Essential Vitamin for Cats & Dogs: Must-Know Info!

Today, let's delve into the essential Vitamin A that both cats and dogs cannot do without.

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in maintaining various bodily functions, including the health of epithelial tissues, vision, reproduction, and the nervous system. All these functions are sustained by retinol and retinal, which are found in the diet and can be converted into one another within the animal's body.

The Functions of Vitamin A:

1. Vision: Vitamin A is vital for maintaining vision in low light conditions. It is a component of rhodopsin, the lightsensitive pigment in the retina of the eye.

2. Epithelial Tissues: It supports the health of epithelial tissues, which are involved in the production of mucus. A deficiency in Vitamin A can lead to dry and overly keratinized tissues, making them more susceptible to bacterial infections.

3. Reproduction: It contributes to the formation of sex hormones and helps maintain the reproductive capabilities of pets.

4. Skeletal Health: Vitamin A is linked to the activity of osteoblasts, which are responsible for bone formation, ensuring normal skeletal development.

5. Immunity: Many nutritional deficiencies are associated with weakened immune responses or delayed reactions to antigens.

How Much Vitamin A Do Cats and Dogs Need?

Dog's Requirement for Vitamin A:

The recommended intake for growing puppies is 303 RE per 1000 kcal.

For adult dogs, there is no established recommended daily allowance.

The dietary concentration of 40 RE per kg BW^0.75 per day is suggested to meet the maintenance needs of adult dogs, while 80 RE per kg BW^0.75 per day is recommended for the growth needs of puppies.

There is no published research on the retinol requirement for pregnant or lactating dogs, so the same concentration as for growing puppies (303 RE per 1000 kcal) is recommended for these dogs.

Cat's Requirement for Vitamin A:

The NRC (1986) suggests a dietary retinol intake of 1 mg/kg (5 kcal/g) or 200 μg/1000 kcal for growing kittens.

For pregnant and lactating cats, the recommended supply is 400 μg/1000 kcal. A dietary retinol concentration of 200 μg/1000 kcal is equivalent to an intake of 20 μg/kg BW^0.67 for maintenance adult cats, which is twice the amount needed for growing kittens.

Caution with Vitamin A Supplementation:

Research indicates that the age of cats fed commercial diets is significantly positively correlated with liver vitamin A concentrations. However, it is advisable to be cautious when supplementing with Vitamin A, especially without knowing the liver's vitamin A concentration, and to avoid exceeding the recommended amounts.

Sources of Vitamin A:

Animal Sources: Meat ingredients are a good source of Vitamin A. Animal products like fish liver oil, liver, milk, egg yolks, and fish meal are rich in Vitamin A.

Plant Sources: While plants do not contain Vitamin A, they do contain betacarotene. Dogs can convert betacarotene into Vitamin A, but cats lack this ability and must obtain Vitamin A from their diet.

Incorporating these sources into your pet's diet can help ensure they receive the necessary Vitamin A for optimal health.