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Sammanfattning

Taurine-responsive cardiomyopathy (TauR-CM) is a potentially reversible heart disease that is increasingly recognized in dogs; however, its occurrence, risk factors, and clinical significance remain incompletely understood.

The aims of this thesis were to evaluate factors that may affect blood taurine concentrations (B-TauC) in dogs and to investigate B-TauC in English Cocker Spaniels (ECS), with a focus on the occurrence of low B-TauC (< B-TauC), clinical consequences, underlying causes (including dietary factors), potential heritability of < B-TauC, and the response to taurine supplementation.

In paper I, agreement between analytical methods and additives, intraindividual variation, and effects of time from feeding on B-TauC were assessed in 100 samples from 20 dogs. In paper II, occurrence of < B-TauC and its associations with clinical findings, dog characteristics, and diet were prospectively studied in 180 ECS. In paper III, dogs from paper II were followed longitudinally, and response to taurine supplementation in dogs with < B-TauC, B-TauC changes over time in dogs with normal B-TauC, and survival between groups were evaluated. In paper IV, genetic factors associated with < B-TauC in ECS were investigated.

Blood taurine concentrations showed acceptable agreement between methods and additives when analyzed for the group as a whole but showed substantial intraindividual variation between sampling occasions (paper I). Almost 30% of the 180 ECS had < B-TauC at enrollment (paper II), increasing to nearly 40% at follow-up (paper III). Among dogs with < B-TauC at enrollment, 25% had congestive heart failure (CHF). Taurine supplementation restored B-TauC to within the normal range in all dogs with < B-TauC. Dogs with CHF showed marked clinical and echocardiographic improvement, allowing discontinuation of diuretics in all dogs and of all cardiac medications in 60%. At follow-up (median 3.3 years), overall survival for all included dogs was high. Mortality was highest in the CHF group, although only two deaths were cardiac-related. Dietary protein source, dietary amino acid concentrations, and age were associated with < B-TauC. Genetic analyses adjusted for diet identified a suggestive signal on chromosome 17 (paper IV), indicating combined genetic and dietary influences on B-TauC.

In conclusion, < B-TauC was common in ECS, and dogs of this breed can develop TauR-CM, which appears to be reversible in many cases. Dietary factors and genetic predisposition may contribute to < B-TauC.

Nyckelord

Dogs; Heart disease; Taurine deficiency; Amino acids; Taurine supplementation; Diet-associated DCM; Hund; hjärtsjukdom; taurinbrist; aminosyror; taurintillskott; foderrelaterad DCM

Publicerad i

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae
2026, nummer: 2026:38
Utgivare: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

SLU författare

UKÄ forskningsämne

Klinisk vetenskap

Publikationens identifierare

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.54612/a.4ljnjimqe3
  • ISBN: 978-91-8124-255-3
  • eISBN: 978-91-8124-285-0

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/146841