What Is Complete And Balanced Nutrition For Dogs

What is Complete & Balanced nutrition for dogs? And why should you care?

by Hilary Watson HW Veterinary Nutrition Inc. Guelph, ON 519-821-8884 www.CompleteandBalanced.com [email_address]

Overview
What is “complete” nutrition?
What is “balanced” nutrition?
Who decides which nutrients are “essential” for dogs?
Why should complete and balanced nutrition be the goal of every dog owner?
How can you tell if the food you are feeding is complete and balanced?

A diet is said to be “complete” …
if it contains all essential nutrients (except water) at levels adequate to meet the dog’s daily requirements .
There are 36 essential nutrients for dogs

Protein is an essential nutrient for dogs
Protein is composed of amino acids
20 amino acids are the building blocks of proteins
Think of amino acids as letters and proteins as words – how many words can you make using 26 letters?
Dogs can make hundreds of different proteins using 20 amino acid building blocks

10 amino acids are essential for dogs
Arginine
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Two other amino acids are considered “conditionally essential”: cysteine and tyrosine . These two amino acids become essential if the levels of methionine and phenylalanine respectively are insufficient in the diet.

Fat is an essential nutrient for dogs
Fat is composed of triglycerides
Triglycerides are composed of three fatty acids and a glycerol backbone
Linoleic acid is an essential nutrient for dogs
Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid

11 vitamins are essential for dogs
3 are fat-soluble
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
8 are water-soluble
Thiamin (B1)
Riboflavin (B2)
Niacin (B3)
Pantothenic acid (B5)
Pyridoxine (B6)
Folic acid
Choline
Cobalamin (B12)

12 minerals are essential for dogs
6 are macro-minerals
Calcium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Chloride
Magnesium
6 are micro-minerals
Iron
Copper
Manganese
Zinc
Iodine
Selenium

Carbohydrate is not essential for dogs
Although dogs can use carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and starchy foods (such as rice, oatmeal and potatoes) for energy, carbohydrate is NOT an essential nutrient for dogs

So… 36 essential nutrients for dogs
Protein
10 essential amino acids
Fat
1 essential fatty acid
11 essential vitamins
12 essential minerals
Total = 36 essential nutrients (plus water)

A diet is “complete” if it contains all 36 essential nutrients at levels that meet the dog’s daily requirements

Overview

A diet is said to be “balanced” …
if it contains all essential nutrients at the correct levels relative to each other such that optimal uptake of all nutrients is ensured.
A few examples of important balances :
The balance between calcium & phosphorus
The balance between omega-6 & omega-3 fatty acids
The balance between calcium & zinc
The balance between iron & copper
The balance between selenium & vitamin E

Mineral competition wheel

An arrow pointing from one mineral to another mineral indicates that the mineral at the base of the arrow interferes with the uptake of the mineral at the tip of the arrow
For example, dietary phosphorus (P) interferes with the uptake of dietary calcium (Ca) (there is an arrow pointing from P to Ca)

Although calcium does not interfere with the uptake of phosphorus (no arrow pointing from Ca to P)..
Calcium does interfere with the uptake of zinc (Zn) , magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn)

A diet that is not “balanced” will NOT meet a dog’s nutritional requirements
Suppose a diet contains adequate levels of both calcium and zinc to meet the dog’s requirements (ie the food is “complete”)
But suppose the level of calcium is so high that it blocks the uptake of zinc
The dog will suffer a zinc deficiency even though there is enough zinc in the diet to meet the dog’s requirements ( the zinc is in the food but it is blocked from entering the dog’s body )

This is why…
Balanced nutrition is as important complete nutrition
If a diet is not properly balanced, nutritional deficiencies can occur even though the diet appears to contain all essential nutrients
One of the most important balances is between calcium and phosphorus

The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is critical
For dogs, the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio should always be between 1-2 to 1, meaning….
For every 1 gram of phosphorus in the diet, there should be between 1 and 2 grams of calcium
For growing puppies, the ideal ratio is narrower – there should be between 1.2 and 1.5 grams of calcium for every gram of phosphorus

Check the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of your dog’s current diet
Take the food’s calcium content (in g or mg) and divide by its phosphorus content (in the same units, ie g or mg)
The answer should be between 1 and 2
Ideally, the answer is between 1.2 and 1.5
If the answer is below 1 or above 2, the diet is not “balanced”
If it’s not balanced for calcium/phosphorus, it probably isn’t balanced for any other nutrients either

The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is particularly important during growth
Especially for large breed puppies, a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio that is too high (above 1.5-to-1) is as damaging as one that is too low (below 1.2-to-1)
Calcium-to-phosphorus imbalances can cause osteochondrosis, hip dysplasia, hypertrophic osteodystrophy and other skeletal defects in growing puppies

Many ratios are important
Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is just one important balance
There are many, many other important ratios:
Calcium-to-zinc
Calcium-to-magnesium
Copper-to-iron
Selenium-to-vitamin E
Omega-6 fatty acids-to-omega-3 fatty acids

To summarize …
A diet is “ complete ” if it contains all 36 essential nutrients at levels adequate to meet the dog’s daily requirements .
A diet is “ balanced ” … if it contains all essential nutrients at the correct levels relative to each other such that optimal uptake of all nutrients is ensured.

Overview

Who decides?
And who decides what level is “adequate” to meet the dog’s requirements?

The National Research Council
400 page book with hundreds of research citations
Comprehensive, cumulative collection of all nutrition research studies done in dogs and cats anywhere in the world dating back more than 50 years

Pre-publication collaboration
NRC pre-publishes a working copy and sends it out to academics and nutrition researchers around the world
Working copy is challenged and debated
Different research studies may have conflicting results
Researchers often disagree
Debate can last several years

Eventually, debate leads to consensus
Pet nutritionists, veterinarians, academics and researchers give input leading to international consensus on the nutritional requirements of dogs
This consensus is published in NRC’s “Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats”
The publication is updated periodically as new research becomes available

National Research Council © 2006
So THIS publication defines the nutrients that are essential for dog and what levels are needed to meet the dog’s daily needs
However, NRC does NOT regulate pet food companies

THIS organization regulates pet food companies in the USA AAFCO is part of the US Dept of Agriculture (AAFCO also regulates livestock feeds)

AAFCO’s mission:
“to provide a mechanism for developing and implementing uniform and equitable laws, regulations, standards and enforcement policies for regulating the manufacture, distribution and sale of animal feeds and pet foods ; resulting in safe, effective, and useful products.”

AAFCO regulates 3 main areas
Ingredients and ingredient lists
Nutritional adequacy of pet foods
Nutritional claims on packaging

Ingredient lists
All ingredients in a pet food must be listed on the label (no hiding “bad” ingredients)
Ingredients must be listed in descending order of inclusion
Ingredients must be identified according to AAFCO nomenclature (ie poultry meal , chicken meal , poultry by-product meal , and chicken are all different ingredients which are defined by AAFCO)

Nutritional Adequacy
AAFCO publishes “Dog Food Nutrient Profiles”
I have re-printed these profiles (with kind permission from AAFCO) in Appendix 9 of my recipe book “Complete & Balanced: 101 Healthy Home-made Meals for Dogs”

These profiles are “designed to establish practical minimum and maximum nutrient levels for dog foods formulated from non-purified, complex ingredients.”
“The values are modified based on known effects of processing and the potential for lower digestibility in some products”

So where NRC publishes the nutrient requirements of dogs , AAFCO publishes nutrient levels that must exist in dog foods , taking processing and ingredient quality into account
AAFCO defines minimums for all essential nutrients and maximums for nutrients which may be toxic at high intake
The AAFCO profiles list nutrient levels on a dry matter and energy ( per 1000 kcal ) basis

Nutritional Claims on Packaging
AAFCO regulates what claims are made on pet food packaging
Every pet food sold in the US must have a nutritional adequacy claim on the packaging

3 AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Claims
“ Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (Name of Product) provides complete and balanced nutrition for (life-stage).”
“ (Name of Product) is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for (life-stage).”
“ This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.” (ie it does not qualify for claim 1 or 2)

AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Claims
Designed to provide owner assurance that the pet food they are buying delivers complete and balanced nutrition
AAFCO regulations are enforced by US State regulators. There are no equivalent regulations in Canada
Buyer beware!

Overview

Complete & Balanced – Who Cares?
Humans don’t eat complete and balanced diets
Animals in the wilds don’t eat complete and balanced diets
Why should I trust NRC or AAFCO?
Why should I care whether or not my dog is eating a complete and balanced diet?

Longevity and quality of life
Oldest human in the world today was born in 1894 – currently is 114 years of age
Previous oldest person died in January 2009 at 115 years
Maximum human life expectancy is therefore at least 115 years (likely more)

Average vs maximum lifespan
Average life expectancy in North America is in the mid-70s
We consider 80 old
In fact, the 80 year old person could live another 35 years
A person who dies at 80 is missing out on 1/3 of their life potential !

Quality of life
Our pre-mature death is often preceded by poor quality of life
It is not uncommon for middle-aged humans to suffer from chronic diseases that have a nutrition component:
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Obesity
Cancer
Osteoarthritis

The World Health Organization estimates
that 75-85% of human diseases are preventable with sound lifestyle choices, including healthy nutrition
Nutritional deficiencies and imbalances are VERY common in humans
Humans could likely increase their average life expectancy by a decade or more if humans ate “complete and balanced” diets

We do a LOUSY job of feeding ourselves!
Animals in the wild do not do any better
Yes, millions of years of evolution dictate physiology and nutritional needs
But a century of research has led to innovations that extend our longevity and improve our quality of life
Better health due to advances in medicine
Better health due to advanced understanding of nutritional requirements and nutrient balances

Slide Presentation Overview

You can’t tell by guessing Above are 5 different meats. They have 5 very different Ca:P ratios, 5 very different vitamin & mineral contents. You can’t balance 36 essential nutrients by guessing.

You need Food Formulation Software

Overview

3 questions to ask your pet food company :
Ask if the pet food has an AAFCO claim on the packaging? If not, does it match the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles ?
Ask for a complete nutrient analysis of the food, listing all 36 essential nutrients (not just the top10) on a dry matter and per 1000 kcal basis
Ask how often the company does complete nutrient analyses (all 36 nutrients) on their pet foods

Complete & Balanced: 101 Healthy Home-made Meals for Dogs
Recipes formulated using formulation software
43 nutrients listed for each recipe (36 essential nutrients + 7 non-essentials)
All recipes deliver 100% complete & balanced nutrition

Combining the nutritious goodness of fresh human foods with the scientific rigor of complete and balanced nutrition
Your dog can do no better!
Complete & Balanced: 101 Healthy Home-made Meals for Dogs

Questions? [email_address]

What Is Complete And Balanced Nutrition For Dogs

by Hilary Watson on Aug 10, 2009

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What Is Complete And Balanced Nutrition For Dogs — Presentation Transcript