Source: Prezi – Difference of Dogs and Cats (Merck Vet Manual)

• Animals consuming commercial moist foods will drink

less liquid than those fed dry because of the higher
water content of foods (>75% water).
• As a general guideline, the daily water requirement of
dogs and cats, expressed in ml/day is roughly
equivalent to the daily energy (DER) in kcal/day (for
dogs 1.6 x resting energy requirement [RER], for cats
1.2 x RER).
• The primary purpose for adding carbohydrates
and starches to pet foods is to supply energy.
Although no minimum dietary requirement for
carbohydrates or starches is needed, certain
organs and tissues requires glucose for energy
and adequate dietary carbohydrates or glucose
precursors are necessary to maintain metabolic
process.
• Carbohydrates become conditionally essential
when energy needs are high and tissue accretion
is occurring therefore, foods fed to growing
animals are those with high – energy should
contain at least 20% carbohydrates.
 • Minimum of 23% carbohydrate is recommended
in foods for gestating and lactating bitches.
Excess starch in food does not typically cause
health problems in dog. Dry extruded dog foods
typically contain 30 – 60% carbohydrate, mostly
starch and cause no adverse effects.

• Cats have some unique metabolic differences

that limit their ability to efficiently use large
amounts of absorbed dietary carbohydrates.
Despite the limitations of digestive capacity and
metabolism, the starch levels found in
commercial cat foods (up to 35% of the food
DMB) are well tolerated.
• Proteins are large, complex molecules composed
of hundreds to thousands of amino acids.

• Function
Proteins are the principal structural constituents of
body organs and tissues including;
- collagen and elastin
- contractile protein in muscles
- keratin proteins
- blood proteins
- also functions as enzymes, hormones
(e.g., insulin) and antibodies
Importance
• Several amino acids are classified as essential or indispensable (10 for dogs and
11 for cats)
• Cats have a higher requirement than dogs for dietary protein. They also have a
dietary need for taurine but have limited enzymatic activity for making taurine from
amino acids, such as methionine and cysteine.
• Cats conjugate bile acids only to taurine and not to glycine. They have an
obligatory loss of taurine in the feces due to bacterial degradation in the intestine
and intestinal losses of taurine through enterohepatic circulation.
Signs of taurine deficiency in cats
- Reproductive failure in queens
- Developmental abnormalities in kittens
- Central retinal degeneration
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Recommendation are to include at least 1 g of purified crystalline taurine/ kg (0.1%
DM) in dry foods and at least 2 g of purified crystalline taurine/ kg for moist foods
(0.2% DM).
• Arginine is also critical to cats diet because they can only use that specific amino
acid to make another amino acid, ornithine, which binds the ammonia produced by
the body when it breaks down protein. Ammonia is highly toxic, and excess
amounts can result in death. Dogs, however, can make ornithine in other ways.
• Fatty acids play an important role in
cell structure and function.
• Dogs and cats have a requirement for
lipid to enhance the absorption of the
fat – soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
• This requirement is in range of 1 to
2% of the food.
• Arachidonic acid is an essential fatty acid that cats cannot
manufacture, while dogs are able. It is required to produce an
inflammatory response that signals the body to send healing
agents to a damaged location for the clotting of blood, and it
supports the proper function of the gastrointestinal and
reproductive systems, as well as the maintenance of proper skin
growth.
Vitamins are organic
compounds that take part in a
wide range of metabolic
activities. Vitamin deficiencies
can cause a variety of health
problems.
Pet Food
Forms
- Moist Food
- Dry Pet Food
- Semi – moist
and Soft dry
MOIST FOOD DRY FOOD SEMI-MOIST &
SOFT DRY
The moisture content of Dry pet food contains 3 Semi-moist and Soft-dry pet
moist food varies from 60 to 11 % water. The foods have an intermediate
to more than 87%. Many average dry pet food is water content 25% to 35%,
moist pet food contains lower in protein, fat and falling in between moist and
high level of meat and most minerals on a dry dry pet foods. These pet
meat by products. These matter basis than the food forms are highly
food typically contains average moist pet food. palatable and have an
higher levels of protein, Some dry foods are often average intermediate
phosphorus, sodium and perceived as providing preference between moist
fat than semi-moist or dry dental hygiene benefits. and dry pet food.
forms.
Recommending Homemade Food
- Do five food groups appear in the recipe?
- Is the carbohydrate source a cooked cereal and present in a
higher or equal quantity than the meat source?
- What is the type and quantity of the primary protein
source?
- Is the primary protein source lean or fatty?
- Is a source of calcium and other minerals provided?
- Is a source of vitamins and other nutrients provided?