4 Taurine Supplements for Dogs: A Practical List

Taurine is a star among dog supplements when it comes to promoting ocular, brain, and heart health.

It's an essential nutrient for dogs and yet it’s often missing from most dog foods today. What’s more, some dog breeds can suffer from taurine deficiency even on a well-balanced diet.

Balancing good nutrition has never been an easy task, even when we love our furry friends back as much as they love us. And we all know that kind of love.

“There’s a saying. If you want someone to love you forever, buy a dog, feed it and keep it around.” -Dick Dale

But how do you do this properly?

These were the questions and sentiments we had in mind upon launching our Doggysupps website. As a bunch of devoted pet owners, we were united in our struggles to find dog supplements with only the best, purest ingredients.

We weren’t satisfied feeding subpar supplements to our all-time-favorite tail-waggers.

That’s exactly why we’re sharing with you our round-up of the 4 best taurine supplements for dogs.

What Is Taurine?

We’ve all heard about amino acids a million times by now. These health-promoting compounds fight free radicals — the “bad guys” — behind many modern diseases.

Taurine is one such amino acid. It plays a huge part in the body's metabolic processes and is found to promote ocular, brain, and heart health. Dogs and humans included.

A body of research has found that taurine can be used to treat congestive heart failure in humans.

It’s also found effective in battling taurine-deficiency diseases in dogs. One that we see most frequently is dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) — but more on that later.

A good source of taurine is food rich in meat, fish, and dairy but you can also supplement taurine in your pet’s diet. This especially applies to pets with low blood taurine levels, as they are the most likely to require taurine supplementation.

A taurine supplement can come in the form of powder, capsules, or chewable tablets.

But how do you get your hands on some of the best natural taurine supplements for dogs?

Below are our expert tips bound to maintain your furry friend’s health so they can keep frolicking away for the rest of their lives.

What Is the Best Taurine Supplement for Dogs: Our Heart-Healthy Nibble Round-up

1. Pet Health Solutions CardioMAX Taurine Supplement for Dogs

Source: Amazon | CardioMAX Taurine Supplement

One of the best American nutrition supplement brands, Pet Health Solutions, put out a great product called CardioMAX. It's a heart support supplement that contains a blend of healthy active ingredients.

They come together to redefine heart-healthy. The ingredients support heart muscle function, circulatory strength, and energy production in cells.

In short, this makes the supplement an all-in-one health support. Furthermore, it's recommended for older dogs or those suffering from heart disease.

CardioMAX taurine supplements for dogs are fortified with the powerful compound L-Carnitine. This amino acid derivative boosts circulation, while also keeping blood pressure at bay.

Coenzyme Q10 is another stellar ingredient in CardioMAX that acts on a cellular level to promote cell growth. On top of that, it works to lower cardiac risks and reduce oxidative damage.

CardioMAX will also keep your pup covered with Omega-3 fatty acids to improve his immune system. Adding a nutrition supplement like this is a game-changer as your pet’s body can’t produce EPA and DHA.

CardioMAX taurine supplementation is formulated with the highest quality ingredients — as proven by the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) Quality Seal. 

2. Nutrition Strength Taurine for Dogs

Source: Amazon | Nutrition Strength Taurine

Nutrition Strength’s Taurine for Dogs is a heart-healthy amino acid nutrition booster.

It's a supplement of choice if you’re looking to maintain healthy heart function in your dog. This taurine based dietary add-in can be a lifesaver for dogs suffering from taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Optimal taurine levels stabilize different biological roles, including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation activities.

These essential amino acids are great at reducing inflammation resulting from oxidative stress.

But there's more: the addition of coenzyme Q10 takes this formula beyond treating only DCM in dogs. This potent antioxidant protects your dog's heart and boosts immune function — all in one.

It also works to generate energy in your dog’s heart.

Taurine for Dogs meets strict safety regulations and is made of hand-picked, high-quality ingredients for optimal results. 

3. InClover BioVibrant Taurine Plus 4 in 1 Supplement for Dogs and Cats

Source: Amazon | BioVibrant Taurine Plus

InClover steps up to bring all-natural, sustainable nutritional supplements for dogs and cats.

This brand has come forward with a supplement cocktail abundant in amino acids, a.k.a. BioVibrant Taurine Plus 4 in 1 Supplement for Dogs.

It's ideal for those who want to supplement taurine lacking in their pet's regular diet. What makes it stand out are the amino acid precursors that help pets produce their own taurine.

The cocktail comes in powder form and is designed to give your cats and dogs plenty of TLC.

BioVibrant Taurine Plus targets dilated cardiomyopathy and similar heart diseases.

The compounds behind this are Taurine, L-carnitine, Cysteine, and Methionine — all working together to supply taurine and make sure it's well-absorbed.

But that’s not all; the L-carnitine in the formula promotes muscle development and helps covert fatty acid into energy, giving you plenty of fun to look forward to with your favorite pet.

BioVibrant Taurine Plus is appropriate for pets of all shapes and sizes.

• The powder formula means you can measure the daily dosage for smaller dogs spot on. 
• If buying the supplement for a larger canine, one bottle will amount to one month’s supply. 

4. NOW Food Store Taurine Pure Powder

Source: Amazon | Taurine Pure Powder

No two taurine supplements are alike. To that end, this Taurine Pure Powder offers advantages the other entries on this list are lacking.

By maintaining optimal taurine levels, it helps your dog absorb other critical nutrients from food.

The formula boosts low blood taurine levels, ensuring your dogs make the most of the taurine they take in.

What you end up with are the following benefits. The supplement helps:

• Curb heart disease, eye problems, and immunodeficiencies in your dog.
• The metabolic processes of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
• Improve the function of your pup’s nervous system and aids in optimal fluid balance. 

So, What Exactly Is DCM and How Common Is It in Dogs?

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the number one form of heart disease in dogs. It occurs most frequently in large and giant breed dogs, typically those in mid to older age.

While the disease is linked to low taurine levels in some dog breeds, the condition can also come down to genetics.

Basically, this is what happens:

The heart chambers become dilated. This puts a strain on the heart, which then has greater difficulty pumping blood. In later stages, this can lead to heart valves leaking and causing congestive heart failure.

Not all breeds, though, have it as bad as the others. The following breeds are known as the most commonly affected:

• Golden Retrievers
• Newfoundlands
• Doberman Pinschers
• Great Danes
• Cocker Spaniels

Luckily, if diagnosed on time, the condition can improve.

Make sure you combine veterinary surveillance and dietary modifications for optimal results.

Source: fda.gov

What Is Diet-Related DCM? 

Although not the only cause of DCM, taurine deficiency is well-documented as one of the potential causes of DCM in dogs.

There’s been a major about-turn in the pet food industry in recent years. This occurred when the majority of dog foods on the market switched from high-grain to grain-free diets. Most kibbles, treats, and chews for dogs nowadays are based on starch ingredients such as potatoes, peas, and pulses.

Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with feeding your dog plant-based or grain free-diets. What emerges as a problem here is that the replacement food groups are critically low in taurine.

But there’s more to dig into here — the Food and Drug Administration has been investigating the issue and is onto something:

“FDA is investigating a potential dietary link between canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and dogs eating certain pet foods containing legumes like peas or lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), or potatoes as main ingredients.

We began investigating after FDA‘s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) received a number of reports of DCM in dogs eating these diets.“

There’s still more to explore here but one factor caused particular alarm within the scientific community. Namely, the increasing reports of DCM-affected dog breeds not otherwise genetically prone to the disease.

Note: A way to manage the taurine deficiency problem is by making up for these essential amino acids in your dog’s diet. You can do so by adding high-quality meats and organs to your pet’s diet or by using quality taurine supplements.

Is Taurine Effective in Treating DCM? 

Now, finally, how effective is taurine in warding off DCM?

We’ll look into a few scientific research papers to answer this question.

Morris Animal Foundation, the leader in canine heart disease research, has been compiling data from cardiovascular studies in dogs. All of our research sources for today come from their comprehensive database.

Taurine supplements are found to work as a treatment for nutrition deficiency-related DCM in dogs. In other words, dogs suffering from taurine deficiency will benefit from their use.

Unfortunately, some inherited forms of the disease can't be treated this way. In any event, it’s best to talk to your veterinarian and see if taurine deficiency may still be the culprit.

Now, let’s put our scientist’s hat on.

• Research out of the University of California, Davis, studied the incidence of DCM in American cocker spaniels. They found that low taurine levels in many of their study dogs could be the cause of the disease.
  
  After administering taurine to the dogs, their heart function improved, sometimes significantly.
• Similarly, a few other research papers have found a link between DCM and low blood taurine levels. Furthermore, researchers reported that those DCM cases could be reversible.
• A number of research studies followed, looking for a common thread between DCM and low blood taurine levels. In more cases than one, researchers concluded the major cause of the disease was the dog’s diet.

Disclaimer: Some vitamins, supplements, and herbal therapies can potentially interact with each other as well as with some prescription medication.

Before including any new supplements in your dog’s diet, make sure you consult with your veterinarian to confirm whether your pup would benefit from using them.

Give the Best to Your Doggy: Choose Supplements With the Most Carefully Selected Ingredients

If you’re anything like us, you’re keeping an eye on your dog’s nutrition, knowing well enough how pivotal it is for their health.

Yet, it’s not always easy to give our canine friends all the best nutrition based on their specific needs. Dog foods and pet food products in general are not always designed to cover all of your pet’s dietary needs.

They’re often lacking in important nutrients and trace elements your pup’s body needs to stay healthy. That’s where dietary supplements come in.

When it comes to taurine deficiency, if caught early, it can be treated to the benefit of your dog’s health.

But there’s one other thing — you want to ensure your supplement journey goes smoothly.

To that end, the Doggysupps family is here to support you. We specialize in offering the safest products on the market — the same products we painstakingly select for our own doggos.

Those are simple, all-natural (and yummy) dog treats, chews, and supplements.

We’re here as your trusted go-to source, selling only what’s best for your doggos. In between exchanging affectionate cuddles with your happy tail-waggers, go on and browse our product pages to find the best (and healthiest) doggo delights on the market. 

Featured Image: Unsplash by Elisa Kennemer