It has many special functions, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s a component of bile, which breaks down dietary fat.<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s vital for the proper function of muscles (especially the heart), eyes, brain, and the immune system.<\/li>\n<li>It has beneficial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Dogs manufacture their own taurine from the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine.\u00a0 But, with advancing age, taurine production decreases.<\/p>\n<p>The first inkling about taurine\u2019s importance came in the 1980s. Researchers at UC Davis discovered that taurine deficiency was impacting cats. Thousands of cats were going blind. Some were even dying from a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).<\/p>\n<p>This happened because pet food companies were making ingredient substitutions. They substituted more and more plant proteins, such as soybeans or corn gluten meal, in place of real meat.<\/p>\n<p>The trouble is \u2026\u00a0<strong>soybeans and corn are poor sources of sulfur-containing amino acids.<\/strong>\u00a0They also contain zero taurine.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike dogs, cats (and ferrets) must consume taurine in the diet and cannot produce their own.<\/p>\n<p>So the manufacturers started supplementing all cat foods with taurine. The epidemic then faded away (although DCM can still occur, unrelated to diet). Pet food makers saw no reason to add taurine to dog foods, so they chose not to incur the added expense.<\/p>\n<p>However, DCM\u00a0<em>is\u00a0<\/em>common in dogs, especially large breeds. And there\u00a0<em>is\u00a0<\/em>such a thing as taurine-deficiency DCM in dogs; it was discovered in the 1990s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Newfoundlands \u2026 and a handful of other breeds \u2026 appear to be genetically predisposed to DCM.<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s also recognized that big dogs produce taurine more slowly than small dogs. This increases their risk of DCM.<\/p>\n<p>[<strong>Related:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com\/news-fda-reports-some-dog-foods-may-cause-heart-disease\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"NEWS: FDA Reports Some Dog Foods May Cause Heart Disease (opens in a new tab)\">NEWS: FDA Reports Some Dog Foods May Cause Heart Disease<\/a>]<\/p>\n<h2>What The Research Has To Say<\/h2>\n<p>Recent research suggests that diet is a factor in less than 20 to 30 percent of dogs with DCM. Some (but not all) of these dogs will improve with taurine supplementation. And that raises even more questions about it!<\/p>\n<p>For one thing, taurine may not even be the real culprit.\u00a0<strong>Taurine production relies on adequate methionine and cysteine in the diet.\u00a0<\/strong>So the problem may be a deficiency of those amino acids, rather than a lack of taurine itself.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com\/dysbiosis-in-dogs-causes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"microbiome (opens in a new tab)\">microbiome<\/a>\u00a0may also play a major role in taurine deficiency. This turned out to be the primary factor in cats.\u00a0 The taurine from bile is reabsorbed in the colon \u2026 but bacteria can \u201csteal\u201d taurine and prevent this crucial recycling.<\/p>\n<p>Processing may also play a significant role in dogs as well as cats. This has not, to date, been considered or investigated.<\/p>\n<h2>Grain-Free And \u201cBoutique\u201d Foods<\/h2>\n<p>The FDA reported a link between DCM and \u201cgrain-free\u201d dog foods with large amounts of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Potatoes<\/li>\n<li>Legumes<\/li>\n<li>Exotic proteins<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One expert called these\u00a0<strong>\u201cBEG\u201d (Boutique, Exotic and Grain-Free)\u00a0<\/strong>diets.<\/p>\n<p>The increase in reported taurine-DCM cases caught the FDA\u2019s attention. Not because it was a new concern \u2026\u00a0<strong>but because the dogs were<em>n\u2019t\u00a0<\/em>breeds previously known to develop taurine-deficiency DCM.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These included:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Labrador Retrievers<\/li>\n<li>Whippets<\/li>\n<li>Miniature Schnauzers<\/li>\n<li>Shih Tzu<\/li>\n<li>A Bulldog and an unspecified number of mixed-breed dogs (and 7 cats).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The FDA said,\u00a0<em>\u201cpotatoes or multiple legumes such as peas, lentils, other pulses (seeds of legumes), and their protein, starch, and fiber,<\/em>\u201d were the main ingredients of the food in several cases of DCM reported to the agency.<\/p>\n<p>In practical terms, this means that a pet food containing related ingredients \u2026 such as \u201cpeas, potatoes, pea starch, pea protein, potato protein\u201d could be problematic.\u00a0<strong>This is a common label trick known as \u201csplitting.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Listing ingredient fractions separately helps a small amount of meat rise to the top \u2026 as the ingredients are listed by weight. But<strong>, in reality, if they totaled all the plant products, they\u2019d outweigh the meat.\u00a0<\/strong>This means the food is primarily plant-based.<\/p>\n<p>If the meat is itself is low in taurine, as it is in \u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Beef<\/li>\n<li>Venison<\/li>\n<li>Lamb<\/li>\n<li>Rabbit<\/li>\n<li>Kangaroo<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u2026\u00a0 that exacerbates the problem in diets with these ingredients.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Interestingly, most vegetarian and vegan dog foods already contain added taurine and carnitine.<\/strong>\u00a0Evidently, this issue was not hard to anticipate in low- or zero-meat diets.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturers whose products have been implicated quickly retuned to add supplemental taurine to their foods \u2026 but even that may not be enough to correct the problem.<\/p>\n<p>The link between canine DCM and diet is not restricted to exotic meats, potatoes or legumes. Current and past research notes that any of these ingredients\u00a0<em>may\u00a0<\/em>be correlated with DCM:<\/p>\n<h3>Animal Products<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Bison<\/li>\n<li>Duck<\/li>\n<li>Lamb<\/li>\n<li>Kangaroo<\/li>\n<li>Salmon<\/li>\n<li>Venison<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Plant Products<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Barley<\/li>\n<li>Beet pulp*<\/li>\n<li>Chickpeas<\/li>\n<li>Fava beans<\/li>\n<li>Lentils<\/li>\n<li>Peas<\/li>\n<li>Potatoes<\/li>\n<li>Rice\/rice bran**<\/li>\n<li>Sweet potatoes<\/li>\n<li>Tapioca<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>* While it was not named by FDA in this situation \u2026 beet pulp is known to decrease taurine status in dogs under some conditions.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>** Previous studies found taurine deficiency from eating diets containing rice or rice bran.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[<strong>Related:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com\/truth-grain-free-dog-foods-dcm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"The Truth About Grain-Free Dog Foods And DCM (opens in a new tab)\">The Truth About Grain-Free Dog Foods And DCM<\/a>]<\/p>\n<h2>Consider All Factors<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that\u00a0<strong><em>correlation does not equal causation<\/em>.<\/strong>\u00a0Just because taurine is a common factor in a bunch of dogs with DCM \u2026 it does not mean that taurine deficiency is the sole cause.<\/p>\n<p>Taurine may just be an innocent bystander! Moreover, this list is counter-intuitive, because salmon and duck are high in taurine. Therefore,\u00a0<strong>processing, bioavailability or other factors are also playing a role.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For example, taurine from fish is diminished by heat processing; the loss is about 30 percent.<\/p>\n<p>The FDA claims \u2026 food made by small \u201cboutique\u201d manufacturers is more likely to be problematic.<\/p>\n<p>However, in one set of 18 cases, 15 were from foods with \u201cboutique\u201d brand labels \u2026\u00a0<strong>but those brands are\u00a0<em>owned and produced\u00a0<\/em>by some of the world\u2019s biggest pet food manufacturers \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Purina<\/li>\n<li>Mars<\/li>\n<li>Champion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It appears that the size of the pet food company is largely irrelevant. And now the FDA has done irreparable damage to small brands\u2019 reputations \u2026 with its premature and inaccurate assessment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DCM occurs in all kinds of dogs eating all kinds of foods \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Foods with a simple ingredient list<\/li>\n<li>Food with a very complex ingredient list<\/li>\n<li>Homemade diets<\/li>\n<li>Commercial raw foods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And while the FDA listed ingredients that have at some point been associated with DCM in dogs \u2026 they seem to only be concerned with potatoes and legumes.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s very important to note this:\u00a0<strong>Not all dogs with DCM \u2026 and not all dogs with very low blood levels of taurine \u2026 respond to taurine supplementation.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many dogs with DCM have perfectly normal taurine levels. A few dogs with low taurine levels can develop DCM \u2026\u00a0 but so can dogs who are eating high-taurine foods.<\/p>\n<p>This implies that taurine itself isn\u2019t the problem (at least in those cases). It could be a lack of methionine, cysteine or any number of completely different factor(s).<\/p>\n<p>One study on taurine in dogs concluded,\u00a0\u201cthere was no clear relationship between low (whole blood taurine) and presence of DCM.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"om-axnemlkcvtlyesjal4rq-holder\">\n<div id=\"om-axnemlkcvtlyesjal4rq\" class=\"Campaign CampaignType--inline \">\n<div id=\"om-axnemlkcvtlyesjal4rq-yesno\" class=\"chicago Campaign__canvas\">\n<div class=\"Campaign__innerWrapper\">\n<div class=\"Campaign__alphaLayer\">\n<div class=\"Campaign__bravoLayer\">\n<div class=\"Campaign__content\">\n<div class=\"Row\">\n<div class=\"Row__content\">\n<div class=\"Column\">\n<div class=\"Column__content\">\n<div class=\"Element\">\n<div class=\"Element__content\">\n<div class=\"chicago-ButtonElement--wrapper WdaVErC4Db2x0DlN40Uq\">\n<h2 class=\"chicago-ButtonElement--content\">The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Grain-free dog foods have been safely fed to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dogs for many years. The relationship to DCM is far from clear.<\/p>\n<p>The FDA is not recommending a diet change for any dog, as their investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>The link between diet and DCM is much more complicated than blaming a few ingredients. It\u2019s clear that we need to consider\u00a0<strong>genetics and diet ingredients combined<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Or perhaps the food\u2019s overall content of \u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Methionine<\/li>\n<li>Cysteine<\/li>\n<li>L-carnitine<\/li>\n<li>Taurine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u2026 And other factors like processing are at the root of DCM in these cases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But at this point, no one \u2013 the FDA or anyone else \u2026 has any idea which factors are actually problematic.<\/strong>\u00a0Nor do they know in what amounts or combinations.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, many veterinarians are now recommending grain-based foods \u2026 even though there haven\u2019t been all that many cases.<\/p>\n<p>And the chance of a dog developing taurine-related DCM\u00a0 is extremely small.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grain-based foods have their own (significant) set of problems including:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pesticide residues<\/li>\n<li>Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)<\/li>\n<li>Toxic byproducts of processing<\/li>\n<li>Mycotoxins from mold<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They also tend to use less expensive, poorer quality animal proteins. You\u2019ll see ingredients like poultry by-products, meat meal and bone meal.<\/p>\n<p>So, what should you do?<\/p>\n<p>Ideally, feed your dog a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com\/raw-feeding-primer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"fresh diet (opens in a new tab)\">fresh diet<\/a>\u00a0that\u2019s high in animal protein. But at the very least, make sure the food you\u2019re feeding has more meat proteins than plant substitutes.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget,\u00a0<strong>you can call the manufacturer and ask questions if you\u2019re uncertain!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Symptoms Of DCM In Dogs<\/h2>\n<p>Symptoms of DCM in dogs include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tiring easily<\/li>\n<li>Excessive panting<\/li>\n<li>Coughing<\/li>\n<li>Weakness<\/li>\n<li>Ataxia (being unsteady on the feet)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have any concerns about your dog or the food you\u2019re feeding, talk with your vet about testing. Your veterinarian can submit blood and plasma samples to UC Davis for analysis.<\/p>\n<p>However, as expected, their laboratory has been overwhelmed since the FDA\u2019s announcement. So it could take weeks to get your dog\u2019s results.<\/p>\n<h2>Keep Yourself Up To Date<\/h2>\n<p>The best place for up-to-date information on brands can be found on Facebook, in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/TaurineDCM\/learning_content\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Taurine DCM group. (opens in a new tab)\">Taurine DCM group.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>While there is a great deal of speculation and misinformation in the posted comments \u2026 you\u2019ll find a few helpful items. They have a current chart of cases, including breeds, as well as specific brand names. You\u2019ll find these in their\u00a0<strong>Files Section.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s\u00a0<strong>way too early to hit the panic button<\/strong>, but it\u2019s certainly good to be aware of this ongoing issue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"blox_global_32576\" class=\"blox-container blox-content-raw blox-theme-default blox-scope-global \">\n<div class=\"blox-wrap \">\n<div class=\"blox-raw-container \">\n<div class=\"blox-raw-wrap\">\n<div class=\"post-footer-divider-top\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gca-utility columns-container aligner post-footer\">\n<div class=\"gca-column three-fourths first\">\n<h4 class=\"author-name\"><a title=\"Posts by Jean Hofve\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com\/author\/jean-hofve\/\" rel=\"author\">Jean Hofve<\/a><\/h4>\n<div class=\"author-name-divider\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"author-description\">Dr Jean Hofve DVM discovered holistic medicine in her third year of veterinary school. She has more than 20 years&#8217; experience in integrative veterinary medicine. In the early 1990s, Dr Hofve became interested in how pet food is made and how nutrition affects our pets&#8217; health. She has since been helping others discover how best to feed their pets for optimal health and wellness. She is an advisor to AAFCO, the organization that sets standards for pet food production. Dr Hofve has lived in Colorado for 40 years and retired from active practice in 2007. Visit her online at www.littlebigcat.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gca-column one-fourth hide-mobile\">\n<div class=\"avatar aligner-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com\/author\/jean-hofve\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"avatar avatar-170 photo lazyloaded\" src=\"https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Jean-Hofve.jpg-170x170.jpeg\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Jean-Hofve.jpg.jpeg 2x\" alt=\"\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Jean-Hofve.jpg.jpeg 2x\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Jean-Hofve.jpg-170x170.jpeg\" data-was-processed=\"true\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Dogs Naturally Magazine By:\u00a0Jean Hofve\u00a0&#8211; In the summer of 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning. They alerted pet owners about the potential for heart disease in dogs on certain diets \u2026 diets that may be deficient in taurine. Everyone panicked \u2026 but was this panic warranted? The Tale Of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,29,17,54],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-3875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dogs","category-healthy-pets","category-medical-issues","category-research","tag-dcm","tag-fda","tag-taurine"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Breaking: Taurine might not be behind heart disease from kibble | The Animal Health Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/12\/breaking-taurine-might-not-be-behind-heart-disease-from-kibble\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Breaking: Taurine might not be behind heart disease from kibble | The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From Dogs Naturally Magazine By:\u00a0Jean Hofve\u00a0&#8211; In the summer of 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning. They alerted pet owners about the potential for heart disease in dogs on certain diets \u2026 diets that may be deficient in taurine. Everyone panicked \u2026 but was this panic warranted? The Tale Of [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2019\/12\/breaking-taurine-might-not-be-behind-heart-disease-from-kibble\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/animalhealthfoundation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-30T22:08:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/vp4163n4vuv3rlg3w3yn0qx1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Taurine.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 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