# L-carnitine



## sevres (Jun 15, 2006)

Hi,

After reading the links on this site and elsewhere, I've switched my very overweight cat to an almost all canned food diet, using high-quality foods. So far, so good. 

I also read about the possible benefits of adding L-carnitine to the cat's diet. My thoughts on this were bolstered when I saw that the Hill's new prescription formula for feline weight loss involves high protein, low carb, and high levels of l-carnitine--which many have been advocating for years.

I had an old canister of "Jeff Werber Pets Weight Management Daily Metabolism Support," so I've been adding that to my overweight cat's food. The problem is that he hates it. Absolutely hates it. The formula has lots of other ingredients, so I am hoping one of those might be the one that tastes bad to my cat. 

I looked online and found various forms of L-carnitine that one can get through health food stores--liquid, capsules, etc., and wondered if anyone here uses it as a supplement? If so, what format do you use and what dosage? Thanks in advance for any suggestions--I've learned so much from reading here.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Maybe this time you can teach us. Me at least. :wink: I know l-carnitine is an amino acid, available as a dietary supplement. But I haven't heard or read of it in relation to cats' diets. I believe one use in humans is to lower high cholesterol, no? What would its function in cats be? Is there any research on that?

I read that in humans, l-carnitine is synthesized in the body from l-lysine and methionine. Both are already added to cat food. So if the process works the same in cats, maybe additional carnitine isn't needed.

If you've got some links to articles that discuss its use in cats, I'm sure some of us (me included) would be interested in reading them.


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## opokki (May 5, 2003)

This article suggests 250mg - 500mg:
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/catweight.html



> One of the reasons for the success of a high protein diet for feline weight reduction is the importance of an amino acid called Carnitine. Carnitine is present in good quantities in muscle tissues, but found in miniscule amounts in vegetable matter. This amino acid plays an essential role in the uptake of stored fat reserves and conversion of fat by the liver back to into glucose. The ability to mobilize fat tissue to be used glucose for energy (and for subsequent weight loss to be accomplished) requires Carnitine in the process. Supplementing a cat’s diet with L-Carnitine in amounts approximating 250 to 500 mg per cat per day will aid in mobilizing fat into glucose and will improve the health of a cat that is in a weight loss program.


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## opokki (May 5, 2003)

More on l-carnitine and weight loss inc cats:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... med_docsum


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Well, I'm learning new stuff today. I guess it was worth getting up this morning. :wink:


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## gizmocat (May 22, 2006)

You shouldn't need to supplement the food, but at least this won't hurt them. Maybe L-lysine will be more palatable. Gizmo doesn't like it but she doesn't hate it.


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## sevres (Jun 15, 2006)

*thanks for the tips*

This was another site I read lately and found intriguing:

http://www.catnutrition.org/obesity.html

I see that they sell l-carnitine at GNC and places like that, so I hope I can find a capsule/powder type there that my cat may prefer. He really likes the wet food diet so far, and I am optimistic that we can get his weight down over the next couple of years. I feel a bit guilty for pumping him full of dry science diet light for all these years.


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