Hannah Zulueta I find it fascinating that articles about dogs with DCM typically precede weeks when all of a sudden, I’m served ads for Taurine supplements. Coincidence? Maybe… maybe not.
I’ve also seen raw feeders who formulate adding taurine to their bowls to exceed RDA and I caution the use of synthetic taurine and instead urge that whole food sources are fed instead.
I’m not a fan of synthetics because it can open up a whole host of other problems.
And so this article is to show which ingredients have taurine in them.
| Ingredient | Taurine mg/100mg | Cystine g/100g |
| Turkey liver (raw) | 131.85 | 0.212 |
| Duck gizzard (raw) | 120 | 0.24 |
| Chicken heart (raw) | 112.5 | 0.211 |
| Turkey heart (raw) | 110 | 0.194 |
| Chicken liver (raw) | 110 | 0.275 |
| Turkey gizzard (raw) | 106.8811 | 0.222 |
| Chicken gizzard (raw) | 100.4 | 0.239 |
| Whitefish, typical (raw) | 96 | 0.19 |
| Pork kidney (raw) | 77.3 | 0.361 |
| Beef liver (raw) | 68.8 | 0.376 |
| Lamb liver (raw) | 68.8 | 0.2454 |
| Beef heart (raw) | 65.2 | 0.1485 |
| Lamb heart (raw) | 65.2 | 0.138 |
| Bison heart (raw) | 65.2 | .019 |
| Duck egg (raw) | 64.1 | 0.285 |
| Lamb kidney (raw) | 62.1518 | 0.21 |
| Pork liver (cooked) | 8.5 | 0.491 |
| Pork heart (cooked) | 0 | 0.309 |
| Beef heart (cooked) | 0 | 0 |
| Veal liver (cooked) | 0 | 0.49 |
| Veal heart (raw) | 0 | 0.185 |
| Beef liver (cooked) | 0 | 0.479 |
| Chicken liver (cooked) | 0 | 0.383 |
| Duck heart (raw) | 0 | 0.21 |
| Duck liver (raw) | 0 | 0.252 |
| Lamb kidney (cooked) | 0 | 0.27 |
| Pork kidney (cooked) | 0 | 0.557 |
| Freeze-dried beef kidney (cooked) | 0 | 0 |
| Beef kidney (cooked) | 0 | 0 |
| Chicken gizzard (cooked) | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey gizzard (cooked) | 0 | 0.252 |
| Duck gizzard (cooked) | 0 | 0 |
| Salmon Atlantic (raw) | 0 | 0.213 |
| Salmon, sockeye | 0 | 0.237 |
| Sardine | 0 | 0.147 |
| Mackerel | 0 | 0.215 |
| Anchovy | 0 | 0.218 |
| Mussel, blue (cooked) | 0 | 0.312 |
Taurine can be found in:
- raw food
- poultry is higher in taurine than beef, pork, or lamb
- duck gizzards have a high level of taurine
- the levels of taurine will decrease when it’s stored in the freezer
- grinding the meat decreases the taurine content
Taurine is also synthesized from cystine, which is why it’s listed above.
But actually even before that is methionine. This is because dogs can produce their own taurine from precursors. The first step involves the sulfur-containing essential amino acid methionine, which is used to make another amino acid, cysteine (also spelled “cystine”). Finally, taurine is made from cysteine.
My Favorite Source For Taurine
I love to feed my dogs raw duck gizzards. Not only is it rich in taurine, it’s also rich in choline. For one of my dogs that cannot have egg, feeding gizzards supplies her both nutrients!
Best Stores To Find Food Rich in Taurine
Asian markets is where you can find organ meats and organs.
If There Was Only One Thing To Remember
Raw food will be the best source of taurine.
And if you only had to choose one cut of meat because you are having challenges sourcing these ingredients, I would recommend you feed duck gizzards.
I wish you and your dog good health.
Author Biography
Hannah Zulueta obtained her Certificate in Canine Nutrition from CASI Institute. She is also studying to get her Doctorate in Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Herbalism from the esteemed Pacific College of Health and Medicine.
She resides in San Diego with her three dogs, Maggie, Orbit, and Mr. Higgins.
