Pet Food Ingredients - V - Vitamins

V

Vitamins

In the list of ingredients there seems to be at least half - if not more - dedicated to Vitamins.

Why so many? - Some have more than others.
 

Can't these things be found in food? - Yes many can! that is why some have more than others.
 

Why are they supplementing instead of using actual food? - Greed
 

What do they even do? - Vitamin stuff
 

Those are all wonderful questions.. Good thing I thought of them. 

Vitamin List 

VITAMIN A- Retinol & Beta Carotene

• Aids in vision health, bone growth, skin and tissue health

• Beta carotene can easily be converted to vitamin A as needed.

Unless you're a cat.

 

Cats can absorb Beta Carotene - but they can not convert it to Vitamin A.

Fluffy gets its Vitamin A through retinol which can be found in :

• beef, liver, eggs, shrimp, fish, turkey, Duck

Fido, and the rest of us can get our Vitamin A through both.

 

Beta Carotene can be found in:

•  sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, squash, spinach, mangoes, turnip greens 

 VITAMIN B

 

B1  - Thiamin

• Aids in converting food into energy
• Helps maintain healthy hair, skin, muscles, & brain 

Good food sources are :

•  Pork chops, ham, soymilk, watermelons, acorn squash

I do not believe we will be seeing any watermelon listed in Fluffys food.  

 

B2  - Riboflavin

• Also aids in converting food into energy, helps maintain healthy hair, skin, & brain - also blood.

Good food sources are:

• Milk, yogurt, cheese, whole and enriched grains and cereals, liver

B3  - Niacin

• Also aids in converting food into energy, also good for skin, blood cells, brain, & nervous system 
• Niacin occurs naturally in food and can also be made by your body from the amino acid tryptophan, with the help of B₆.

Unless you're a cat.

• Cats can not rely on other sources for Niacin - other than the foods listed below.

Fido and the rest of us can 'borrow' a bit of niacin through their neighbours Tryptophan and B6

• There should be no need for worry - unless you are feeding a plant based protein diet - then maybe you should remember that a Cat is a Carnivore.

 
Good food sources are:

• Meat, poultry, fish, fortified and whole grains, potatoes

B5  - Pantothenic Acid

 

• Aids in converting food into energy. Helps make lipids (fats), neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, & hemoglobin

Good food sources are: 

• Chicken, whole grains, broccoli, avocados, tomato products

 

B6  - Pyridoxal, Pyridoxine, Pyridoxamine

 

• Aids in lowering homocysteine levels and may reduce the risk of heart disease.

• Helps convert tryptophan to niacin and serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays key roles in sleep, appetite, and moods.
• Helps make red blood cells 

• Influences cognitive abilities and immune function

Busy Vitamin...

Good food sources are :

• Meat, fish, poultry, legumes, tofu and other soy products, potatoes, non citrus fruits such as bananas and watermelons

 

Will we ever see a can of cat food labeled  - Can - O - Mouse & Watermelon?

Should we? I wonder if watermelon is even okay for a cat.

*yes they can eat watermelon without seeds - if they are willing. Since they can not taste sweet - it would be them wanting water or liking the texture of the watermelon.

 

 

 B7 - Biotin 

• Aids in converting  food into energy and synthesize glucose.
• Helps make and break down some fatty acids.
• Needed for healthy bones and hair

Good food sources:

• whole grains, organ meats, egg yolks, soybeans, and fish

B9 - Folic Acid - Folate - Folacin

• Aids in New cell creation
• Can lower levels of homocysteine 
• Good for pregnant women - not sure about the canine or feline variety 

Good food sources:

• Fortified grains and cereals, asparagus, okra, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, chickpeas, calf liver

B12- Cobalamin

• Aids in lowering homocysteine levels and may lower the risk of heart disease.
• Assists in making new cells and breaking down some fatty acids and amino acids.
• Protects nerve cells and encourages their normal growth.
• Helps make red blood cells.

Another busy vitamin

 

Good food sources:

•  Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fortified cereals, fortified soymilk

 

Vitamin C

• Aids in making collagen.
• Helps make the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. 
• Acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing unstable molecules that can damage cells.
• Bolsters the immune system

• Cats and Dogs produce vitamin C all by themselves.  
• We don't.

 Good food sources:

• Potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts

Vitamin D - Calciferal 

• Aids in maintaining normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, which strengthen bones.
• Helps form teeth and bones.
• Supplements can reduce the number of non-spinal fractures  

Good food sources:
 

• Salmon, fatty fish, fortified cereals

 

Vitamin E - Alpha - tocopherol  (Tocopherols are fat-soluble alcohols with antioxidant properties, important in the stabilization of cell membranes.)

• Aids in neutralizing unstable molecules that can damage cells
• Acts as an antioxidant
• Protects vitamin A and certain lipids from damage

 Good food sources:

• Vegetable oils, wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts

 

Vitamin K - Phylloquinone, Menadione

 

• Aids in activating proteins and calcium essential to blood clotting
• May help prevent hip fractures

Good food sources:
 

• Cabbage, liver, eggs, milk, spinach, broccoli, sprouts, kale, collards 

******************** 


AAFCO CAT NUTRIENT PROFILE 

 (published in 2008)
 
 Nutrient Unit DM  Kitten/Queen Adult Maximum
             Basis      Minimum   Minimum

Vitamin A    IU/kg  9,000.0  5,000.0  750,000.0

Vitamin D    IU/kg  750.0     500.0     10,000.0

Vitamin E    IU/kg   30.0      30.0      No Max 

Vitamin Kg  mg/kg  0.1        0.1        No Max

Vitamin B1  mg/kg  5.0        5.0        No Max 

Vitamin B2  mg/kg  4.0        4.0        No Max 

Vitamin B5  mg/kg  5.0        5.0        No Max 

Vitamin B3  mg/kg 60.0       60.0       No Max

Vitamin B6  mg/kg  4.0         4.0       No Max

Folic Acid    mg/kg  0.8         0.8       No Max

Biotin         mg/kg 0.07       0.07       No Max

Vitamin B12mg/kg 0.02       0.02       No Max

Choline       mg/kg 2400.0  2400.0    No Max

 *Requirements all manufactures are suppose to meet

Wouldn't it be nice if they listed on the bags - or the websites - how much of each vitamin is in their product?

 Orijen does 

Science Diet only lists Vitamin C & E

Blue Buffalo Does Not

Natures Variety - Instinct - Does  

Purina Cat Chow lists A & E - in my opinion they would be better off not listing their ingredients ...

What the heck - why don't I list them...

Ingredients:

Poultry by-product meal, corn meal, corn gluten meal, ground whole wheat, brewers rice, soy flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), fish meal, meat and bone meal, brewers dried yeast, phosphoric acid, animal digest, calcium carbonate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, calcium phosphate, taurine, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, added color (Red 40), copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

It's like playing hidden objects - find me something healthy !

* these are my own opinions and thoughts in regards to certain products. I don't have to like them - you don't have to dislike them!