NIH Study

• A 2004 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information under the National Institute of Health found that the administration of alpha-fluoro-beta-alanine (FBAL), beta alanine and fluoroacetic acid (FA) on dogs caused the animals to become drowsy and stuporous. The study also found that it can interfere with certain critical liver functions. It is the interference with liver function where health problems arise.
  
  

Liver Function

• The liver is the largest body organ, and without it any creature dies. Among the many functions of the liver are cholesterol production, the process and absorption of certain fats, cleansing the bloodstream of undesirable chemicals like alcohol and drugs, storing carbohydrates soluable vitamins and, perhaps most importantly, detoxifying harmful substances by metabolizing or secreting them.
  
  

Beta Alanine Effects

• Two main potentially harmful changes were found administering beta alanine to cats and dogs. The amino acid beta alanine affected vacuole formation and caused necrotic lesions. Vacuoles sequester things that the body considers to be contaminants, and vacuoles are the containers of the waste products sequestered by the vacuoles, essentially getting rid of unwanted substances from the cells. Necrotic lesions lesions kill cells in the body, usually within a localized area.
  
  

Hepatocytes

• Hepatocytes are the main component of the liver. Basically, they are specialized cells interconnected to perform protein synthesis and storage, transform carbohydrates and detoxify both internal and external substances present in the body. When beta alanine interrupts that process, it allows toxicity levels to build in the body.
  
  

Risks

• Numerous independent tests have shown that there are strength and endurance benefits to humans when using the amino acid during "loading" periods. However, there is evidence that the long-term damage to the body may outweigh significant short-term gains. There is a beta alanine product that is marketed specifically for dogs, but no studies have been performed to determine if the "loading" process would have long-term consequences on dogs. By most indications serious liver problems could result, possibly even toxicity levels high enough to cause death if fed to your dog as a supplement.