Amino acids are vital for the body functionality. There are over 20 types of amino acids present in the body that act as protein building blocks. One of these amino acids is known as taurine and its deficiency is known as Taurine deficiency. This amino acid is distributed throughout the body but it is present in high concentration in certain body tissues like heart wall muscles, retinal of the eye, and brain although its exact function is still elusive even while it is known to be essential.
Dogs can synthesize taurine naturally but certain diseases can cause its deficiency. If dealing with heart disease, the deficiency can lead to enlarged heart size (dilated cardiomyopathy). Certain breeds of dogs appear to be predisposed to taurine deficiency: American cocker spaniels and giant breed dogs like the Newfoundland, amongst others.
Normally, there are no visible symptoms of taurine deficiency but as its deficiency causes dilated cardiomyopathy, the symptoms are usually related to heart diseases.
