Introduction of Pet Nutrition: Every Pet Owner Should Know:
The science of pet nutrition covers so wide a field. Not does it help maintain the pet's health, but also manage to control health problems. Pets are the same as human beings which gain nutrition from the food ingredients, such as protein, fat and fiber. Ingredients are media that delivers the nutritious substances into the body. So pet foods with ingredients that deliver balanced nutrition are the best choices.
Like human beings, each pet has its specific nutrition requirement. For example, foods for puppies are unsuitable for aged dogs with heart diseases. Both over-nutrition and under-nutrition are harmful for pets' health. Don't think adding as much nutrition as you can to pet foods, because over-nutrition will generate toxins. And nutrition each dog requires is different, which depends on its ages, health conditions and activities.
Nutrition comes from food mixture that maintains lives. The six type of nutrition as follows play an important role in pets' health.
1. Protein: the main substance to construct body tissues, such as muscle, blood, skins, organs, hairs, fingernails. Protein consist of twenty five types of amino acids, and ten of them are essential which can't be replaced or composed by other amino acid. Dogs can digest 90 to 95% animal protein, but can only digest 60 to 80% vegetable protein. Taking too much protein will cause stomachache or diarrhea.
2. Carbohydrate: contains sugar, amylum and fiber. It provides energy to bodies. Taking too much lactose will cause diarrhea.
3. Fat: transport vitamins, keeping the moisture of skin and hair, adding favor to tastes and providing energies.
4. Water: the most important nutrition.
5. Vitamins: contributes to metabolism and growth.
6. Mineral: an essential for skin, hair and bone health.
by Chen, Ching Ju, the President of Jitai Forage, 2008