Pet ownership has increased dramatically over the past 3 decades. By 2024, approximately 70% of US households will own at least one pet, accounting for more than 163.4 million pets including 77.8 million dogs. Due to the increasing number of dogs in households, the pet food industry is developing dynamically. Today, many dogs are viewed as members of the family, and they are fed and cared for with the goal of improving their health, well-being, longevity, and quality of life. This article will discuss the top 5 nutrients in a balanced dog food.
Proteins
Proteins in dog food are important in building and maintaining cartilage, tendons, muscles, skin, hair, nails, blood, and ligaments. Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized in the dog’s body and must be provided in the diet. Essential amino acids provide the building blocks for various biologically active compounds and proteins and donate the carbon chains needed to produce glucose for energy. High-quality proteins contain the right balance of all the essential amino acids. Animal-based proteins have the highest amount of essential amino acids. Plant-based proteins have lower digestibility because dogs cannot easily digest plant fiber. Protein quality is defined as the amount of the protein source that is converted to essential amino acids and used by the body and depends on the protein source, number of amino acids in the food, and availability. The minimum dietary protein requirement is 18% dry matter for growing dogs, and 8% dry matter for adult dogs.
Fats
Dietary fats are mainly derived from animal fats and the oil seeds of various plants provide the most concentrated form of energy in pet foods. Fats provide essential fatty acids that cannot be synthesized in the body. Essential fatty acids are necessary to maintain healthy skin and coat quality and to serve as carriers for essential fat-soluble vitamins.
In addition, fat increases the taste and texture of dog food. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are 2 important polyunsaturated fatty acids. High-fat diets increase the risk of obesity and require increased vitamin E supplementation for antioxidant protection. The fat requirement for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins is 1% to 2% of food.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main source of dietary fiber in dog food, and they provide energy in the form of glucose. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that maintains gut health and function and total dietary fiber consists of soluble fiber that comes from fruits, seeds, and plants and insoluble fiber that comes from grains. . Carbohydrates in dog food typically include barley, oats, brown rice, whole wheat, whole corn, potatoes, millet, and gluten. Dry dog foods typically contain 30-60% carbohydrates with the majority being starch; however, there is no specific required amount of carbohydrates for dogs.
Vitamins have different functions in the dog’s body including, DNA synthesis, Bone development, Blood clotting and Neurologic function.
- Vitamin A: is important for normal vision, growth, reproduction, immune function, and healthy skin. Vitamin A deficiency leads to motor and vision impairment, skin lesions, respiratory disorders, and increased susceptibility to infections.
- Vitamin D: aids in intestinal absorption and keeps calcium and phosphorus in the bones. Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, enlarged joints, and osteoporosis.
- Vitamin E: acts as an antioxidant in the body. Vitamin E deficiency causes skeletal muscle wasting, reproductive failure, and retinal degeneration.
- Vitamin K: is involved in blood clotting and bone formation and vitamin K deficiency causes prolonged clotting and bleeding times.
- Vitamin B
– Vitamin B1 is involved in many enzymatic reactions in the body and helps the nervous system and its deficiency leads to brain damage, neurological abnormalities, heart damage, and death.
– Vitamin B6 is involved in amino acid metabolism and its deficiency results in compromised cardiovascular function.
– Vitamin B3 is involved in many enzymatic and physiologic reactions, and its deficiency leads to lower feed intake, diarrhea, soft tissue damage, and death.
– Vitamin B9 is involved in DNA synthesis and its deficiency causes lower feed intake and weight gain, decreased immune function, and blood issues.
Minerals
Minerals are categorized as macro-minerals and trace minerals, and they are involved in the function and structure of the body.
Macro-minerals including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and chloride are required at more than 100mg/Mcal in dog food. Calcium and phosphorus are important for strong bones and teeth. Magnesium, potassium, sodium, and chloride are essential for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and cell signaling.
Trace minerals including iron, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iodine are required at less than 100mg/Mcal. Iron is involved in the transport of oxygen throughout the body, copper and zinc are involved in the formation and action of various enzymes, magnesium is important for carbohydrate metabolism, selenium plays a role in the immune system function, and iodine regulates thyroid function.
