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Proteins in pet food

When we talk about proteins in pet food, the mind almost always goes to meat. Chicken, beef, fish, lamb: these are familiar ingredients, easy to recognise and often highlighted on packaging too. But from a nutritional point of view, the subject is broader. Proteins can be of animal or plant origin, they can come from very different ingredients and, above all, they are not all the same. What makes the difference is not only their quantity, but also which amino acids they provide, how digestible they are and how they are combined within a complete food. Dogs and cats, moreover, do not have the same requirements: a difference that stems from their physiology and directly affects the formulation of pet food.

What proteins are really used for

Proteins are one of the fundamental nutrients in the diet of dogs and cats. They form part of the structure of muscles, organs, blood, skin and coat, and take part in many functions of the body. To use them, the body breaks them down into their basic components: amino acids. Some amino acids can be produced directly by the body, while others must be taken in through the diet and are therefore defined as essential. Dogs require ten essential amino acids supplied by the diet, while cats require eleven. This is already a first indication of how reductive it is to stop at the simple percentage of protein shown on the label.

Two foods with a similar amount of protein can have different nutritional characteristics. What matters is the amino acid profile, their availability and the animal’s ability to digest and use what it has eaten. For this reason, the quality of a protein source cannot be judged only by the name of the ingredient. Processing also plays a role, because it can influence digestibility and nutrient availability. In the same way, reading the ingredient list alone is not enough to establish the overall nutritional value of a pet food.

Meat, fish, plant-based ingredients: where pet food proteins come from

The protein sources used in pet food are numerous. Those of animal origin include meat from different species, poultry, fish, eggs and other ingredients derived from animals. In the European market, part of the animal raw materials used comes from the same supply chain intended for human food. These are parts of the animal with nutritional value that are consumed little or not at all by people and can instead be used in pet food production, according to precise rules and specific controls.

Alongside animal sources, there are plant-based ones. Maize, rice, peas and soya, for example, can contribute to the protein intake of a formulation. Cereals and legumes also contain proteins, in different quantities and with different amino acid profiles. A recipe can combine several ingredients precisely to achieve the nutritional composition required for the animal it is intended for. The opposition between animal and plant proteins therefore risks oversimplifying the issue. What matters is the overall result of the formulation: the food must provide proteins, essential amino acids, fats, vitamins, minerals and energy in the right quantities. The origin of the protein, composition, digestibility and relationship with the other ingredients must be considered together.

In recent years, other less traditional sources have been added to these. Among the most discussed are proteins obtained from insects, already present in some pet products. They can provide protein and other nutrients and have attracted attention also for their possible role in developing alternative supply chains. Assessing their sustainability, however, requires considering the entire production process, from the species farmed and its feed through to final processing.

Dogs and cats: two different sets of needs

Dogs and cats share many essential nutrients, but they do not use them in the same way. Cats retain metabolic characteristics closely linked to their nature as carnivores and have specific nutritional needs. For this reason, in a complete food, their protein requirement is generally higher than that of an adult dog. The difference becomes even clearer when looking at certain amino acids. The best-known case is taurine. Cats can synthesise only limited amounts of it, insufficient to meet their needs, and must therefore take it in through their diet.

In healthy dogs, the situation is different. Under normal conditions, they can produce taurine from other amino acids present in the diet, particularly methionine and cysteine. For this reason, taurine is considered an essential nutrient for cats, while it is not normally essential for dogs. In cats, prolonged deficiency can have important consequences, including effects on the heart and retina. It is one of the clearest examples of how a formulation intended for this species must take into account needs that cannot automatically be transferred to dogs.

Another interesting case is arginine, an essential amino acid for both species and involved in the mechanisms through which the body eliminates the nitrogen produced by protein metabolism. Here too, requirements do not coincide and in cats its role is particularly important. This is why speaking generically of “animal food” makes little sense from a nutritional point of view. A complete food for dogs and one for cats are not the same recipe adapted into different flavours or formats. Requirements change, the necessary amounts of certain nutrients change and the way the body uses them changes.

Proteins are therefore a good example of how pet food is the result of a more complex balance than may appear when looking at a package. Meat, fish, eggs, cereals, legumes or newer sources can contribute to the formulation, but the point is not only where the proteins come from: it becomes essential to understand which nutrients they bring with them, in what quantities they are available and, above all, which animal the food has been designed for.

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