taurine supplements for cats?

[videomaker2000]

taurine supplements for cats?



Species: Cat
Breed: American Short Hair
Age: 2-5 years

I have 7 cats and 2 Chihuahuas. They eat each other's food. Although I buy specific food for both, I get better buys for wet canned dog food.

I know cats need taurine. They get it in their dry food. However, I'm concerned that they don't get enough taurine when eating the dogs wet food.

Can I purchase Powdered taurine and add that to their wet food without hurting my cats and dogs? If yes, how much should I add? One large can feeds 7-9 animals.

[mjdigsdogs]

feed your pets real meat raw food is best that is where Taurine is naturally if they eat the right food you don't need to supplement with taurine. Try to feed at least one meal a day raw. Your pets will be healthier.

[nancyjac]

Another difference between dog and cat eating habits is that dogs will generally eat however much you give them until it is gone while cats will stop eating when they are full even if there is food left.  So in addition to putting the cats food where the dogs can't get to it, you could put the cats in another room for the few minutes that the dogs eat.  If they don't finish what you have fed them, you are probably overfeeding them.  Remove the dog food bowls when they are done so they cats will not eat their leftovers instead of their own food.

[FurballsMom]

One way to ensure the cats get the right food is to separate the eating areas for the cats and the dogs.  My mother used to have small dogs and a couple of cats.  Water was left for all the animals from the same bowl.  But, the cat food was placed up on the top of the dryer where the cats could get it but the dogs couldn't reach it if they tried.  Sure, the cats nibbled a little bit of the dog food, but instinctively they ate the right food most of the time, so they had the right nutrition.  They only got what amounted to trace amounts of dog food and didn't eat that much of it.

Both the dogs and the cats were healthy with this arrangement.  Dogs should never eat cat food, and cats should never eat more than trace amounts of dog food.  Each animal species has specific nutritional requirements.

[AnnieBrooke]

Please don't get any more cats if you cannot afford to feed them cat food.  Getting a better buy on dog food is not a good enough reason to feed a cat dog food.

[opus88]

hi, I will try and help you with an answer but first off I want to say its not safe to be feeding your cats the dog food, cats have a very specific dietary requirement, the nutrients they need aren't the same as for a dog...so an occasional sneak of a few bites maybe ok but on a regular diet of dog food they will soon be demonstrating some health problems..Taurine is a very NECESSARY amino acid for cats, but its by far not the only supplement they need.

I think its more so the canned food they are enjoying. I do know of ONE(and only ONE) dog food that the ingredients are exactly the same in the dog cans are they are in the cats cans....and a large 13oz can sells for about $3. it also happens to be an excellent brand of food, NO grains and HUMAN grade meat source, not by-products. this company is called EVO by Natura...sold in any good pet food store.....you'd have to go on site and research the ingredients  for yourself, its just something I've read on pet food sites.

This food would have the required amount of Taurine already.

As far as adding Taurine, I use the brand from NOW foods(b/c I make homemade diet)
it comes in a powder and 1/4 teas. =1,000mg.
cats need 250mg per day, double that if eating dry food!!!
So 250mg would be 1/16th of a teaspoon or 1/8th if eating dry....

Source Naturals is another brand thats safe for cats(no soy, or artificial colorings etc)
also LEF Taurine powder is another one. the only other brand I know of thats safe is Jarrow but it comes in capsule form so you would need to open the capsule up to remove the required amount..(1/4 capsule)
These can be purchased thru    www.iherb.com  if not avail to you locally.

Sorry I have NO idea on the Taurine requirements for dogs....if its something they need I would assume it would already be in the can food you are buying...but how much I'm sorry I have NO idea. that again you would have to contact the company for that info. most have their website listed on the cans.

I beg you to read the article about Cat food and nutrition on this Vets site.
www.catinfo.org