For all you Eukanuba brand supporters....?

Question

If they are such a high quality brand, why do they not put Taurine in their dry cat food? Without taurine cats can go blind, it's essential to them.

for "K"

Why Do Cats Need Taurine?
Taurine is a colorless, crystalline compound which is found in the free form in invertebrates and in the bile of mammals. It promotes the intestinal absorption of lipids (fats) as cholesterol.

Taurine is an important part of the feline diet and is essential in preventing a disorder in cats called "dilated cardiomyopathy" (which is a failure of the heart muscle whereupon the heart tissue itself swells to try to meet the animal's circulatory needs), as well as being very significant in helping feline reproduction and prevention of a progressive retinal disease called feline central retinal degeneration(FCRD) which will cause blindness if left untreated.

Answer 1

I'm not an expert but my best guess would be they don't add it as a separate ingredient because it occurs naturally in the chicken liver (second ingredient on the Sensitive Stomach formula). According to the guaranteed anaylsis it contains 0.16% Taurine. According to your additional details, Taurine occurs naturally in the bile of mammals. Chickens aren't mammals but maybe it occurs naturally in their bile as well. Bile is from the liver. That's how I reasoned out this answer. Like I said, I'm not that much of an expert so it's just a guess.

I'm definitely not a supporter of Eukanuba but I was curious about the taurine question so I looked it up and gave it my best shot.

Edit: To K: I worked at a vet too at one time but I didn't get the opportunity to learn about cat foods or nutritional requirements. I was assisting the doctors with cleaning cages, x-rays, dispensing medications, holding animals, etc. I learned about the Taurine by studing cat books and websites well after I quit the vet. Just because you worked in a certain profession doesn't mean you could have learned everything there is to learn.

Answer 2

Yes, cats need taurine, that was a firm fact discovered several years ago.

My cats hate Eukanuba, I didn't like the condition of their coats with the Science Diet, so we switched to Maxi Cat dry and Royal Canin. I've really liked the Royal Canin best, their ingredients are good and even the diabetic guy we have is doing good on it.

Answer 3

Where did you come up with that fact??? I have never heard of a cat needing "Taurine", or they will go blind. And I have worked for a vet. I do not feed my cats Eukanuba, they get Hills Science Diet. That is the best food.

Answer 4

I have fed my cats Meow Mix Indoor formula/seafood melodies their whole 6 year life. vets and cat people will ask me what kind of gourmet food i feed them, because their coats are very nice and shiny (both longhaired). i laugh and say, ' the cheap stuff'

Answer 5

People who feed Eukanuba don't care about nutrition and the health of their pets..