An important amino acid, taurine is vital for the health of your cat or dog. This article explains why and offers recipes for tasty taurine toppings to add to your best friend’s meals.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Our dogs and cats need it for vision, digestion, heart health, and immune health. There are 22 amino acids, one of which is taurine. Although taurine itself is not used for protein synthesis, it is found in many tissues of the body – the nervous system, retinas, muscles, heart and even blood platelets – and is essential for many many metabolic processes. This means that dogs and cats need enough taurine in their diet – cats in particular need to get it in their diet because their bodies cannot synthesize it on their own. While high-quality pet foods generally contain enough taurine, lower-end products may not. The healthy taurine supplements featured in this article will help ensure that your cat or dog is getting enough of this important amino acid.
How Taurine Needs Differ in Dogs and Cats
Cats: As mentioned above, a cat’s diet should be supplemented with taurine because their body has a limited ability to convert methionine and cysteine into taurine. They also lose taurine through the secretion of bile acids. Cats need dietary taurine daily to stay healthy, so it’s essential that this amino acid is included in their diet. Research has shown that if a cat does not receive taurine for six weeks, it may develop an enlarged heart; after a long-term deficiency, retinal degeneration may occur and may even lead to permanent blindness.
Dogs: Unlike cats, dogs have the ability to synthesize taurine from methionine and cysteine. However, as we have learned over time, especially with all the news about dilated cardiomyopathy in some breeds, even though they have the ability to synthesize taurine, some dogs need more taurine in their diet, either through a supplement or by adding some whole foods, including organ meats like heart and liver, muscle meat like turkey (dark meat), beef, lamb, and seafood ( for example, krill, sardines, salmon, whitefish). For something really simple, add canned sardines (packed in spring water) to your dog or cat’s diet. Goat’s milk also provides a little taurine boost.
Have fun with the recipes for taurine fillings that follow. They are simple to prepare and will add extra flavor, as well as taurine, to your dog or cat’s diet!
RECEIPTS
Choose organic ingredients whenever possible.
Fish cakes
Ingredients
1 lb chopped whitefish (e.g. pollock, cod or salmon)
2 eggs*
1 carrot
1 teaspoon kelp
4 tablespoons rolled oats
1/4 cup first pressing olive oil
3/4 cup filtered water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients, except fish, in a food processor or blender. Pour into a large mixing bowl, add the fish and mix well.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. You can make big cakes for your dog using an ice cream scoop; if you want smaller cakes for a cat or small dog, try using a fruit scoop, like the ones used to make melon balls. Place the cakes on the cookie sheet and flatten them with a fork.
Bake for about an hour. Remove the fish cakes from the oven and let cool completely before serving. These should be stored in the fridge or freezer.
*Eggs are another great way to add taurine to your pet’s diet.
Perfect poached fish
Ingredients
1/4 lb fish (e.g. lingcod, pollock, salmon
1/2 cup filtered water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
For cats, add 1 tsp fresh catnip or 1/2 tsp dried catnip
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, except the fish. Bring to a boil. As soon as bubbles appear on the surface, lower the heat to low. Add the fish to the broth and cook for 15 minutes. Cool before serving.
You must have heart
Ingredients
1 cup chopped raw heart (liver can also be used; for example, use ½ cup heart and ½ cup liver.)
2 tablespoons filtered water or broth
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Gently sauté over medium heat. When all the “pink” is gone, the dish is ready. Cool to room temperature before serving. This recipe takes less than five minutes to prepare. It can also be swirled in a food processor or blender and served as a sauce, or even served as a raw garnish.
Cat Call Sauce
Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb beef heart, cut into small pieces
1/4 oz beef liver, cut into small pieces
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup zucchini, chopped
6 cups filtered water
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker or other slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for six to eight hours or on high for three to four hours. If you don’t have a slow cooker, simply combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to a low boil, then lower the heat to simmer for two to three hours, stirring occasionally so the ingredients don’t stick . the bottom.
Note: This recipe provides one week’s worth of food for a 9 lb cat. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, or other oil of your choice, over your cat’s food just before serving.
fresh stew
Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 oz beef liver
2/3 cup whole brown rice, whole barley flakes, rolled oats, quinoa or teff
1/2 cup green vegetables, chopped (eg broccoli, green beans, zucchini)
1 small red apple with skin on, chopped with core and seeds removed; or 1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
4 cups filtered water
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker or other slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for six to eight hours or on high for three to four hours. If you don’t have a slow cooker, simply combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to a low boil, then lower the heat to simmer for two to three hours, stirring occasionally, so the ingredients don’t stick together. not. the bottom.
Note: This recipe can also be served raw. Simply leave the grains aside or cook them as a side or base for your raw ingredients.
