Potential Underlying Causative Factors and Breed Susceptibility for Taurine-Responsive Cardiomyopathy in Dogs

Presentation Description / Summary: Taurine-responsive cardiomyopathy is an increasingly recognized condition in dogs. Taurine deficiency has historically been regarded as a condition primarily affecting specific dogs breeds, such as American cocker spaniels and golden retrievers. As a result, dogs of other breeds may be overlooked in discussions about taurine-related conditions. In addition to our findings that approximately 30% of English Cocker spaniels have low blood taurine concentrations, we have analyzed medical records from three of Sweden's largest veterinary hospitals, identifying cases of taurine deficiency and secondary myocardial failure in nearly 30 different dog breeds. This finding suggests that taurine deficiency may be more widespread across various breeds than previously recognized, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and more comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in veterinary care. The underlying causes of taurine deficiency in dogs are limited and the condition and its causative factors are debated within the veterinary community. Our research group have investigated the association between the amino acid content, specifically taurine, methionine, and cysteine, in commercial dog foods and blood taurine concentrations in various dog breeds. Diets with lower concentrations of these amino acids were found to be associated with lower blood taurine concentrations. This association has been found to be consistently observed across a wide range of breeds, further questioning that taurine deficiency is limited to just a few specific breeds. In this presentation, we will summarize conflicting evidence and perspectives within the field of taurine deficiency in dogs and present results from our recent research conducted within the CURE-project.

Learner Outcomes: 1. Learn about potential predisposing factors for development of taurine deficiency in dogs. 2. Learn about dog breed susceptibility for development of taurine deficiency 2. Learn how to optimize the diagnostic protocol of use in order to identify dogs affected by taurine deficiency