Taurine Deficiency

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Saw this in Doodle Family on FB and wanted the experts opinion.

Grain-Free Feeders - PLEASE READ:

We all know how difficult it is to make decisions regarding diet for our pets. I am sharing this information not to add additional worry or concern but to educate. I came across this yesterday when it was shared by a vet dermatologist in another group. I have been trying to get additional information since then and joined the Facebook page linked to the taurine deficiency research being conducted by Dr. Joshua Stern (vet cardiologist) at UC Davis. Here is what I know so far:

* DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) is a serious medical condition that impacts the muscles of the heart and reduces its ability to pump blood.
* Symptoms include lethargy, weakness, weight loss, collapse, coughing, increased respiratory rate, abdominal distention, irregular heart rhythm.
* Some breeds seem to have a genetic predisposition including Cocker Spaniels and large breed dogs particularly Golden Retrievers, Labradors, St. Bernards and Newfoundlands.
* Current research (not yet published) has identified a link between grain-free dogs foods that include peas and legumes and taurine deficiency that can lead to DCM. On the Taurine Deficiency page, the most commonly reported foods from owners of dogs with DCM are: Nutrisource, Acana (particularly pork and butternut squash), 4Health, Zignature, Taste of the Wild, Earthborn Holistic.
* It is believed that the peas/legumes may inhibit some dogs ability to produce or absorb taurine.
* The current recommendation is that if a food heavy in peas and legumes is being fed, consider a whole blood taurine test before any dietary changes are made. If the blood results indicate taurine is low, echocardiography is recommended.

I know that many of us use these foods and some of us have limited options in what to feed our dogs. I just wanted to bring this information forward and encourage you to discuss with your vet/IMS to decide whether this could be a concern for your pup.

https://www.facebook.com/julie.carter.37266/posts/10215672525987711

[Christina Jake's Mom]

I wouldn't dismiss this taurine "thing" out of hand.  I now have two vets.  One where I go to get information on proper feeding and allergies and the other for boo boos.  Both have alerted me to this taurine issue.   Spend some time on the UC Davis Vet Med site and read some of the research. Also, there are FB pages and there are FB pages.  I have joined the 'Taurine Deficiency in Golden Retrievers Group' and have pursued their "Table of Foods".  Certain Acana foods feature rather high in foods fed to dogs with low taurine.  Now, whether or not it is statistically significant, I do not know.  But I do think we need more information.  (I hope the link works.  The last one did not.     https://www2.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/search_results.cfm?cof=FORID%3A11&a...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've read as much of the research as is available, including what's in this link. I also know that Lisa Freeman (one of the members of the research team) is paid by BDF for other work she does, so I have to discount some of the slant about "boutique foods". Just what does that mean? Anything that's not made by Hill's, Mar's or Purina? I am not a member of the Taurine Deficiency Golden Retrievers Group on FB, but my question about that would be this: How does anyone know that the members of that group actually have dogs who are taurien deficient? Do they have to show paperwork to get into the group? Obviously not, or you would not have been able to join. So anyone can join, and anyone can say "My dogs eats such-and-such and he is taurine deficient". That doesn't mean anything; It's not research, it's not fact based, and it may not even be true. In fact, I would bet it is not true in every case. I have run into the situation time and again (as I explained above) where people will jump on these band wagons and claim that they or a family member has whatever the latest health issue that's getting the most media coverage may be; I don;t know, maybe they have an overwhelming need to feel like part of the gang. Maybe they're just the kind of people who are alarmists; I'm not a psychiatrist. 

Anyone who is concerned, even though they do not own a Golden or any of the breeds at risk, even though whatever dog they do own has no signs or symptoms, go ahead and have the testing done. I have no better advice than that. A dog has to eat something, and I am never going to tell people that it is a good idea to feed your dog by-products and corn. So I have no advice on what anyone should be feeding their dogs. 
I agree, we do need more information.

[Marie + Marshall]

I really wish I could find it. But in one of these same FB posted studies from Dr Stein, it actually said that he owned several Golden Retrievers and fed them Royal Canin Golden Retrievers formula. Now do I know if that’s true or not? No I do not. But if in fact, he is endorsing that product. Well that speaks for itself. And there are actually Dogs that do not tolerate grains like my Marshall. But of course, if there was concrete proof this was going to cause him great harm, I guess we would have to live with constant soft stools. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I listened to Stern's podcast or live feed or whatever you call it on FB the other day. And yes, although he is saying he's not endorsing any particular brands, he does basically say that you should only trust big companies that do testing on animals (!!!!) and he referred to pork as an "exotic" protein. Well, he's Jewish, lol, I guess to him, pork is exotic. His speech about what to look for in a food company was taken verbatim from the literature with which Hill's & Purina "educate" vets on nutrition. 

I have no doubt that Dr. Stern is an excellent cardiologist. But he is not a nutritionist. A vet, or a doctor, can be beyond excellent in their fields, but that still doesn;t mean they know anything about food or nutrition. My dad was an OB/Gyne, a surgeon and a professor of medicine who was published. He pioneered the "bikini" Caesarean section, lol. He was at one time listed in the book "Who's Who In American medicine". He knew zip about nutrition, even the basics. I remember him once telling me that tomato juice was higher in calories than orange juice, lol. 
And the difference between our doctors' lack of knowledge about food and our vets' lack of knowledge about food is this: Our doctors are not influenced by food companies. Our doctors do not sell us food, or recommend brands of food. Food companies do not invite our doctors to weekend getaways where they take them on tours of the factory and give them gifts. There is absolutely no question that veterinarians, even the best of them, are influenced by dog food companies.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

2016: studies show that beet pulp causes taurine deficiencies: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4971673/

Note the first sentence of that article: "It is known that large dogs who are fed lamb and rice diets are at increased risk to develop taurine-deficiency-induced dilated cardiomyopathy."

WOW.
Two years ago, it was known that lamb and rice diets caused this???? 

Well, yeah. There are articles going back to 2003 saying that.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1439-0396.2003.00...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14507418

BDF didn't like people feeding their dogs lamb and rice. Chicken and corn was cheaper. 

Now they don't like pork and legumes. But grains are apparently okay again. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thank you, Karen.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Here it comes again ... NBC nightly news just did a story tonight!

[c zoomer]

 NOw we know that this is a set-up!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Under two minute report, and it's all about grain-free. "Feed your dog a grain-based diet". 
That thumping sound you hear is me banging my head against the wall. 

[Stella]

Ugh!!!!!!!!!!

[Stella]

Maybe sharing this will help??

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/blog/Please-Dont-Panic-About-the-...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes!!!! What a great article, and it is saying all the things I've been saying, in one article!
I was particularly gratified to see this:

"It was bad enough to see the FDA’s warning reduced by a combination of poor reporting, poor reader comprehension, and social media hysteria to “grain-free foods cause canine heart disease.” But some media outlets also included statements from an animal nutrition expert whose opinions on diets are consistent with those of the pet food industry corporate giants; she has repeatedly been quoted as implicating “boutique” pet foods in the current rash of reported cases of DCM. What’s a boutique food? She doesn’t define this, but we suspect it’s anything made by any company whose annual sales are less than umpteen million…

This same expert has also implicated foods that contain “exotic ingredients,” which she provided a partial list for in one article: “kangaroo, lentils, duck, pea, fava bean, buffalo, tapioca, salmon, lamb, barley, bison, venison, and chickpeas.” Hmm.

All in all, we have lost track of the number of times she has been quoted as saying that pet owners should avoid “boutique, grain-free, or exotic ingredient diets” – and, unfortunately, this over-broad and ill-defined description is finding its way into more and more discussions of this concerning issue."