Small Pet Food Company Makes Big Difference in Effecting Change for the Health of All Dogs
California Natural Line with Added Taurine Benefits Dogs’ Health
San Jose, CA – Natura Pet Products, the world’s leading manufacturer of healthy pet food, remains on the leading edge of its industry. The company’s California Natural Lamb & Rice products meet the special dietary needs of dogs that cannot tolerate typical pet food ingredients. The pure and simple ingredients of lean meats, essential vitamins and key minerals are vital to pets’ nutrition and well-being.
One of the essential nutritional ingredients in the California Natural line is taurine, a water-soluble amino acid, which recent studies from UC Davis and the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) show may be beneficial to some breeds of dogs. Taurine’s metabolic properties act as a catalyst to facilitate the flow of vital elements such as sodium, potassium, and calcium to and from cells. As a result, taurine has been found to be very beneficial to the heart and kidneys as well as circulation and blood flow.
Recently, the use of taurine has been a controversial matter in the use of dog foods. Up until now, the definition for taurine has only allowed the supplement to be used in cat foods and chicken feed, but Natura Pet Products and the CVM are working to change that. In a CVM review, it was reported that dogs who consume a variety of commercially manufactured foods have blood taurine levels that can fall below a critically low level, which is why adding taurine as a supplement is so important.
As of now, taurine is not recognized as an essential nutrient, but the CVM has put in a recommendation to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) to modify the definition of taurine to provide for its use in dog foods. The CVM recognizes that taurine is beneficial as a supplement in dog foods and has no reported toxicity problems from feeding it to dogs.
Says Peter Atkins, co-founder of Natura Pet Products, “In keeping with our nutritional philosophy, the California Natural line has always contained ample taurine from natural sources such as lamb meal and now that we are supplementing taurine we are ensuring that all dogs receive full nutritional benefit from our products. The CVM recommendation to the AAFCO is a very gratifying conclusion, and I’m very proud that our little pet food company is once again making a difference!”
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