Diet-related cardiomyopathy in dogs

Abstract

Over the last 20 years at least, various case reports and animal studies have suggested a connection between taurine deficiency and the development of dilated cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle which can be influenced by dietary factors, such as taurine deficiency. Taurine is a sulphur-containing amino acid which plays an important role in function of the heart, like the regulation of calcium homeostasis, the membrane stabilization, and the antioxidative defence.