What You Need to Know About Dog and Cat Nutrition

Food is the foundation of health.How long an animal lives and, most important, the quality of its life, depend greatly on the quality and quantity of the food that it eats.Simply put, food is body-fuel, and provides the energy needed for an animal to maintain good health and condition.With regard to nourishment, quantity is not necessarily synonymous with quality.It is very possible for an animal to receive adequate quantities of food and yet still suffer degradation of health due to poor quality ingredients.

As a descendant of the wild wolf and, in fact, basically still the same species as Canis lupus, the domestic dog retains similar nutritional requirements.The same is true for the domestic cat, a member of the Felidae that includes lions, lynx, and other wild felines.Dietary sources of amino acids, energy, glucose precursors, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and water are required by the dog and cat to live.The most suitable sources of these nutrients are those that most closely fit the evolutionary design of the animal’s physiology.Species-appropriate sources of food help ensure optimum nutrient availability and utilization.

Protein

Dietary protein supplies essential amino acids and is needed for the manufacture of antibodies, enzymes, hormones, tissues, and proper pH balance.Protein provides energy and is essential for growth and development.Complete proteins contain ample amounts of essential amino acids and are found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and poultry.Incomplete proteins are found in many foods, including legumes, grains, and vegetables.Incomplete proteins must be combined with other protein sources to provide an adequate amino acid profile.But even in combination, animal sources provide a more species-appropriate array of amino acids than plant sources for the dog and cat.Protein requirements may vary per individual due to a variety of factors including their physiological state, breed, age, and the digestibility of the protein source being fed.Amino acids are altered by heat, which may reduce bioavailability.

Fat

Dietary fat is the most concentrated source of energy for the dog and cat.It also provides essential fatty acids and aids in nutrient utilization and transportation.Fat is involved in cell integrity and metabolic regulation.Saturated fat is found primarily in animal sources while polyunsaturated fat is found mostly in plant sources.Saturated fat provides greater energy for dogs and cats than carbohydrates.In fact, as long as the diet provides sufficient glucose precursors (amino acids, fats, etc.); dietary carbohydrates are not needed for growth and maintenance.

Fats (and oils) are composed of fatty acids, sometimes referred to as vitamin F.Fatty acids are found in both animal and plant sources.The two most familiar categories of essential fatty acids (EFAs) are omega-3 and omega-6.Omega-3s include alpha-linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).Omega-6s include linoleic acid (LA) and gamma-linolenic acids (GLA).Trans-fatty acids, dangerous free radicals, are formed when unsaturated oils are exposed to heat, light, or oxygen.

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