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THERAPEUTIC NUTRITION

Useful information about the needs of cats and dogs with nutritionally sensitive health conditions.

Cardiovascular Disorders

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Cats

Although dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) caused by taurine deficiency was once a common diagnosis for feline heart disease, most commercial cat foods now contain additional taurine to help prevent DCM. However, cats on non-commercial diets are still at risk for taurine deficiency and some cases of DCM are idiopathic—the exact causes of heart muscle weakness in cats are not known.1  Nutrition can help support feline heart health. 

purple feline heart icon

Key Messages

  • For cats, taurine is an essential amino acid obtained through the diet from meat, shellfish, or supplementation.2 
    • Taurine plays key roles in maintaining contractility of heart muscle and stabilizing heart cells, but it also has essential roles in other organ systems.
    • Decades ago, researchers discovered that taurine deficiency was linked with the development of DCM in cats, which led to additional taurine supplementation in commercial cat foods.3,4
    • DCM now accounts for about 10% of diagnosed feline cardiomyopathies.1
       
  • A detailed dietary history is important in cats with heart disease.
    • Home prepared diets without meat or made with meats low in taurine (such as chicken breast), may lead to taurine deficiency-related DCM in cats.1
       
  • Additional nutrients recognized to support heart health include:
    • Omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., DHA and EPA) may help reduce inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress, and reduce cardiac remodelling.5,6  
    • Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, can help prevent damage from reactive oxygen species.7
    • Magnesium serves many roles in healthy heart function, including antiarrhythmic and antioxidant actions.8 
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A heart murmur is an unreliable indicator of cardiomyopathy in cats.9,10

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References

  1. MacDonald, K. (2016). Feline cardiomyopathy. In F. W. K. Smith, Jr., L. P. Tilley, M. A. Oyama, & M. M. Sleeper (Eds.), Manual of canine and feline cardiology (5th ed., pp. 153–180). Elsevier.
  2. Sanderson, S. L. (2006). Taurine and carnitine in canine cardiomyopathy. The Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 36(6), 1325–1343. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2006.08.010
  3. Pion, P. D., Kittleson, M. D., Rogers, Q. R., & Morris, J. G. (1987). Myocardial failure in cats associated with low plasma taurine: A reversible cardiomyopathy. Science, 237(4816), 764–768.  doi: 10.1126/science.3616607
  4. Pion, P. D., Kittleson, M. D., Thomas, W. P., Skiles, M. L., & Rogers, Q. R. (1992). Clinical findings in cats with dilated cardiomyopathy and relationship of findings to taurine deficiency. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 201(2), 267–274.
  5. Freeman, L. M., Rush, J. E., Kehayias, J. J., Ross, J. N., Jr., Meydani, S. N., Brown, D. J., Dolnikowski, G. G., Marmor, B. N., White, M. E., Dinarello, C. A., & Roubenoff, R. (1998). Nutritional alterations and the effect of fish oil supplementation in dogs with heart failure. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 12(6), 440–448. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1998.tb02148.x
  6. Freeman, L. M. (2010). Beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 51(9), 462–470.
  7. Pisoschi, A. M., Pop, A., Lordache, F., Stanca, L., Predoi, G., & Serban, A. I. (2021). Oxidative stress mitigation by antioxidants - An overview on their chemistry and influences on health status. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 209, 112891. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112891
  8. Del Gobbo, L. C., Imamura, F., Wu, J. H., de Oliveira Otto, M. C., Chiuve, S. E., & Mozaffarian, D. (2013). Circulating and dietary magnesium and risk of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 98(1), 160–173. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.053132
  9. Côté, E., Manning, A. M., Emerson, D., Laste, N. J., Malakoff, R. L., & Harpster, N. K. (2004). Assessment of the prevalence of heart murmurs in overtly healthy cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 225(3), 384–388. doi: 10.2460/javma.2004.225.384
  10. Wagner, T., Fuentes, V. L., Payne, J. R., McDermott, N., & Brodbelt, D. (2010). Comparison of auscultatory and echocardiographic findings in healthy adult cats. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology, 12(3), 171–182. doi: 10.1016/j.jvc.2010.05.003