While you will have heard us say “pets need nutrients, not ingredients,” what exactly are those essential nutrients? Here’s a breakdown of all of the essential nutrients in accordance with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) that are required for foods to be called complete and balanced for adult and growing cats and dogs. Included are also links to other blog posts that describe a few of these nutrients and why they’re essential.
Protein and Amino Acids
While the quantity may differ between dogs and cats, and between adults and seniors, all pets have a minimum requirement for protein to make muscle within the body and help in lots of necessary body functions. Amino acids are the constructing blocks of protein and there are roughly a dozen essential amino acids along with a minimum of overall protein that each one pets need:
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- Arginine
- Histidine
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Cystine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
- Taurine (cats)
Fats and Fatty Acids
All pets have a minimum amount of total fat that they need of their food plan and there are also some specific kinds of fatty acids that are also required for different lifestages. Overall fats and specific kinds of fatty acids help your pet maintain a healthy skin/coat, regulate inflammation, and aid in development in growing pets.
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- Linoleic Acid
- Arachidonic Acid (cats)
- Alpha-Linoleic Acid (growth)
- EPA + DHA (growth)
Minerals
Minerals, a few of which are also called electrolytes, are critical to keeping fluid balance, growing and maintaining bones, and helping to control many processes running in a pet’s body, similar to movement of muscles. The amounts required can vary between growing and adult animals, and there may be also a required ratio of certain minerals similar to calcium and phosphorus for optimal health, especially for growing large breed puppies.
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- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Copper
- Manganese
- Zinc
- Iodine
- Selenium
Vitamins
Cats and dogs require lots of the same vitamins as we do (except for Vitamin C, which they’ll make themselves!), however the amounts could be very different. One example is Vitamin D, where dogs need lower than 1/tenth the quantity that humans do, so we have now to be very careful about using human products (or any supplements for that matter!) in pets to avoid toxic amounts of vitamin D. Vitamins perform many functions within the body from supporting the immune system to breaking down food for energy, and are either water soluble (the B vitamins) or fat soluble (vitamins A, D, E and K). The essential vitamins for dogs and cats are listed below with common alternate names that it’s possible you’ll see in your pet food ingredient lists.
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- Vitamin A (retinol)
- Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)
- Vitamin E (tocopherol)
- Vitamin K (phylloguinone, cats)
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
- Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
- Folic Acid/Folate (Vitamin B9)
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
- Choline
Where Can I Go To Learn More?
If you’d prefer to learn more in regards to the exact amounts required of those nutrients in several lifestages and species, booklets are also available online from the National Resource Council with more details on each of those essential nutrients for dogs and cats.
How Do I Know My Pet Is Getting All These Nutrients?
Foods which have AAFCO dietary adequacy statements that state they are complete and balanced need to include all these essential nutrients and stay between the minimum requirements and any maximums. Providing extra through supplements may very well harm your pet because it’s possible you’ll unknowingly be providing a toxic amount of some nutrients which have narrow safety ranges! We recommend only giving supplements with any of those essential nutrients when really useful specifically by your veterinarian.
Deborah E. Linder, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Nutrition)
Dr. Deborah Linder, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, is the top of the Tufts Obesity Clinic for Animals and has had articles appear in Eating Well, the Boston Globe, AARP, SHAPE, and XM Sirius Radio Doctor Channel. She has spoken at national and international conferences and a Capitol Hill briefing, and is an authority in pet obesity, nutrition communication, and within the human-animal bond.
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