There is no such thing as the one and only ideal diet. Why?
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More than one possible type of animal (young, old, different breeds, etc.)
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More than one possible ideal diet
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They have to like it and eat it
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It has to agree with their system
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It has to be good for any problems they may have
Dogs vs Cats
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Cats are obligate carnivores
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Cats need animal-source vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids
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Cats need more protein than daily protein turnover suggests
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Dogs can be vegetarians and scavengers
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Dogs are "carno-omnivores"
Problems with Commercial diets
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Artificial flavors, colors, preservatives
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Glutens and byproducts
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Contamination (China)
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"Natural" diets that aren't natural
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Based on MDR rather than the optimum daily requirement
Optimum Daily Requirement
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Usually different from MDR
• Based on findings in animals older than original research, or with different problems.
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Taurine for cats
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Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are lower in dry food
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Zinc—may need more
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Iodine level may be too low
Definition of By-Products
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Any part except hair, horn, hoof, or hide
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From rejects from human food, 3 Ds (dead, diseased, dying)
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Can include euthanized animals
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Rendered
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Some rendering plants do not take dead animals or downer cows
Meat Meal
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Rendered
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Skeletal muscle, some fat and bone allowed
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Cooked in steel vat until dry, fat drained off, then ground
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Volatile amino acids gone, some cross linkages
Effect of heat on protein
• Cooking lightly has the least effect on protein quality. Canned has the next least.
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Rendering causes loss of some volatile amino acids, and cross-linkages of others, creating substances with much less
digestibility
Cats: Obligate carnivores
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Can't use flax oil (check the vegan cat diets)
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Need animal source of B 12
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Require higher level of protein than apparent maintenance level
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All cats in one study had PBDEs in blood but hyperthyroid cats had more
• 20 wet and dry cat foods: all have PDBEs
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Canned, fish-flavored cat food has up to 12 times as much as dry food
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Canned, fish-flavored cat food has up to 100 times as much as human diet
