Minerals are inorganic compounds that play an important role in canine and feline nutrition. As nutrients, minerals are essential for the completion of the numerous metabolic processes necessary to maintain life.
What Roles Do Minerals Play in Canine and Feline Nutrition?
Minerals are responsible for many processes.
- Minerals are a major part of bone and cartilage formation.
- Minerals play a role in many enzyme-based reactions.
- Minerals are responsible for helping to maintain the proper balance of fluids within the body.
- Minerals play a part in aiding the movement of oxygen in the blood stream.
- Minerals are partially responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses and muscle contraction.
- Minerals are necessary for the production of many hormones.
Macrominerals Versus Microminerals as Dog and Cat Nutrients
Minerals are classified as macrominerals or microminerals based on the quantity of the mineral necessary to maintain life. Larger amounts of macrominerals are required in dog and cat diets and greater quantities of macrominerals are also found in the body when compared with microminerals.
The main macrominerals identified are:
- calcium
- phosphorus
- magnesium
- potassium
- sodium
- chloride
- sulfur
The primary microminerals are:
- iron
- zinc
- copper
- manganese
- iodine
- selenium
Calcium and Phosphorus Metabolism and Their Role as Canine and Feline Nutrients
Calcium and phosphorus must be present in the proper amounts and the proper ratios in the diet of both dogs and cats. Excessive amounts of either mineral as well as deficiencies can lead to serious nutritional issues. The ratio between calcium and phosphorus must be adequate also. The ideal calcium to phosphorus ratio is 1.2:1 to 1.4:1 for dogs and 0.9:1 to 1.1:1 for cats.
Imbalances in the calcium or phosphorus levels or the calcium:phosphorus ratio can lead to nutritional disease, including weak or malformed bones as well as other serious health issues.
Other Macrominerals in the Dog and Cat Diet
Besides calcium and phosphorus, the other macrominerals also play an important role in the diet of the dog and cat.
- Potassium plays many roles, including playing a part in maintaining a proper acid-base balance, transmitting nerve impulses, maintaining proper osmotic balance (the balance of water inside and outside of the cells), aiding in muscle contraction and serving as a cofactor (an element that pairs with another element to complete a chemical reaction) necessary in many enzymatic reactions. Potassium imbalances are rare in healthy animals but can become problematic in several disease processes, such as kidney disease.
- Sodium and chloride are both necessary for maintaining proper acid-base balance and proper osmotic balance. Sodium is also necessary for transmitting nerve impulses, helping with muscle contractions, controlling movement of nutrients into and out of cells, maintaining water balance within the body and absorbing sugars and amino acids from the intestinal tract. Chloride plays a role in digestion of nutrients. Deficiencies or excesses of sodium and chloride are rarely a problem in the healthy animal but deficiencies can become a problem with illnesses such as diarrhea and/or vomiting.
- Magnesium provides structural support for the bones, plays a role in carbohydrate and protein metabolism and helps with energy production within cells. It also helps maintain fluid balance and enables muscle contraction and nerve impulses. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include depression and muscle weakness. Magnesium may become deficient if there are elevated levels of calcium and/or phosphorus in the diet.
- Sulfur helps make up several substances necessary within the body, such as chondroitin sulfate, insulin and heparin. Imbalances in dogs and cats have not been reported.
Microminerals: More Important Nutrients for Dogs and Cats
Though needed in a smaller quantity than macrominerals, microminerals are also important to keep your dog or cat healthy.
- Zinc is important in bone development, normal functioning of the immune system, DNA and RNA synthesis, metabolism of other nutrients, the production of various hormones and more. Zinc deficiencies result in impaired growth, lack of appetite, depressed immune function, skin disease and eye problems. Zinc toxicity is rare.
- Iron is found in hemoglobin and myoglobin and plays a role transporting oxygen and making it available to cells. It also acts as a cofactor in many enzymatic reactions. The most common indication of iron deficiency is anemia. However, in reality, iron deficiency in pets is rare. Toxicity is more likely to occur as a result of excess supplementation.
- Copper is closely involved with iron, being involved in its' absorption and transportation. Copper is also part of many enzymes and thus plays a role in processes such as energy production, melatonin synthesis and protection of tissues from free radical damage. Copper deficiency is rare but results in anemia, poor skeletal growth and loss of pigmentation in the hair coat. Some dog breeds may suffer from an inheritable disease affecting copper metabolism. This copper storage disease leads to copper toxicity and hepatopathy (liver disease).
- Iodine is necessary to produce thyroid hormones but iodine deficiency is rare in dogs and cats.
- Manganese is a part of many different enzymes and is important in the metabolism of amino acids and fats as well as being essential for bone and cartilage development. Deficiency is not common in pets.
- Selenium is needed for iodine metabolism and aids in preventing damage from free radicals. Dietary causes of selenium deficiencies have not been reported in dogs and cats.
Minerals are important nutrients in dogs and cats and play an important role in canine and feline nutrition. Though they are necessary to promote health, care should be taken to provide adequate quantities in the diet while avoiding deficiencies as well as excesses.
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