The use of commercial pet foods in the nutrition of dogs and cats. Assessment of the nutritional adequacy of pet foods. Review article

This review attempts to give viewpoints for assessing the nutritive value of commercial dog and cat foods. The world sales of pet foods and pet products had reached in recent years more than US$ 28 billion, accounting for more than 13 million tons of pet foods per year. In Hungary the tendency of the sales of pet food products parallels with that of the world market. Besides giving a survey of the various types of commercial dog and cat foods, the most important regulations are discussed, which are appropriate for claiming the nutritional adequacy of the products. The Hungarian, American, as well as the EU regulations regarding the information on pet food labels are explained. The claim ''nutritionally balanced and complete'' can be substantiated either by using the nutrient profile suggested recently by the Association of American Feed Control Officials or by claiming that the product has successfully passed an appropriate feeding test (Table 1). The characteristic differences in the nutritional physiology of the dog and the cat are discussed and emphasised. The cat being a strict carnivorous animal requires adequate vitamin-A, arachidonic acid and taurine in its feed. Among the many ideas used for pet food formulations, two new concepts are discussed: the use of a proper ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and the use of prebiotics (Figure and Table 2). The importance of the quality control of pet food products is stressed. The careful evaluation of the analysed chemical composition and the knowledge of the nutritional requirements help to evaluate the real nutritional value of the products for health and longevity. The recommended methods for assessing nutritive value of the commercial dog- and cat foods is discussed, and the necessity of the official quality control is emphasised.