Food is the foundation of health. How long an animal lives and, most important, the quality of its life, depend greatly on the quality and quantity of the food that it eats. Simply put, food is body-fuel, and provides the energy needed for an animal to maintain good health and condition. With regard to nourishment, quantity is not necessarily synonymous with quality. It is very possible for an animal to receive adequate quantities of food and yet still suffer degradation of health due to poor quality ingredients.
As a descendant of the wild wolf and, in fact, basically still the same species as Canis lupus, the domestic dog retains similar nutritional requirements. The same is true for the domestic cat, a member of the Felidae that includes lions, lynx, and other wild felines. Dietary sources of amino acids, energy, glucose precursors, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and water are required by the dog and cat to live. The most suitable sources of these nutrients are those that most closely fit the evolutionary design of the animal’s physiology. Species-appropriate sources of food help ensure optimum nutrient availability and utilization. |
