the dietary needs of dogs & cats

8/6/2019 The Dietary Needs of Dogs & Cats

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O R I J E N W H I T E P A P E R P a g e 1

ORIJENWHITE PAPERThe Biologically Appropriate Food Concept and the Dietary Needs of Dogs and Cats

CHAMPION PETFOODS LTD.9503-90 avenueMorinville, Alberta,Canada. T8R 1K7www.championpetfoods.com


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ORIJEN WHITE PAPER, TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 | THE ANATOMY OF EATING .................................................................................................................. 4

THE ANATOMICAL DIFFERENCES OF HERBIVORES, OMNIVORES & CARNIVORES ............................................................ 4

HERBIVORES (cows, sheep) ................................................................................................................................ 4

OMNIVORES (pigs, bears, humans) ...................................................................................................................... 5

CARNIVORES (wolves, dogs, cats) ....................................................................................................................... 5

CONCLUSIONS | CATS & DOGS ARE DESIGNED FOR AN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY MEAT-BASED DIET .............................. 5

STOMACH TYPE & LENGTH ................................................................................................................................ 5

TEETH & JAWS ..................................................................................................................................................... 6

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES .......................................................................................................................................... 6

2 | THE DIETARY NEEDS OF DOGS AND CATS ...................................................................................... 7

ANIMAL SOURCE PROTEINS ...................................................................................................................................................... 7

PROTEIN SOURCE ............................................................................................................................................... 7

AMINO ACID COMPOSITION .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... . 7PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... ...... 7

ANIMAL SOURCE FATS ............................................................................................................................................................... 8

FAT AS ENERGY .................................................................................................................................................. 8

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID SUPPLY .......... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .......... ... 8

CARBOHYDRATES AS FEW AS POSSIBLE ............................................................................................................................. 9

ARE CARBOHYDRATES APPOPRIATE FOR CARNIVORES? ............................................................................ 9

FEEDING CATS & DOGS ACCORDING TO THEIR ANATOMY ................................................................................................. 10

SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

3 | THE BRIEF HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL PET FOODS ..................................................................... 11

1860s | THE FIRST DRY DOG FOOD .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........ 11

1930s | THE GREAT DEPRESSION, INEXPENSIVE PET FOODS ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .... 11

1960s | PRODUCER CLAIMS THAT THEIR FOODS WERE SUPERIOR AS THEY UTILIZED WASTE GRAINSAND MEATS UNFIT FOR PEOPLE. .................................................................................................................... 11

1970s | COMPLETE & CONVENIENT AS THE PRIMARY BENEFIT .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .......... . 12

1970s | SPECIALTY DIETS ARE INTRODUCED ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .......... . 12

1980s | THE ARRIVAL OF SUPER PREMIUM .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ... 12

1990s | CONSUMERS BECOME MORE EDUCATED (sort of) ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .......... . 12

2000 | THE PAST, REVISITED ............................................................................................................................ 12

4 | BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE DOG & CAT FOOD ........................................................................ 14

KEY FEATURES OF A BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE DIET .......... ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .... 14

i. RICH IN ANIMAL PROTEINS & MEAT CONCENTRATED ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........ 14

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? .................................................................................................................................. 15

PROTEIN vs. CARBOHYDRATES, AN UP & DOWN RELATIONSHIP .......... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .... 16

ii. HIGH & VARIOUS IN FRESH ANIMAL INGREDIENTS ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ... 16

iii. LESS CARBOHYDRATES, NO GRAIN ............................................................................................................... 17


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iv. FATS FROM ANIMALS, NOT PLANTS ............................................................................................................... 17

FATS OR CARBOHYDRATES? AN ENERGY PERSPECTIVE. ........................................................ 18

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS ................................................................................................................. 18

OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS .................................................................................................................... 18

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS .................................................................................................................... 18

v.FRUITS, VEGETABLES & BOTANICALS ............................................................................................................. 19

FRUITS & VEGETABLES .................................................................................................................... 19

BOTANICALS ...................................................................................................................................... 19

vi. BALANCED MINERALS, MODERATE IN CALCIUM AND PHOSPHORUS .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ... 20

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROTEIN, CALCIUM & PHOSPHORUS ...................................... 20

5 | PROTEIN QUALITY .............................................................................................................................. 21

INTRODUCTION TO PROTEIN ............................................................................................................................... 21

ALL PROTEINS ARE NOT EQUAL .......... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... ...... 21

PROTEIN SOURCE | ANIMAL, OR VEGETABLE? ............................................................................ 21

AMINO ACIDS ..................................................................................................................................... 22

PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY ....................................................................................................................................... 22

PROTEIN BIOLOGICAL VALUE (BV) ...................................................................................................................... 23

WHY YOU MUST NEVER TRUST STATED PROTEIN PERCENTAGES TO COMPARE DOG FOODS ........... .... 23

TEMPERATURE AND PROTEIN QUALITY ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ... 23

ASH AND PROTEIN QUALITY ................................................................................................................................ 24

6 | PROTEIN QUANTITY ............................................................................................................................ 26

MYTH #1. PROTEIN EFFECTS THE KIDNEYS ...................................................................................................... 26

MYTH #2. PROTEIN MAKES PUPPIES GROW TOO FAST .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... .......... 27

MYTH #3. PROTEIN SHOULD BE RESTRICTED FOR OLDER DOGS .......... .......... ........... .......... ........... .......... ... 28

MYTH #4. PROTEIN IS NOT HEALTHY FOR OVERWEIGHT DOGS ........... .......... ........... ........... .......... ........... .... 28

WHY SO MANY MYTHS? ........................................................................................................................................ 29

Why Have Vets Chosen to Keep the Reduced Protein Myth? ............................................................ 29

When scientific proof fails to justify a practice, a false myth may likely live on. .................................. 30


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1 | THE ANATOMY OF

EATING

As a faithful companion to humansfor some 10,000 years, the trend tohumanize our companion dogscomes as no surprise.

Yet despite his long and close association withhumans, the dog remains closest genetically tothe gray wolf, with whom he shares over 99% ofhis mitochondrial DNA.

The close genetic relationship between dog andwolf led the Smithsonian Institution to reclassify

the dog from its previous separate speciesdesignation of Canis familiaris to Canis lupusfamiliaris.

In other words, the Timber wolf, the Tundra wolf,and our beloved companion dog, all fall underthe genetic umbrella of the gray wolf: Canislupus.

1

Just like wolves, all dogs are evolved ascarnivores, with anatomical features that clearlyadapt them for meat-based diets.

Understanding the anatomical differencesbetween carnivores, omnivores and herbivores

helps understand why dogs and cats areclassified as carnivores, and what foods bestmatch their anatomy.

THE ANATOMICAL DIFFERENCES

OF HERBIVORES, OMNIVORES &

CARNIVORES

To understand the nutritional needsof dogs and cats, it is useful to

begin with a basic understanding oftheir anatomical features, and how

1Robert K. Wayne, Ph.D. , Molecular evolution of

the dog family , Theoretical and Applied Genetics

they differ from herbivores andomnivores.

Miltons Comparative Anatomy (Milton R. Mills,M.D.) illustrated how all animals areanatomically and physiologically adapted to findand eat particular kinds of foods.

By understanding which anatomical features areassociated with each kind of diet, we are able toclassify an animal as:

1. CARNIVORE (meat eaters),

2. HERBIVORE (plant-eaters), or3. OMNIVORE (both meat and plant

eaters) a

This classification helps understand which foodsthe animal is actually adapted to eat.

HERBIVORES (cows, sheep)

Herbivores eat plants, not meat. So its nosurprise that their anatomical features areadapted to process carbohydrates and othernutrients produced by plants.

Anatomical features common to herbivoresconfirm their adaption for a plant-based diet.

1. LONG DIGESTIVE TRACTS up to 10times their body length are needed dueto the relative difficulty with which plantfoods are broken down. Herbivoreshave significantly longer and much moreelaborate guts than do carnivores.

2

2. SQUARE & FLAT MOLARS provide anideal grinding surface to crush and grindplants (but not meats). A lower jaw witha pronounced sideways motion

facilitates the grinding motion needed tochew plants.

2The Comparative Anatomy of Eating, Milton R.

Mills, M.D.


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O R I J E N W H I T E P A P E R P a g e | 5

3. CARBOHYDRATE-DIGESTINGENZYMES IN SALIVA. AMYLASE is adigestive enzyme in saliva that helps indigesting carbohydrates. Herbivoresmethodically chew their food to ensurethe thorough mixing with amylase.

OMNIVORES (pigs, bears, humans)

Omnivores (from Latin: omne all, everything;vorare to devour) are evolved to eat both plantsand animals.

As general feeders, omnivores are notspecifically adapted to eat meat or plant materialexclusively.

Anatomical features common to omnivoresinclude:

1. MEDIUM LENGTH DIGESTIVE

TRACTS that provide the flexibility todigest both vegetation and animalproteins.

2. FLAT MOLARS AND SHARP TEETHdeveloped for some grinding and sometearing.

3. SALIVA CONTAINS CARBOHYDRATE-DIGESTING ENZYME AMYLASE whichis responsible for the majority of starchdigestion.

CARNIVORES (wolves, dogs, cats)Carnivore means 'meat eater' (Latin carnemeaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour')and classifies animals whose diets consistmainly of meat such as dogs and cats.

The anatomical features of carnivores are:

1. SHORT, SIMPLE & ACIDIC DIGESTIVETRACTS. Protein and fat from animalsource are quickly and easily digested hence the short digestive system ofdogs and cats.

The ability of dogs and cats to secretehydrochloric acid is also exceptional. Tofacilitate protein breakdown and kill thebacteria found in decaying meats, dogsand cats are able to keep their gastricpH around 1-2.

2. SHARP TEETH (designed for slicingmeat, not grinding plants). Carnivoreshave elongated teeth designed fortearing and killing prey.

Their molars are triangular with jaggededges that function like serrated-edgedblades that give a smooth cutting motionlike the blades on a pair of shears.

3. JAWS MOVE VERTICALLY unlikeherbivores and omnivores that grind

their food by side to side chewing, thejaws of dogs and cats operate verticallyto provide a smooth cutting motion, andopen widely to swallow large chunks ofmeat.

4. NO AMYLASE IN SALIVA. Amylase insaliva is something omnivorous andherbivorous animals possess, but notcarnivorous animals like dogs or cats.

As amylase is not present in saliva, theburden is entirely on the pancreas toproduce the amylase needed to digest

carbohydrates.Feeding dogs as though they wereomnivores or herbivores makes thepancreas work harder in order to digestthe carbohydrate-filled foods (instead ofjust producing normal amounts of theenzymes needed to digest proteins andfats).

3

CONCLUSIONS | CATS & DOGS

ARE DESIGNED FOR AN ALMOSTEXCLUSIVELY MEAT-BASED DIET

Several key anatomical features separate dogsand cats from omnivores and herbivores, whileclearly classifying them as carnivores with anadaptation for an almost exclusively meat baseddiet.

STOMACH TYPE & LENGTH

Dogs & cats posses a short, simplegastro-intestinal tract. Because meat is

easily digested (relative to plants) theirsmall intestines are short.

3The Comparative Anatomy of Eating, Milton R. Mills,

M.D.


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A high concentration of stomach acidhelps quickly break down proteins(Carnivores have a stomach acidity ofabout pH 1 - compared to humans at pH4 to 5).

TEETH & JAWS

A large mouth opening with a singlehinge joint adapted for swallowing wholechunks of meat.

Short and pointed teeth designed forgrasping, ripping and shredding meat(not grinding grains).

Teeth and jaws designed to swallowfood whole (not for chewing or crushingplants).

DIGESTIVE ENZYMES

Adapted to break down protein and fatfrom meat (not plants or grains), the

saliva of dogs and cats does not containthe digestive enzyme amylase.

Carnivores dont chew their food. Unlikecarbohydrate-digesting enzymes,protein-digesting enzymes cannot bereleased in the mouth due to the

potential of damaging the oral cavity(auto digestion).

Therefore, carnivores do not mix theirfood with salivathey simply bite offhuge chunks of meat and swallow themwhole.


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2 | THE DIETARY NEEDS OF DOGS AND CATS

The dog is, by all scientific standards and by evolutionary history, adomesticated wolf.

Section 1 illustrated the anatomical features ofdogs and cats that classify them as carnivores,and explained how these features adapt dogsand cats for digesting proteins and fats fromanimal flesh, not carbohydrates from plants.

This raises the question of which foods areappropriate for their carnivorous anatomy,and which are not?

As the dog's internal physiology does not differfrom the wolf, dogs have the same physiologicaland nutritional needs as their wild predatorcousins, whose diets are almost exclusivelyproteins and fats.

Modern dogs of all breeds are not only capableof eating the food of their wild ancestors, butactually require it for maximum health.

This is because their basic physiology haschanged very little with domesticationdespitethe obvious differences in their physicalappearances.

ANIMAL SOURCE PROTEINSProtein is the staff of life for dogsand cats essential to basic bodyfunctions, including cellularregeneration, tissue maintenance,hormone and enzyme production,and the provision of energy.

Although protein is essential, not all proteinsfunction equally, with protein qualities varyingenormously between various sources.

Three factors effecting protein quality include:1. PROTEIN SOURCE

2. AMINO ACID COMPOSITION

3. DIGESTIBILITY

PROTEIN SOURCE

Due to the different amino acid profilescontained in animal and plant proteins, ANIMALPROTEINS are considered complete proteinsfor dogs and cats, while PLANT PROTEINS areconsidered incomplete proteins.

AMINO ACID COMPOSITION

ANIMAL PROTEINS contain all of the aminoacids essential to dogs and cats in quantities

that match the requirements needed for theiroverall health, maintenance and growth.

PLANT PROTEINS such as corn gluten,soybean meal or plant protein isolates, do notcontain all of the amino acids in the rightproportions that a dog or cat needs.

Amino acids essential to dogs and cats oftenmissing in plant proteins, include arginine,taurine, methionine, lysine and tryptophan.

PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY

Protein digestibility is a key quality measure.

After all, what good is it to have a food madewith a higher quality protein if its not also easyto digest?

A food with high protein digestibility is one thatcan be broken down into smaller easy-to-absorbcomponents easier and quicker than others.

In the short digestive systems of dogs and cats,plant proteins are far less digestible than meatproteins.

Animal source protein is the best choice - it is

easily digested and contains the amino acidsessential for dogs and cats.

PLEASE SEE SECTION 5 FOR A MOREINDEPTH DISCUSSION OF PROTEINQUALITY.


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ANIMAL SOURCE FATS

While often viewed negatively byhealth conscious people, fat is anessential dietary requirement fordogs and cats.

As many people are concerned with reducingour fat intake, we often fail to realize theessential role that fat plays in the diets of ourdogs and cats.

Just as with protein, fats are also not createdequally and differ greatly in their componentstructure and quality.

Dogs and cats dont suffer from cholesterolproblems or heart disease caused by higherlevels of animal fats, and it comes as no surprisethat cats and dogs need fat from animals, rather

than plant source.Two key roles of dietary fat are:

1. Providing a concentrated source ofenergy.

2. Supplying the Essential Fatty Acids(Omega-3, for example) that dogs andcats cannot produce within their ownbody.

FAT AS ENERGY

Both dogs and cats require a fairly highamount of animal fat in their diets.

As companion dogs and cats enjoy amore sedentary lifestyle than their wolfrelatives, moderation of fat is important,with an optimum range of 15-18% fat.

While both fats and carbohydratesprovide energy, they function verydifferently in the body of a dog or cat.Fats are essential in the diets of dogsand cats, carbohydrates are not.

Carbohydrates provide energy more

rapidly compared to fats. In humans, ahigh intake of carbohydrates increasesmuscle-glycogen, which increasesstamina. The same carbohydrateloading in dogs creates an excessaccumulation of lactic acid in themuscles, leading to a condition calledhypoglycemia, which causes weaknessand fatigue.

Animal fats are clearly the choice ofenergy for dogs and cats.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID SUPPLY

Essential fatty acids are the fatty acids present

in fats that are required by the body.Because they cannot be produced in the body,Essential Fatty Acids must come from foods.

The most important are linoleic and arachidonic4

(Omega-6), and DHA and EPA (Omega-3).

An appropriate balance of omega-6 and omega-3 is important as these two fats work together. Aratio of 2:1 to 5:1 is generally accepted as idealfor dogs and cats.

As lack of Omega-6 is extremely rare, most petfoods have too much Omega-6 and not enough

Omega-3.

OMEGA-3 QUALITY

Omega-3 quality varies dramaticallybetween plant and animal sources.

Of the 3 kinds of Omega-3: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) is from plants, while DHA(docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA(epicosapentaenoic acid) are from fish.

Dogs and cats require DHA and EPA,not ALA.

ALA | Omega-3 from plants

Plant source Omega-3 is ALA, a short-chainomega-3 found in soy, canola oil and flax.

ALA must be converted to EPA and DHA tobe of any nutritional benefit to a dog or cat.

As cats and dogs are not adapted to createthis conversion, ALA Omega-3 from plants isconsidered inactive and not BiologicallyAppropriate for dogs and cats.

4While dogs are able to produce arachidonic acid

from linoleic acid, cats cannot synthesize arachidonicacid and require it in their diet.


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EPA & DHA | Omega-3 from fish

Animal Omega-3s (EPA and DHA) are long-chain omega-3s that are absorbed readilyand directly within the body.

Naturally present in oily fish such as salmon,

herring and lake whitefish, EPA & DHA andare by far the best Omega-3 choice for dogsand cats.

CARBOHYDRATES AS FEW AS

POSSIBLE

Carbohydrates are usually the firstsource of energy available to the

body. Proteins and fats alsoprovide energy but carbohydratesare called upon first.

According to the NRC guidelines, Carbohydratesprovide an economical source of energy in the diet ofdogs.

Carbohydrates are divided into two broadgroups:

1). SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES or sugars, and

2). COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES.

SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES

Simple carbohydrates are made up of singlesugars, or two sugars joined together and arefound in grains such as corn, wheat and rice.

Simple sugars are quickly absorbed into theblood stream, causing a rapid rise in bloodsugar levels.

This rapid rise causes the body to produce asharp rise in insulin levels and results in thesugars being converted into fat.

The rapid rise in blood sugar levels isusually followed by a rapid drop, leading tofeelings of hunger and weakness.

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES

Complex carbohydrates have more than twounits of sugar joined together and are found in

potatoes, beans, as well as many othervegetables and fruits.

Complex carbohydrates can take a long timeto break down in the stomach or passthrough undigested, creating voluminousstool.

ARE CARBOHYDRATES APPOPRIATE FOR

CARNIVORES?

Dogs and cats have no nutritionalneed for carbohydrates and areevolved to use protein and fat asenergy sources.

The natural diet contains almost nocarbohydrate at all, and the smallpredigested grains, fruits & vegetables in the

stomach of a prey animal make up a verysmall fraction of the total diet.

Todays high carbohydrate pet foods lead toblood sugar fluctuations, insulin resistance,and are widely considered as a leadingcause of obesity, diabetes and a host ofother health problems in cats and dogs.

Conventional dry dog foods have a very highcarbohydrate content, with most foodsexceeding 40-50% in total carbohydratecontent.

Almost half of typical dry dog foods is non-

essential, simple sugars! This important factis often lost on consumers as pet foodmakers are not required to claimcarbohydrate content on their packages.

Carbohydrate intake above the daily needsof the dog (which regularly occurs withconventional pet foods) prompts internalenzyme factors to store the extracarbohydrate as body fat.

The Association of American Feed ControlOfficials (AAFCO) nutrient profiles showthat carbohydrates are not essential for dogs

and cats, and that no minimum level ofcarbohydrate is needed in their diets.

According to Dr. David S. Kronfeld,carbohydrates need not be supplied to adultdogs, even those working hard as the liver iseasily able to synthesize sufficient glucose(from protein and fats).


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FEEDING CATS & DOGS

ACCORDING TO THEIR ANATOMY

Cats and dogs evolved as huntersand despite a modern lifestyle,

their digestive systems and internalanatomical features have remainedunchanged for hundreds of years

Despite obvious and dramatic changes in theirphysical appearance, the basic physiology of themodern dog has changed very little withdomestication.

Todays modern dogs are not only capable ofeating the food of their wild ancestors, butactually require it for maximum health.

A biologically appropriate diet mirrors the same

balance and variety of ingredients that would beconsumed in the wild, including muscle meat,bone, fat, organ meat and vegetable materials.

Applied to dry foods, the Biologically Appropriateconcept means higher-protein, moderate fat, lowcarbohydrate foods that contain high andvarious inclusions of animal ingredients that areprocessed as little as possible.

Cereal grains are excluded and carbohydratesare reduced.

SUMMARYSection 1 found that, despite obvious changes intheir physical appearance, the basic physiologyof the modern dog and cat has changed verylittle with domestication.

Section II asked the question of which foods areappropriate for their carnivorous anatomy, aswell as which foods are not appropriate?

Conclusions are that dogs and cats are evolvedas carnivores, and that despite obviousdifferences in appearance from their wild

cousins, their internal anatomy remainsunchanged.

Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores.Dogs ARE very adaptable, but justbecause they can survive on anomnivorous diet, does not mean it is thebest diet for them.

With short digestive tracts andgastrointestinal systems, dogs and catsare adapted to metabolize animal fleshand fat, not grains and carbohydrates.

Todays modern dogs (of any breed) arenot only capable of eating the food of

their wild ancestors, but actually requireit for maximum health.

Biologically Appropriate foods aredesigned to match the digestivecapability of dogs and cats. Just like thenatural diet, they are high in protein andlow in carbohydrates, with aconcentration and variety of minimallyprocessed meats and fats from animalsource.

Although these findings are well accepted withinthe scientific community, conventional dry dogand cat foods appear to be created on thepremise that the digestive system of the dog andcat is similar to humans - with a heavy emphasison inappropriate grains and carbohydrates.

This leads to the next question:

If dogs and cats are carnivores, evolved foran almost exclusively meat-based diet, whydo conventional pet foods contain such highlevels of cereal grains and carbohydrate?

Section 3 the History of Pet Foods attempts to

answer.


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3 | THE BRIEF HISTORY OF

COMMERCIAL PET

FOODSIf dogs are cats are carnivores,evolved for an almost exclusivelymeat-based diet, why then arecommercial pet foods made withsuch high inclusions of cerealgrains and carbohydrates?

Understanding the brief history of commercialdry pet food helps explain why most commercialpet foods were developed with convenience and

economy in mind,rather than peak health ofdogs and cats.

Since the emergence of dry pet foods in the1860s through their mass popularity in the1970s, most pet food makers have focused oncost and convenience at the expense ofnutrition.

This focus explains the predominance ofinexpensive commodity grains and by-productsthat, while less than ideal for feeding dogs andcats, are easily made into shelf stable, lowerpriced pet foods.

While some would argue that dogs and catshave adapted since kibble foods wereintroduced, Sections 1 and 2 of this documenthave made it clear their digestive systemsremain unchanged.

Were they to occur, such evolutionaryadaptations require much more time than amere hundred years or so, and the evolutionarychangefrom gross anatomy down to themolecular levelthat would be required for thedevelopment of such different digestivecapabilities would take MUCH longer than thetime that dogs have been living with humans.

5

1860s | THE FIRST DRY DOG FOOD

The first food made specifically for dogswas created by American electrician,James Spratt who concocted the dog

5The Many Myths of Raw Feeding, G. Cowan

cake - made of wheat, vegetables andbeef blood.

Other companies followed and dogfoods baked with grains entered the petfood market, which was previouslydominated by the butcher.

1930s | THE GREAT DEPRESSION,

INEXPENSIVE PET FOODS

The 1930s saw the introduction of drymeat-meal dog food by the Gaines FoodCompany.

For companies such as Nabisco,Quaker Oats and General Foods, theemerging pet food market representedan opportunity to market otherwiseunusable by-products as a profitablesource of income.

Sold with the primary benefit ofconvenience, high inclusions of grainingredients created a longer shelf life,while carbohydrates provided a cheapsource of energy.

1960s | PRODUCER CLAIMS THAT THEIR

FOODS WERE SUPERIOR AS THEY

UTILIZED WASTE GRAINS AND

MEATS UNFIT FOR PEOPLE.

In the 1960s, new debates weredeveloping as pet food makers claimedtheir products offered good valuebecause they utilized cereal wasteproducts and meat otherwise unusablefor human consumption.

While acknowledging that fresh meatand vegetables were excellent foods,pet food makers argued that dogs andcats could be fed economically withfactory waste products and still behealthy.

Mill operators continued to have a goodmarket for their grain by-products, whileslaughterhouses enjoyed a market fortheir meat by-products that wereotherwise unusable.


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1970s | COMPLETE & CONVENIENT AS THE

PRIMARY BENEFIT

In the 1970s, convenience was the firstselling point for packaged dog foods.Scooping dry pieces of food into the

bowl was more time saving than cookingor preparing their pets dinner.

Dog food companies began labelingtheir dog foods as complete, with noadditional foods or supplements beingnecessary, with producers warningconsumers that table scraps could bedangerous to the dogs health.

1970s | SPECIALTY DIETS ARE INTRODUCED

Formulated for specific diseases ordisorders in pets - specialty diets were

(and still are) often little more than thesame foods in a different package.

The introduction of specialty dietsportrayed pet nutrition as complex andimplied people should rely more on theirveterinarians advice than their owncommon sense.

Shopping for pet food expanded fromthe supermarkets to the veterinariansoffice

6

.

1980s | THE ARRIVAL OF SUPER PREMIUM Sold as more nutritional and offering

different formulas for all stages of life,the vast majority of Premium foods still

used the old standards high grain,high carbohydrate, low meat contentand low protein.

6While veterinarians perform much-needed services

for our pets, these services should not include a)

selling pet food, and b) administering nutritionaladvice. Veterinarians receive very little nutritionaltraining. The training they do receive is oftenadvocated by or even administered by the samemultinational pet food companies whose foods theysell. Their nutritional training comes from the incorrectview that dogs are omnivores and can safely bemaintained on a high carbohydrate & grain-baseddiets - even when scientific research has proven thatcanines and felines have no evolved need forcarbohydrates and fiber.

1990s | CONSUMERS BECOME MORE

EDUCATED (sort of)

As consumers recognized the role ofnutrition in their own lives, they beganreading pet food labels more closely.

This led to the so-called Holistic foods,and producers began to promotespecific ingredients (such as organicgrains) that appealed to people, ratherthan nourishing their dogs.

Almost all holistic foods remain grainand carbohydrate based, and areanything BUT holistic from a dog or cats

point of view.

2000 | THE PAST, REVISITED

The more things change, the more they stay thesame! While pet food marketing evolves, thepet foods themselves continue to rely uponheavily processed ingredients, with the vastmajority of todays conventional pet foods stillcontaining more than 50% grain and almost asmuch carbohydrate.

Yet with all of the allergies and chronicillnesses afflicting our companion dogsand cats today, are todays pets reallyhealthier?

Although consumers today are better

educated and increasingly aware of theingredients in their pets food mostpeople are not aware of important foodquality measures such as the amount ofcarbohydrate in their pet foods, and donot know how to determine the proteinor fat quality.

Grains are widely considered as healthyfoods for humans, and dried pet foodshave always been made with grain twoprimary reasons why consumers acceptgrains as part of their pets diet. Grainshave always been there, so theyre often

not questioned.

When asked if to consider whether grainand carbohydrate are appropriate fortheir dogs or cats, most consumerscome to the realization that these arenot part of the natural canine or felinediet.


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Despite advances in marketing fromPremium, Super-premium, vetrecommended and holistic diets thefoods really havent changed that muchin the last 40 years. Conventional petfoods are still made by the same

companies and remain low in protein,high in carbohydrate, and are made withhigh percentages of grains (this isespecially true of the vet diets).

As history has shown, pet food makerswill produce foods designed primarily fortheir appeal to consumers. Thisgenerally occurs at the lowest cost andhighest convenience, rather than

making a food most appropriate to forthe dogs and cats themselves.

If conventional pet foods are focused onprice and convenience, what foods focusmore on the biological requirements of dogsand cats?

Section 4 BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATEDOG & CAT FOOD attempts to answer thisquestion.


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4 | BIOLOGICALLY

APPROPRIATE DOG &

CAT FOODThe Biologically Appropriateconcept is simple to understand yetvery difficult to achieve within thelimits of a dry dog or cat food.

Stated simply, Biologically Appropriate meansmimicking the foods that Mother Nature evolvedthe animal to eat.

Herbivores, like cows and sheep for example,

evolved flat molars to grind plants, long digestivetracts to ferment plants and amylase in thesaliva to break down the carbohydrates found inplants.

For herbivores, a Biologically Appropriate foodwould include a variety of plants in a low-proteinand high-carbohydrate diet.

Carnivores, like dogs and cats, have a largemouth with a single hinge designed forswallowing large chunks of meats, pointed teethfor tearing and shredding meats, and a short,acidic digestive tract designed for the quick

digestion of meats.For dogs and cats, a Biologically Appropriatefood would include a variety of fresh meats in ahigh-protein, moderate fat and low-carbohydratediet.

It should be clear by now that large quantities ofgrains and carbohydrates are certainly NOTbiologically appropriate for dogs and cats.

Biologically Appropriate diets are insteadconcentrated in fresh animal ingredients thatsupply the correct proteins, fats, carbohydrates,vitamins and minerals in species-specific ratios

(focus on matching food to the anatomicalcapacity).

KEY FEATURES OF A

BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE

DIET

Put simply, a Biologically Appropriate food is

designed to match the digestive anatomy of thetarget animal.

In its dry form, Biologically Appropriate dog orcat foods feature:

1. RICH IN ANIMAL PROTEIN from meatconcentrated formulations (70%+).

7

2. HIGH & VARIOUS FRESH MEATINCLUSIONS from a variety of animalsources.

3. LOW IN CARBOHYDRATES with nohigh-glycemic cereal grains present.

4. ESSENTIAL FATS FROM ANIMALS(meats and fish) not plants

8

5. FRUITS, VEGETABLES &BOTANICALS.

6. NOTHING IN EXCESS and not oversupplied in calcium and phosphorus

9

i. RICH IN ANIMAL PROTEINS& MEAT CONCENTRATED

As carnivores, dogs and cats areadapted for a diet high in meatproteins.

The ideal diet for a dog or cat isalmost exclusively from animalsource, with minimal plant materialand no grains at all.

Just like their wild cousins, dogs and catsare carnivoresequipped with sharp teeth,

7Many grain-free pet foods contain potato or pea protein

isolates which are not Biologically Appropriate.

8In most dry pet foods, Omega-3 and 6 is of plant rather

than animal source, including flax, sunflower, canola orcoconut oils. As plants do not provide essential oils in a formuseable by dogs and cats, plant oils are not considered asBiologically Appropriate.

9Most high-protein dry pet foods contain calcium and

phosphorus in excessive amounts and are not BiologicallyAppropriate


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a short, acidic digestive tract, and a bodythat is highly efficient at metabolizing meat-based protein as an energy source.

Substantially higher in meat protein thanconventional pet foods, ORIJEN mimics thevariety and balance of animal ingredients for

which their anatomy is designed.

ORIJENs high-protein formulas eliminatethe need for grains as inexpensive andinappropriate energy source.

As the body cannot store amino acids (othernutrients such as fat and carbohydrates canbe stored by the body), the daily diet mustprovide sufficient protein of proper quality tofulfill the need of the body.

The protein needs of cats and dogs cannotbe properly met by plants. Essential aminoacids missing from plants include arginine,taurine, methionine, tryptophan and lysine.

Unlike carbohydrates (which adverselyaffect blood sugars and are easily stored inthe body as fat), once the bodys demand forprotein is met, protein is either metabolizedfor energy or removed from the bodythrough natural functions. Protein is seldomconverted to body fat.

As high-protein diets are more satiating,dogs and cats naturally consume lessORIJEN than they would of anyconventional dry pet food

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

While it was once thought that toomuch protein could lead to healthproblems, this myth has for manyyears been roundly debunked bythe scientific community.

Studies have proven that protein does not causeorthopedic problems in puppies, nor lead tokidney disease in older dogs.

In fact, high protein is extremely beneficial: itsupports the immune system and the centralnervous system, contributes to wound healing,helps build lean muscle, and is required for skinand coat health.

Any concept of reducing protein in todays petfoods is clearly tied to reducing ingredient costs,

rather than to any concern for the health of dogsand cats.

While high protein diets were oncebelieved to be associated with kidneydisorders, clinical studies have time andagain demonstrated that no association

exists between high protein diets andkidney disease.

The myth that high protein diets areharmful to kidneys probably startedbecause, in the past, patients withkidney disease were commonly placedon low protein (and thus low nitrogen)diets.

Science has since shown that forpatients with kidney disease the concernis rather protein quality, not proteinquantity.

The ability of excess dietary protein toinduce kidney failure has been studiedin both dogs already with chronic kidneyfailure, dogs with only one kidney, andolder dogs. All studies conclude thathigh protein does not adversely affectthe kidneys.

Dietary protein consumed in excess ofdaily requirements is not stored, but isdeaminated

10

followed by oxidation ofthe carbon skeleton through pathwaysof glucose or fat metabolism. The

nitrogen waste generated is excreted inthe urine as either urea or ammonia.

There is also no direct link between highprotein and skeletal development ofpuppies and growing dogs of any size orbreed. It is calorie intake and mineralintake - NOT PROTEIN INTAKE - thatdirectly correlates with orthopedicproblems in growing dogs.

Protein restriction for healthy older dogsis not only unnecessary, it can bedetrimental. Protein requirements

actually increase by about 50% in older

10Deamination is the process by which amino acids

are broken down when too much protein has beentaken in. The amino group is removed from the aminoacid and converted to ammonia. The rest of the aminoacid is made up of mostly carbon and hydrogen, andis recycled or oxidized for energy. Ammonia isconverted to urea or uric acid which can safely diffuseinto the blood and then be excreted in urine.


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dogs, while their energy requirementstend to decrease. When insufficientprotein is provided, it can aggravate theage-associated loss of lean body massand may contribute to earlier mortality,

PROTEIN vs. CARBOHYDRATES,

AN UP & DOWN RELATIONSHIP

Most people are unaware of therelationship between protein andcarbohydrate in their pets food. Itsactually quite simple: if one goesup, the other MUST go down.

In other words, the more protein in the food theless room there is for carbohydrate.

Thats good for your dog or cat, because whileprotein is essential and cannot be oversupplied,your dog or cat has absolutely no requirementfor carbohydrate.

Protein and carbohydrates contain exactlythe same number of calories per gram, soreducing protein in favor of carbohydratessimply provides less nutrition withoutchanging the calories.

The Dog Food Nutrient Profiles published byAssociation of American Feed Control

Officials (AAFCO, 2008) show that dogshave absolutely no requirement forcarbohydrate.

According to the National ResearchCouncils Committee on Animal Nutrition(2006), there appears to be no requirementfor carbohydrate provided enough protein isgiven.

ii. HIGH & VARIOUS IN FRESH

ANIMAL INGREDIENTSConsider the dramatic variation ofa wolfs diet.

From day-to-day, week-to-week, the foods eatenwill vary widely from a nest of pheasant eggs toa deer or moose carcass, a duck, a spentsalmon

This natural variety is lost in conventional dog orcat foods, which typically focus on a singlesource of protein such as chicken or lamb.

The truth is that a wider variety of animalingredients better matches the natural diet providing dogs and cats with a natural diversity

of protein and fats.

Formulated to mimic the natural diet,ORIJEN is made with the highest inclusions(30%) of FRESH (never frozen) animalingredients.

ORIJEN introduces protein variety through adiverse selection of FRESH animalingredients including,

o POULTRY (free-run chicken, turkey,duck & whole eggs).

o FISH (a wide variety of wild-caught

saltwater and freshwater fish).

o MEATS (free-range bison, lamb,wild boar and heritage pork).

FRESH meats have a higher protein andamino acid quality than the previously frozen(raw) or rendered meats.

Rendered animal meals generally havelower protein quality than fresh meats.

11

Experiments conducted to evaluate theprotein quality of fresh versus renderedanimal by-product meals found that total

essential Amino Acid (AA) digestibilityranged from 93.6 to 96.7 for fresh animalmeals and 79.2 to 84.8%for rendered animalmeals.

ORIJENs unique low temperatureprocessing (90c/195F) helps maintain thenutritional integrity of fresh meat ingredients.

11

Protein quality of various raw and rendered by-product meals commonly incorporated intocompanion animal diets. K. R. Cramer*,2, M. W.Greenwood*,3, J. S. Moritz*,4, R. S. Beyer*,5 and C.M. Parsons

* Department of Animal Science and Industry, KansasState University, Manhattan 66506; and Departmentof Agricultural, Consumer, and EnvironmentalSciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801


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iii. LESS CARBOHYDRATES, NOGRAIN

If dogs and cats are not evolved toeat grains or metabolize

carbohydrates, and have nonutritional need for carbohydrates;then why include them in theirfoods?

Most consumers would be shocked to learn theirsuper premium or holistic pet food containsover 40% grain and 40-50% carbohydrate anutrient for which their dog (or cat) hasabsolutely no nutritional requirement.

So exactly why are conventional pet foodsso high in carbohydrates and grains?

Grains and carbohydrates are used as aninexpensive source of calories, as well as fortheir ready availability, easy transport, easyprocessing, and easy storage.

Grains first appeared in pet foods about 70years ago when consumers wanted theconvenience of pet food in a bag, andmanufacturers wanted to reduce costs withinexpensive calories from grains.

Although grains such as rice or wheat doprovide low-cost calories, their highcarbohydrate content contributes to insulin

resistance, obesity, diabetes and a host ofother health problems.

"There is no known minimum dietarycarbohydrate requirement for either the dogor the cat. Based on investigations in thedog and with other species it is likely thatdogs and cats can be maintained withoutcarbohydrates if the diet supplies enough fator protein from which the metabolicrequirement for glucose is derived."

12

Of the three sources of available energy(protein, fat and carbohydrates),

carbohydrates are converted to energy first,before protein and fats because they areeasier to use.

For this reason, carbohydrates actuallyregulate how much fat will be utilized. Ifthere is an abundance of carbohydrates, fat

12Waltham Book of Dog and Cat Nutrition (2nd

edition, 1988)

will be stored instead of used. If there arenot enough carbohydrates to meet energyneeds, then fat and protein are used to fillenergy needs.

PROTEIN, not carbohydrate, is the buildingblock for hair and skin and all other parts of

the body.

Carbohydrates do nothing for building andmaintaining the body structures exceptprovide easy glucose to fuel the rebuildingprocess.

Cats and dogs are simply not evolved to eatprocessed cereal grains. Most commercialpet foods feature two or more grainingredients and exceed 40% in total dietarycarbohydrate.

iv. FATS FROM ANIMALS, NOTPLANTS

Most people are conditioned tobelieve that fat is bad.

And while its easy to conclude that the samegoes for your dog...thats simply not true.

A dogs' metabolism is much more effective thatthe human metabolism when it comes to dealingwith fat.

As illustrated in Section I, dogs areclassified as carnivores, and while wehumans are omnivores.

What is good for you could be very badfor your dog and (as weve learned withcarbohydrates) vice versa!

Unlike us humans, dogs and cats dontsuffer from cholesterol problems orheart disease caused by high levels ofanimal fats.

Fat is a very important part of dog and

cat nutrition, providing a concentratedsource of energy and supplyingessential fatty acids (EFAs) nototherwise synthesized in the body.

Dogs and cats require a fairly highamount of fat in their diets.


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FATS OR CARBOHYDRATES?

AN ENERGY PERSPECTIVE.

While both fats and carbohydratesprovide energy, they function verydifferently in the body of a dog or

cat.

Fats are essential in the diets of dogs and cats,carbohydrates are not.

Carbohydrates enter into the oxidationprocess much more quickly and provideenergy more rapidly compared to fats,which make energy available at a slowerpace.

The problem with most conventional petfoods is not that they contain anycarbohydrate, but that they contain TOO

MUCH carbohydrate typically between40 and 50%.

In humans, a high intake ofcarbohydrates increases muscle-glycogen, which increases stamina.However the same carbohydrate loadingin dogs leads to an excess accumulationof lactic acid in the muscles.

In other words, dogs metabolize fat theway humans metabolize carbohydrates.Fat is their fuel not carbohydrate, andfat, not carbohydrates, provides themthe ability to function at their greatestpeak of health.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

Dogs and cats can produce some of the fattyacids they need, but not all of them.

Those fatty acids which they cannot producemust be obtained through their diet. These arecalled 'essential' fatty acids.

What is 'essential' for one species of animalis not necessarily essential for another

species. For example, the fatty acid,arachidonic acid is essential for cats but notfor dogs.

13

13Omega Fatty Acids: Sources, Effects, and

Therapeutic Uses in Dogs , Veterinary ServicesDepartment, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc., Holly Nash,DVM, MS

The two essential fatty acids that are mostcommonly discussed for nutrition areOmega 6 fatty acids, and Omega 3 fattyacids.

Omega 3 fatty acids are less common andare found in fish oil, flax seed oil and marine

sources, such as spirulina and blue greenalgae.

OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS

A lack of Omega-6 is extremely rare. Most petfoods have too much Omega-6 and not enoughOmega-3. Omega-6 fatty acids include:

o Linoleic acid (LA)o Gamma linolenic acid (GLA)o Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA)o Arachidonic acid (AA)

LA can be converted into GLA, but not in thebody. However, DGLA can be made from GLAin the body.

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Omega-3 quality varies dramatically betweenplant and animal source. Omega-3 fatty acidsinclude:

o Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

o Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

o Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

ALA can be converted into EPA, however, thisconversion does not occur in the body. EPA isthe workhorse of the omega-3 fatty acids and isincorporated into the cell membrane.

OMEGA-3 SOURCE, PLANT or FISH?

As noted above, there are three main types offatty acids. EPA, DHA and ALA.

The question of plant versus fish is as simple asEPA and DHA vs. ALA.

For dogs and cats EPA and DHA are essential,ALA is not.

The Omega 3 fatty acids in fish are EPA andDHA fatty acids.

The Omega 3 fatty acids in flax (or otherplants) are ALA fatty acids.


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While the three types of Omega 3 (ALA,EPA & DHA) appear similar, they are in factvery different.

According to Debra Palmer Keenan, anutrition professor at New Jerseys RutgersUniversity, "They are not the same thing

we have to stop talking about omega-3s andtalk about DHA and EPA [marine omega-3s]and ALA [the main vegetable omega-3] asseparate fatty acids.

FISH OMEGA-3 (EPA AND DHA).

These long-chain Omega-3s are absorbedreadily within the body and are by far thebest choice for dogs and cats.

PLANT OMEGA-3 (ALA).

ALA is a short-chain Omega-3 found inplants. ALA must be converted to EPA and

DHA to be of any nutritional benefit.

As cats and dogs are not adapted to createthis conversion, Omega-3 from plants isconsidered inactive and not readilybioavailable.

Although the American Journal of ClinicalNutrition reports Omega-3 from plants is oflittle nutritional use for dogs and cats,conventional pet foods still include vegetableor plant oils as they cost less than animal orfish oils and (due to their short-chainstructure), are more stabile which in turn

produces a longer shelf life.

OMEGA 3 & OMEGA 6 RATIOS

Most pet foods contain far more omega-6 fattyacids than omega-3's.

It is important to realize that although theratios may be a guideline, the actualconcentration of EPA in the omega-3's iswhat is most important.

Researcher Doug Bibus of the University ofMinnesota recently completed a study with

dogs. He suggests a lower ratio: between 2to 1 and 4 to 1 a ratio to which ORIJENsubscribes.

v. FRUITS, VEGETABLES &BOTANICALS

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

In order to form the kibble and provide thestructure to hold together meats and fats, all drypet foods require some form of carbohydrate.

The trick is to keep total carbohydrates at aminimum, and to choose the most appropriatesources.

Instead of high-glycemic grains such as rice,wheat and corn, Biologically Appropriate petfoods use fruits & vegetables.

While providing the limited carbohydratesneeded to form a kibble, fruits & vegetablescontain health-boosting vitamins, minerals,fibers and other substances calledphytochemicals, in natural, bio-availableform.

BOTANICALS

Botanicals have been used to provide remediesfor ailments for thousands of years and theirhealth properties are written about in journalsdating back to 3000 BC.

Botanicals are usually provided in combinationto enhance their individual properties and

actions.

Botanicals help the body eliminate toxins bystimulating processes, like physiologicalprocesses like the cleansing of the liver.

They also serve as tonics and builders tostrengthen organs, glands and tissues in specificparts of the body such as strengthening theheart and aiding digestion.

Botanicals put the body in tune with nature.

Herbs are considered as food, rather thanmedicine, because they're complete, natural

and pure.

Bridging the gap between nutrition and peakhealth, herbs are loaded with vitamins,minerals and phytochemicals.

Herbs assist the organ networks in theperformance of their functions, andparticular herbs enter specific channels and


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enhance the capacity of the pertainingorgan.

Herbs have always been a natural andintegral part of the feline and canine diet. Inthe wild, animals instinctively seek outhealing herbs to help them when they are ill

or undernourished.

ORIJENS botanicals are selected by holisticveterinarians for their broad supportive rolein promoting daily health, and for theirefficacy in helping solve common healthproblems of allergic dermatitis, inflammatorybowel disease and chronic hepatitis.

vi. BALANCED MINERALS,MODERATE IN CALCIUM

AND PHOSPHORUS

Over nutrition is a condition ofexcess nutrient or energy intake.

Over time, over nutrition can bejust as problematic as undernutrition,

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROTEIN,

CALCIUM & PHOSPHORUS

High-protein diets typically contain largeinclusions of chicken meal, fish meal or turkeymeal.

These meals are made of flesh, bones andcartilage, with bones providing a very rich &natural source of minerals.

This leads to the potential of most high-proteindog and cat foods to oversupply minerals -especially calcium and phosphorus.

As pet food makers either claim only minimum(not maximum) amounts of calcium orphosphorus, or make no mineral claim at all ontheir packaging, consumers are unaware theymay be feeding excessive minerals.

Most high-protein dog foods contain the highestallowable limit of calcium (2.5%) andphosphorus (1.6%)

14.

In this case, the very ingredients that supplyhealth-lifting proteins also cause increases inunfavorable mineral levels.

Although chicken, turkey or fish mealssupply high quality animal proteins, they areconcentrated in minerals.

As high-protein diets typically contain largeinclusions of animal meal ingredients, theirmineral levels are substantially increased.

Most high-protein dog foods contain thehighest allowable limit of calcium (2.5%) andphosphorus (1.6%)

15

.

According to the American Feed ControlOfficials 2008 Dog and Cat Food Nutrient

Profiles:

In light of the concerns for the possibledetrimental effects of over nutrition, theSubcommittee deemed that maximum limitsfor calcium and phosphorus were warranted.

A maximum level of 2.5% calcium wasregarded as a safe upper limit. Themaximum limit for phosphorus was set attwice the growth minimum or 1.6%.

16

Excess intake of calcium can result ingrowth retardation and severe bone andjoint abnormalities, while excess phosphoruscan have deleterious effects on the kidney.

As a Biologically Appropriate food, ORIJENis mineral-balanced and does not over-supply calcium or phosphorus.

Rather than relying solely on conventionalmeat meals as the source of animal protein,ORIJEN incorporates a wide variety of de-boned fresh meats (that are low in mineralcontent), as well as specially prepared lowash chicken & fish meals that have bonesremoved prior to processing.

14American Feed Control Officials, Official

Publication, Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles,200815

AAFCO, Dog Food Nutrient Profiles, 2008

16AAFCO, Dog Food Nutrient Profiles, 2008


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5 | PROTEIN QUALITY

INTRODUCTION TO PROTEIN

Protein provides the structure forall living things. Every livingorganism, from the largest animalto the tinniest microbe, iscomposed of protein. And in itsvarious forms, protein participatesin the vital chemical processes thatsustain life.

In dogs and cats, proteins are vital to basiccellular and body functions, including cellular

regeneration and repair, tissue maintenanceand regulation, hormone and enzymeproduction, fluid balance and the provisionof energy.

Diets that are high in carbohydrates canbecome protein deficient.

If the diet doesn't supply adequate protein,the body draws on its own tissue proteins.

Because the body can't store amino acids, itwill break down its own protein structure,including healthy muscle, to meet its amino

acids. Protein is important for dogs in all stages of

life, and the quality of the protein is equallyimportant.

It is important to insure that a wide spectrumof amino acids is being provided from fish,poultry and eggs.

Protein needs cannot be met by feedinggrains, starches and vegetables.

While plants may lend fiber, some mineralsand vitamins - only animal based proteins

supply a complete balance of amino acidsneeded for good health and longevity.

ALL PROTEINS ARE NOT EQUAL

Proteins are not alike or equal, and varydramatically according to their:

1. SOURCE (animal vs. plant)

2. AMINO ACIDS

3. DIGESTIBILITY

Good quality proteins are almost always ofanimal source, as animal proteins are readilydigestible and contain essential amino acids in

quantities that correspond to the requirementsneeded by dogs and cats.

PROTEIN SOURCE | ANIMAL, OR VEGETABLE?

ANIMAL PROTEINS such as eggs, meat, andfish are considered high-quality, or complete,proteins because they provide sufficientamounts of essential amino acids.

Animal-derived tissues are more easilydigestible.

Animal proteins contain all the amino acids

essential to dogs and cats. Meat, poultry and fish are rich sources of

high biological value protein.

The measure for assessing protein quality isbased on the egg, which is considered tohave all essential amino acids in perfectamounts and balance.

PLANT PROTEINS such as grain, corn, andvegetables are classified as incomplete,proteins as they lack both essential aminoacids, and a proper overall balance of aminoacids.

Given that dogs and cats are evolved ascarnivores, its no surprise that plantproteins do not measure up in supplying theamino acids they need to thrive.

Plant proteins are typically missingessential amino acids arginine, taurine,methionine, lysine and tryptophan.

Corn, for example, does not contain glycine,lysine or tryptophan. The lack of theseessential amino acids reduces the overallprotein quality of the food.

Corn has a crude protein content ofapproximately 9%. However, of this, lessthan half (4.5%) is made up of EssentialAmino Acids.

In other words, it takes more plant proteinsthan animal proteins to give the adequateprotein percentages, and even then,essential amino acids will be lacking.


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AMINO ACIDS

Proteins are made from a chain of connectedchemical building blocks, known as amino acids.

All in all, there are 22 different amino acidsrequired by dogs.

Of the 22 amino acids, 12 can be producedwithin the dogs body (internally in the liver).

The other ten amino acids cannot be producedin the body and therefore must come from food these amino acids are termed essentialamino acids.

1. NON ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS these amino acids can be produced inthe body. Since the body is able tomanufacture these amino acids, they donot need to be present in the diet.

2. ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS - theseamino acids cannot be produced in thebody and therefore must come fromfood.

The following are the ten* amino acidsessential to meet a dog's dietaryrequirements (*includes Taurine) and abrief description of their function.

ARGININE: stimulates the immune system,induces growth hormone release, andsupports the liver by detoxifying ammonia.

HISTIDINE: releases histamines, isassociated with pain control, and widenssmall blood vessels to stimulate stomachacid secretion.

ISOLEUCINE and LEUCINE: see VALINE

LYSINE: promotes bone growth in puppiesand stimulates secretion of gastric juices.

METHIONINE: assists gall bladder functions,helps prevent fats deposits in the liver,balances the urinary tract pH, and gives riseto Taurine.

PHENYALANINE: related to appetitecontrol, increases blood pressure inhypotension, works with minerals in skin and

hair pigmentation, and produces adrenalinand noreadrenalin.

THREONINE: regulates energy draw, worksin mood elevation or depression,manufactures adrenalin, and precursesThyroid hormone.

TRYPTOPHAN: produces Serotonin thatinduces sleep.

VALINE, (ISOLEUCINE AND LEUCINE):These essential amino acids work togetherto regulate the protein turnover and energymetabolism.

TAURINE* involved in a large number ofmetabolic processes and can becomeessential under certain circumstances.

Taurine effects the visual pathways, brainand nervous system, cardiac function, and itis a conjugator of bile acids.

IT IS THE PRESENCE, BALANCE AND

QUALITY OF ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS

THAT DETERMINES THE OVERALL

QUALITY OF DIETARY PROTEIN.

PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY

Protein digestibility is a key quality measure.

After all, what good is it to have a food madewith a higher quality protein if its not also easyto digest?

Meat protein is the best choice - it is easilydigested and contains the amino acids essentialfor dogs and cats.

To better understand protein digestibility, itsimportant to recall that digestion itself is thegradual breaking down of food into componentssmall enough to pass through the walls of the

intestines and into the bloodstream. A food with high protein digestibility is

one that can be broken down intosmaller easy-to-absorb componentseasier and quicker than others.

Protein ingredients that meet bothamino acid requirements and highdigestibility, almost always come fromanimal sources.

In the short digestive systems of dogsand cats, plant proteins are far lessdigestible than meat proteins.

High levels of trypsin inhibitors grainlegumes can cause substantialreductions in protein and amino aciddigestibilities (up to 50%) in rats andpigs.

Similarly, the presence of high levels oftannins in cereals, such as sorghum,and grain legumes can result in


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significantly reduced protein and aminoacid digestibilities (up to 23%) in rats,poultry, and pigs.

17

PROTEIN BIOLOGICAL VALUE (BV)Certain protein sources are simply better thanothers by providing a richer blend of aminoacids. Better proteins have whats referred to asa high Biological Value (BV).

The Biological Value (BV) is a scale ofmeasurement used to determine whatpercentage of a given nutrient source is utilizedby the body. In short - BV refers to how well thebody can actually use the protein. Thetheoretical highest BV of any food source is100%.

TABLE 1, PROTEIN RATINGS BYBIOLOGICAL VALUE (BV)

FOOD PROTEIN RATING

Eggs (whole) 100

Eggs (whites) 88

Chicken / Turkey 79

Fish 70

Lean Beef 69

Unpolished Rice 59

Brown Rice 57

White Rice 56

Peas 55

Whole Wheat 49

Soy beans 47

Whole-grain Wheat 44

Corn 36

Dry Beans 34

17Effects of antinutritional factors on protein

digestibility and amino acid availability in foods, 2005,GILANI G. Sarwar

(1); COCKELL Kevin A.

(1);

SEPEHR Estatira(1)

; Author(s) Affiliation(s),(1)

HealthCanada, Nutrition Research Division, Bureau ofNutritional Sciences, Banting Research Centre (AL:2203 C), Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, ON, K1A OL2,CANADA

WHY YOU MUST NEVER TRUST

STATED PROTEIN PERCENTAGES

TO COMPARE DOG FOODS18

Think you cant be easily fooled?

Well, think again.

You see when shopping for dog food, you justcant trust the stated protein percentage printedright there on the label.

No, you really cant. And heres why

Say youve got a pair of old leather bootssome used motor oil and a scoop of sawdust.Now, grind them all up blend them togetherand send that whole concoction to a food testinglaboratory for analysis.

And the results? This toxic medley of rubbishcontains

Protein 32%

Fat 18%

Fiber 3%

Now, if you look onlyat the raw data thenumbers make this funky brew look prettygood in fact, just as good as any quality dogfood.

The leather provides the protein. The motor oilsupplies the fat. And the sawdust contributes

the fiber.

Not exactly something youd ever want to feedyour dog. See how easy it is to be fooled?

19

TEMPERATURE AND PROTEIN

QUALITY

High temperatures and long exposure to heatalters amino acid chains and therefore lowers

18Choosing Healthy Dog Food Made Easy, Why You

Must Never Trust Stated Protein Percentages toCompare Dog Foods, by Mike Sagman on March 28,2009

19The Dog Food Advisor


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the overall quality of protein. High temperaturecooking also destroys amino acids methionineand histidine.

High temperatures create bonds betweenprotein and carbohydrates, which interfereswith protein digestibility.

To preserve protein quality and amino acidintegrity, ORIJEN combines high fresh meatinclusions with low temperature cooking(90C for 3 5 minutes). This heat exposureis substantially less than at what mostpeople would cook their dinner.

Several experiments have been conducted toevaluate the protein quality of various raw(uncooked) and rendered (cooked) animal by-product meals commonly used in companionanimal diets.

The biological value (BV) of raw beef testedon rats was found to be greater than that ofthe same meat cooked in three differentways.

The biological value for the raw beef is 67.For raw beef boiled at ordinary pressure, 60,boiled for 7 minutes 62, boiled for 1 hour at15 pounds' pressure, 56.

A heat injury appears to occur to the proteinincreasing in severity with the length ofexposure and the height of the temperaturereached.

20

Another study tested raw versus renderedanimal ingredients.

Six (freeze-dried) raw animal meals (beef,pork, sheep, pork livers, oceanfish, chickennecks) and 3 rendered animal meals (lambmeal, regular ash poultry by-product meal,and low ash poultry by-product meal) werefed to determine bioavailability, proteinefficiency ratio (PER), and net protein ratio(NPR).

Lysine bio-availabilities ranged from 86 to107% and 70 to 99% for raw and rendered

animal meals, respectively.

Bio-availability of amino acids ranged from64 to 99% and 61 to 78% for raw andrendered animal meals, respectively.

20The Effect of Heat Upon the Biological Value of

Meat Protein, Agnes Fay Morgan and Grace E. Kern,Laboratory of Household Science, University ofCalifornia, Berkeley

PER values ranged from 2.83 to 4.03 and2.01 to 3.34 for raw and rendered animalmeals, respectively. The NPR values rangedfrom 3.83 to 4.8 and 3.05 to 4.12 for raw andrendered animal meals, respectively.

Despite a numeric increase in NPR vs. PER

values, the overall ranking of animal mealsremained similar. Lamb meal had thepoorest PER and NPR values, and pork hadthe greatest values.

Total essential AA digestibility and total AAdigestibility ranged from 93.6 to 96.7 and90.3 to 95.5%, respectively, for raw animalmeals and 84.0 to 87.7 and 79.2 to 84.8%,respectively, for rendered animal meals.

Rendered animal meals generally had lowerprotein quality than raw animal meals, withlamb meal consistently having the poorest

protein quality and pork livers having thegreatest protein quality.

21

ASH AND PROTEIN QUALITY

The effect of ash concentration on amino acid(AA) composition, true AA digestibility, andprotein efficiency ratio (PER; weight gain perunit of protein intake) of meat and bone meal(MBM) was evaluated.

Commercially rendered MBM samples

containing 16 to 44% ash were obtainedfrom two sources.

Protein quality of selected MBMsamples was assessed by determiningtrue AA digestibility using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay and bya PER chick growth assay whereinchicks were fed 10% crude protein (CP)diets containing a MBM as the only

21 Protein quality of various raw and rendered by-product meals commonly incorporated intocompanion animal diets. K. R. Cramer*,2, M. W.Greenwood*,3, J. S. Moritz*,4, R. S. Beyer*,5 and C.M. Parsons. * Department of Animal Science andIndustry, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506;and Department of Agricultural, Consumer, andEnvironmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana61801


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source of dietary protein from 8 to 18days of age.

Increases in Ala, Pro, Gly, and Arg as apercentage of CP were observed in allMBM samples as ash percentageincreased, with Pro and Gly accounting

for most of the increase. In contrast, thelevels (% of CP) of all essential AA,other than Arg, decreased as ash levelincreased.

For example, Lys concentrations perunit of CP decreased from 5.7 to 4.0%as ash increased from 9 to 63%.

There was little or no effect of ashcontent on AA digestibility of MBMvarying in ash from 9 to 44%. The PERof MBM markedly decreased from 3.34to 0.72 as ash increased from 16 to

44%, and most of the effects of ash onPER were not due to differences indietary Ca and P levels.

The results indicate that the reduction inprotein quality of MBM as ash contentincreases is almost entirely due to adecrease in analyzed essential AA perunit of CP, not a decrease in digestibilityof AA.

22

22Effect of ash content on protein quality of meat and

bone meal. Shirley RB, Parsons CM., Department ofAnimal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801,USA.


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6 | PROTEIN QUANTITY

There has been much anecdotalargument about the ideal amount of

protein in the diet of dogs and cats.And while a decade ago it was thought that toomuch protein could lead to health problems, thismyth has been roundly dismissed by thescientific community.

Contrary to myths and popular beliefs, feeding ahigh-protein diet is healthy for dogs of any age,including puppies of all breeds and sizes,seniors, and overweight dogs.

Studies have proven that protein does not causeorthopedic problems in puppies, nor does it leadto kidney disease in older dogs.

In fact, protein is extremely beneficial: itsupports the immune system and the centralnervous system, contributes to wound healing,helps build lean muscle, and is required for skinand coat health.

Dogs and cats thrive on protein, the more thebetter. There is absolutely no reason to limit theamount of protein you feed your dog.

Lets review of few of the most commonly heldprotein myths.

MYTH #1. PROTEIN EFFECTS THE

KIDNEYS

There is no association betweenhigh protein diets and kidneydisease in dogs.

A number of false assumptions about the needfor reduced protein intake in regard to renaldisease have been perpetuated in the literaturefor many years, including:

Increased urea load causes increasedworkload for the kidneys.

High dietary protein intake injureskidneys.

High dietary protein intake causeshyperkalemia.

High dietary protein intake causesacidosis.

Protein intake results in uremic toxins

Reduced protein intake slows theprogression of renal disease.

23

Research on dietary protein and the kidney has

shown that protein does not cause renal failureand that dietary protein does not appear to beinvolved in the progression of chronic renalfailure.

The ability of excess dietary protein toinduce renal pathology was studied in bothdogs with chronic kidney failure and olderdogs without kidney failure. Numerousstudies have confirmed that protein does notadversely affect the kidneys.

24

The same research also found that therestrictionof dietary protein may actually

have an adverse effect on the kidney.The University of Pennsylvania conducted astudy to determine whether large amounts ofdietary protein leads to sustained kidneydamage in dogs.

Dogs were fed diets varying between 19, 27and 56% protein over the 4 year studyperiod.

The study concluded that high proteinfeeding did not adversely effect the kidneyfunction of dogs.

25

23Mythology of Protein Restriction for Dogs with

Reduced Renal Function, Kenneth C. Bove, DVM,MMedSc Department of Clinical Studies, School ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Proceedings, 1998Purina Nutrition Forum

24Pet Food Safety: Dietary Protein, D.P.

Laflamme DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVN, Nestl PurinaPetCare Research, St. Louis, MO. Available

online 23 July 2008.25

Long-term renal responses to high dietary proteinin dogs with 75% nephrectomy, John L Robertson,Michael Goldschmidt, David S Kronfeld, John ETomaszewski, Gary S Hill and Kenneth C Bovee,School of Veterinary Medicine and School ofMedicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, and Baltimore City Hospitals,Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Revised 23 May 1985.


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From the Veterinary Services Department ofDrs. Foster & Smith, Inc.

High protein pet foods are NOT harmful to anormal animal's kidneys.

As an animal's body digests and

metabolizesprotein, nitrogen is releasedas a by-product.

The excess nitrogen is excreted by thekidneys. A high protein diet produces morenitrogen by-products and the kidneys simplyexcrete the nitrogen in the urine.

While you may think this would 'overwork'the kidneys and lead to possible kidneydamage, this is not true.

The kidney's filtering capabilities are sogreat that even one kidney is sufficient tosustain a normal life. There are many pets -

and humans - living perfectly healthy liveswith just one kidney.

Unless your veterinarian has told you yourpet has a kidney problem and it is severeenough to adjust the protein intake, you canfeed your pet a high protein diet withoutworrying about 'damaging' or 'stressing' yourpet's kidneys.

Also, you are not 'saving' your pet's kidneysby feeding a low protein diet.

Additionally, documented research on dogsindicates that reducingdietary protein levels inolder dogs may be unwise. "...restriction ofprotein intake does not alter the development ofrenal lesions nor does it preserve renalfunction." (See KIRKS VETERINARY THERAPYXIII, Small Animal Practice, W. B. Saunders,page 861).

MYTH #2. PROTEIN MAKES

PUPPIES GROW TOO FAST

There is no direct link betweenhigh protein and skeletaldevelopment of puppies andgrowing dogs of any size orbreed.

It is calorie intake - not protein - that directlycorrelates with orthopedic problems in growingdogs.

Overfeeding encourages puppies to grow toofast, resulting in most of the bone and jointproblems common in large breeds.

Keeping large breed puppies lean is key to theirhealthy skeletal development.

A balanced diet with high protein contenthas NOT proved to have negative effects onskeletal development in carnivores.

Excessive energy intake, even as part of abalanced diet, increases both the incidenceof osteoarthritis (OA), its severity, and thedegree of lameness it will cause.

Weight reduction is both a part of theprevention as of the OA-programme.

26

The same study concluded that excessive intakeof protein or fat per se has no proven influenceon skeletal development as long as it does notgo together with adipositasand is part of abalanced diet covering the required nutrients.

Excessive energy intake causes excessivebody weight gain with negative influences onhip joint development in those dogs whichare prone to hip displacement (HD).

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at theUniversity of Utrecht in The Netherlandsconducted a study to determine the role of

dietary protein, especially with regard to calciummetabolism and skeletal development, in largebreed-dogs.

Seventeen Great Dane pups, 7 wk of age,were divided into three groups. During 18 wkeach group received dry food containing32%, 23% or 15% protein on dry matterbasis.

No differences were found among the highprotein (HPr), normal protein (N-Pr) and lowprotein (L-Pr) groups for the height at theshoulder. Significant differences were found

between the H-Pr and L-Prgroups for bodyweight and plasma albumin and among allthree groups for plasma urea.

26Nutritional Influences on Hip Dysplasia, Herman

A.W. Hazewinkel, DVM, PhD, DECVS, DECVCN,Dept. Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals,Utrecht University, The Netherlands


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The study concluded that the differences inprotein intake did not affect the occurrenceof disturbed skeletal development in youngGreat Danes, and that an etiologic role fordietary protein in the development of

osteochondrosis in dogs is unlikely.27

MYTH #3. PROTEIN SHOULD BE

RESTRICTED FOR OLDER DOGS

Conventional pet food makersclaim that senior dogs are betterfed lower protein, highercarbohydrate foods.

The belief that senior dogs need less protein isfalse.

Senior dogs should be fed a diet that is high inprotein, with low carbohydrates and moderateamounts of fat (too little fat leaves your dogfeeling hungry all the time, which can make itharder for them to lose weight).

Diets formulated on a low protein premiseare full of fiber, have higher levels ofcarbohydrates and reduced amounts ofprotein and fat.

This results in dogs that are less satisfiedcausing them to appear hungry and beg formore food. These ingredients lead to theloss of coat and skin quality and they do notlead to any weight loss.

More recent studies show that it is harmful torestrict protein in senior dogs, and that highquality proteins are needed for our older pets.

Protein restriction for healthy older dogs isnot only unnecessary, it can be detrimental.

Protein requirements actually increase byabout 50% in older dogs, while their energyrequirements tend to decrease.

When insufficient protein is provided, it canaggravate the age-associated loss of lean

27Growth and Skeletal Development in Great Dane

Pups Fed Different Levels of Protein Intake,"Department of Clinical Sciences of CompanionAnimals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University ofUtrecht, The Netherlands

body mass and may contribute to earliermortality.

28

MYTH #4. PROTEIN IS NOT

HEALTHY FOR OVERWEIGHT DOGSAnother popular myth is thatoverweight dogs are best fed alower protein (and therefore highcarbohydrate) diet.

Several studies showed the potential benefits ofa high-protein,

low-carbohydrate diet on

reducing body weight in humans.

These diets are also associated with decreasesin serum TG as

compared to diets high in

carbohydrates. The results of thestudy reported

here suggest that these same benefits can also

be obtained in dogs fed high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets.

Despite claims that subjects consuming high-protein, low-carbohydrate

diets lose weight with

no reduction in calories, recent evidence

indicates that the ad libitum consumption of low-carbohydrate

diets compared to high-

carbohydrate diets is associated withincreases

in satiety and an overall decrease in total caloric

intake.

In a review of the efficacy of low-carbohydrate

diets, weight was associated with decreasedcaloric intake

and increased diet duration and

not simply with a change inthe macronutrient

profile of the diet.

Low-carbohydrate dietsalso help stabilize blood

glucose levels throughout the day,preventing

the hypoglycemia after a high-carbohydratemeal that

causes hunger.

Substituting carbohydrates for proteinin a

weight-loss diet induces a greater metabolism offat than

a high-carbohydrate diet.

This study evaluated the benefits of high-protein,low-carbohydratediets on reducing body weightin dogs.

28Pet Food Safety: Dietary Protein, D.P. Laflamme

DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVN, Nestl Purina PetCareResearch, St. Louis, MO. Available online 23 July2008.


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Changing the macronutrient profile of a canineweight-loss diet

from a high-carbohydrate level

to one primarily based on proteincan promote

greater weight loss without further reductions in

caloric intake. This weight loss is driven primarilyfrom an

increased loss of fat mass while

maintaining lean muscle mass.29

In a study with high protein diets and cats, catsfed higher-protein diets lost more body fat whilereducing their loss of lean body mass by 50%.

These findings are consistent with thosereported in other species undergoing weightloss.

Likewise, the composition of weight loss in catsfed the High Protein diet in this study was similarto that reported for another group of cats fed asimilar protein level for weight loss.

30

WHY SO MANY MYTHS?

In recent years, 10 experimentalstudies using dogs have beenpublished that clarify thecontroversy of protein restriction.

In 1999, the University of Pennsylvanias Schoolof Veterinary Medicine set out to determine whythe practice of reduced protein persisted in faceof the lack of supportive scientific evidence.

The study found false assumptions about theneed for reduced protein intake in regard tokidney health have been perpetuated for manyyears.

These myths include:

29Supplement: WALTHAM International Science

Symposium: Nature, Nurture, and the Case forNutrition, High-Protein Low-Carbohydrate DietsEnhance Weight Loss in Dog, Tiffany Linn

Bierer3 and Linh M. Bui, Masterfoods USA,Vernon, CA 90058

30Increased Dietary Protein Promotes Fat Loss

and Reduces Loss of Lean Body Mass DuringWeight Loss in Cats, Dorothy P. Laflamme,DVM, PhD, Steven S. Hannah, PhD, NestlPurina PetCare Global Resources, St. Louis,MO

Increased urea load causes increasedworkload for the kidneys.

High dietary protein intake injures kidneys.

High dietary protein intake causeshyperkalemia.

High dietary protein intake causes acidosis.

Protein intake results in uremic toxins

Reduced protein intake slows theprogressi

the dietary needs of dogs & cats

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