Taurine And Cobalamin Status of Cats Fed Vegetarian Diets

Abstract

Cats are obligate carnivores and have essential requirements for certain nutrients that are only found in animal tissues. Notwithstanding this, some caregivers choose to feed their pets vegetarian diets. The aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional status of cats fed commercial vegetarian diets that were formulated to meet feline nutritional requirements. Caregivers of cats that had been fed vegetarian diets for ≥1 year were recruited nationally through the study web site and at an animal welfare conference. Inclusion criteria for this part of the study included use of commercially available vegetarian diets. Cats on owner‐formulated diets were excluded. Consent was obtained for venipuncture of the cats. Blood and plasma were submitted to the Amino Acid Analysis Laboratory at UC Davis to determine plasma and whole blood taurine concentrations. Serum was submitted to the Texas A&M University Gastrointestinal Laboratory to determine serum cobalamin concentrations. A telephone survey was conducted with each caregiver to gather information about their feeding practices. Results were compared to the normal reference intervals established by the reporting laboratories. Blood was obtained from 16 cats (taurine analysis is pending for one cat). In two instances plasma was not submitted so plasma taurine concentrations were available for only 13/16 of the cats. The mean plasma taurine concentration was 123 ± 42 nmol/ml (median: 125 nmol/ml, range: 52–188 nmol/ml, normal reference range: 60–120 nmol/ml). Only one sample was below the normal reference range and none were below the critical level of 40 nmol/ml. The mean whole blood taurine concentration was 382 ± 121 nmol/ml (median: 346 nmol/ml, range: 224–672 nmol/ml, normal reference range: 300–600 nmol/ml). Three cats fell below the normal range, but were above the critical level of 200 nmol/l. Serum cobalamin for all cats fell within the normal reference range (mean: 883 ± 334 ng/l, median: 1014 ng/l, range: 299–1201 ng/l, normal reference range: 290–1499 ng/l). The cats in this study had sufficient cobalamin intake to maintain normal serum values. Whole blood taurine, a more reliable indicator of taurine status, was normal for the majority of the cats tested. However, three cats had blood values between the normal reference range and the critical level indicating that their dietary intake was marginal.