Overview of cat and dog nutrition

Cats

Cats are obligate carnivores. Their digestive systems are short and they produce enzymes only designed to break down and synthesise Protein, Fatty acids, Minerals and Vitamins.
Their protein should only come from animal based sources and include organ meat for it's abundance of vitamins  and minerals. Red organ meat is not recommended for cats. Organs such chicken liver and heart is preferable but the quality and production of the protein also plays into the equation. As organs such as liver serve as filters of toxicity in the body there is concern the they could pass on contaminants to the animal who is eating them. Sourcing organs from animals that have lived lives in which the toxicity should not be an issue, e.g. free range, organic, regulates the issue.

Carbohydrates should NOT be a significant part of their diet. They get the little fibre they need from chewing grass or the contents of their prey's stomachs. 

"Dietary fibre promotes overall gastrointestinal health by increasing gastrointestinal motility and by collecting debris and dead cells that accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract.  Soluble fibers, sometimes called prebiotics, aid in promoting the growth of additional beneficial (or probiotic) bacteria and helps crowd out pathogenic (disease-producing) bacteria."

Overall, carbohydrates should not make up more than 10% of their diets. Unless obtaining fibre in their diets is an issue, it is not necessarily to feed your cat additional carbohydrates.

Common supplements used in cat food are :

Taurine (obtained from meat)

Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-6 fatty acids

Experts say there are a lot of unsafe supplements, but the biggest ones to avoid include:

• Garlic: destroys red blood cells, leading to anemia
• Onion: destroys red blood cells, leading to anemia
• Calcium: too much can be toxic
• Vitamin D: too much can be toxic
• Vitamin C: too much can cause overly acidic urine, which can lead to crystal formation and a lifethreatening blockage

Use of supplements is not encouraged without professional guidance as everything the animal needs can be obtained through a healthy, balanced diet.

Dogs

Dogs are descended from omnivores and can handle a wider range of foods. Meat, vegetables and grains can safely be incorporated into their diets. It is noted that protein can come from both vegetable or animal sources and the use of offals encouraged. The total amount of carbohydrates, quality and source however, need attention. A diet modelled on an ancestral prey diet would contain roughly 14% - 30% carbohydrate, 2% - 4.5% of which would contain fibre. Carbohydrates can provide a cheaper and practical source of energy. In terms of calorie restriction, a diet high in fibre can provide a feeling of fullness, and the additional fibre aids in the management of high blood pressure and large intestinal function. Carbohydrates should ideally be integrated in their whole, unprocessed forms.

There is a variety of common sources of carbohydrates in commercially available pet food.  Look for higher quality carbohydrate sources like these listed below:

• oats
• barley
• millet
• sorghum
• sweet potatoes
• peas
• chick peas

Lower quality sources are:

• grain by-products
• middlings
• mill run
• cereal food
• grain fermentation solubles
• starch
• gluten

Common supplements used in dog food are :

Calcium

Phosphorus

Magnesium

Potassium

Sodiem

Vitamin E

Vitamin D (toxic in large amounts)

Note Dogs produce their own Vitamin C.

Use of supplements is not encouraged without professional guidance.

Organs (based on cat nutrition)

Heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, gizzards and brains are probably the most common or more easily obtainable organ meats but you can also feed lungs, stomach, gallbladder, eyes, various glands (adrenals, thyroid, pituitary, etc), testicles, ovaries, etc.

• There are two approaches to feeding organ meat: 
  1. Feed organ meats in larger amounts twice per week.
  2. Feed organ meats every day but in smaller amounts
• Organ meats are a nutrient dense source of food and too much organ meat is not good. As an example, liver is high in oil soluble vitamin A (not to be confused with the vegetable source of vitamin A also known as beta carotene). If you feed too much liver then you will actually cause liver stones because liver stones are created when the body gets too much oil soluble vitamin A. In fact, the Inuit are well known for eating Polar Bear liver and as a result, a lot of Inuit suffer (especially in the past) from liver stones.
• If you choose option 1 and thus feed organ meats twice per week, then the organ meat should be approximately 50% of the meat source. So let's say, as an example, you were feeding 1 cup of meat. In this situation you would then use approximately 1/2 cup organ meat and 1/2 cup muscle meat.
• If you choose option 2 and thus feed organ meat every day then approximately 10% of the meat source should be organ meat. So let's say again, as an example, that you were feeding 1 cup of meat. In this situation you would add approximately 1/8 of a cup as organ meat and the rest as muscle meat.
• My personal favourite is heart because of its high taurine content and since it is usually available. 
  • Taurine is an essential amino acid.
  • A lot of people who have cats worry about not providing their cats with enough taurine. This is because taurine is an amino acid that is specifically needed by cats. In fact, many commercial pet foods now say on their packaging taurine added to help increase sales from concerned cat owners. But the reality is, to ensure your cat is getting enough taurine, all you need to do is feed raw meat!
  • Some vets will unfortunately use some fear tactics by saying you must make sure your cats are getting enough taurine when feeding a homemade diet. The reality is that the only reason why commercial pet foods say on their labels taurine added is because commercial pet foods are not a good source of taurine and thus taurine must be added. When you feed a wholesome raw meat diet then the taurine is naturally added by Mother Nature herself in the form of wholesome nutrition.
  • Any organ that has electrical activity is high and/or a concentrated source of taurine. This includes the heart, brain and eyes.
  • Although heart, brain and eyes are high in taurine, the reality is all meat contains taurine. When you feed muscle meat, there is also taurine in the meat, just not as high.
  • The feeding of eyes doesn't sound that appealing but many pets will enjoy eyes. Sometimes fish eyes are available.
  • It has been said that mice provide the highest source of taurine!
• Some butchers will sell brain. While not on the top of most people's list of things to buy, many pets do enjoy eating brain.

Preservation

Keeping it Raw

There is growing popularity in the raw food movement

Raw food is either sold fresh or frozen.

The closest I've seen to a raw product with an extended life is through preserving the meat by freeze drying it.

Dehydrating it over a long period with lower heat is thought to preserve the meat in a natural state but is usually done with the aid of a brine. 

Canning effectively pasteurises the cans contents and denatures the meat proteins. There are arguments for and against whether the meat should be cooked but most commercial food today is.

Baking, boiling and grilling are common practices of the home made food enthusiast.