Characteristics of the Digestive Tract of Dogs and Cats

He, Wenliang; Connolly, Erin D.; Wu, Guoyao

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-54192-6_2

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Thus, the qualitative dietary requirements of dogs and cats for most nutrients [e.g., amino acids (AAs) that are not formed de novo in animal cells] are similar to those for omnivores (e.g., humans and pigs). However, dogs and cats have a relatively short digestive tract (He et al 2024) and have evolved to have some unique feeding behaviors and metabolic characteristics that are distinct from most of other nonruminant mammals such as pigs, rats, and humans (Legrand-Defretin 1994;Morris 2002). In addition, dogs differ from cats in some of these physiological and nutritional aspects (Che et al 2021;Oberbauer and Larsen 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Nutrition and Metabolism in Dogs and Cats

Li,

2024

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

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Domestic dogsand cats have evolved differentially in some aspects of nutrition, metabolism, chemical sensing, and feedingbehavior. The dogs have adapted to omnivorous dietscontaining taurine-abundant meat and starch-rich plant ingredients. By contrast, domestic catsmust consumeanimal-sourced foodsfor survival, growth, and development. Both dogsand catssynthesize vitamin C and many amino acids (AAs, such as alanine, asparagine, aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, proline, and serine), but have a limited ability to form de novo arginineand vitamin D3. Compared with dogs, cats have greater endogenousnitrogen losses and higher dietary requirements for AAs (particularly arginine, taurine, and tyrosine), B-complex vitamins (niacin, thiamin, folate, and biotin), and choline; exhibit greater rates of gluconeogenesis; are less sensitive to AA imbalances and antagonism; are more capable of concentrating urine through renal reabsorption of water; and cannot tolerate high levels of dietary starch due to limited pancreatic α-amylase activity. In addition, dogs can form sufficient taurinefrom cysteine(for most breeds); arachidonic acidfrom linoleic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid from α-linolenic acid; all-trans-retinol from β-carotene; and niacinfrom tryptophan. These synthetic pathways, however, are either absent or limited in all cats due to (a) no or low activities of key enzymes (including pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase, cysteinedioxygenase, ∆6-desaturase, β-carotene dioxygenase, and quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase) and (b) diversion of intermediates to other metabolic pathways. Dogs can thrive on one large meal daily, select high-fat over low-fat diets, and consume sweet substances. By contrast, cats eat more frequently during light and dark periods, select high-protein over low-protein diets, refuse dryfood, enjoy a consistent diet, and cannot taste sweetness. This knowledge guides the feeding and care of dogsand cats, as well as the manufacturing of their foods. As abundant sources of essentialnutrients, animal-derivedfoodstuffs play important roles in optimizing the growth, development, and health of the companionanimals.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Nutrition and Metabolism in Dogs and Cats

Li,

2024

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

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Recent Advances in the Nutrition and Metabolism of Dogs and Cats

2024

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

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Gut Health Optimization in Canines and Felines: Exploring the Role of Probiotics and Nutraceuticals

Atuahene,

Mukarram,

Balouei

et al. 2024

Pets

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Companion animals such as dogs and cats play a crucial role in modern families. Their overall health is significantly influenced by their gut health, with many health disorders arising from disturbances in the gut microbiome. Our review highlights the ability of probiotics and nutraceuticals to modify the gut microbiota and enhance gastrointestinal health in canine and feline species. We investigated the effects of probiotics and natural antioxidant molecules on digestion, immunological response, and barrier integrity in gastrointestinal health studies concerning dogs and cats. The analysis indicated that probiotics influence gut microbiota composition in a positive manner, enhance digestion, augment the immune response, and help to maintain barrier integrity. Additionally, natural products with antioxidant molecules showed the potential to improve gut health and protect pets from various illnesses. We concluded by advocating the need for more studies in this direction to fully understand their effects and optimize their use in veterinary medicine.

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Characteristics of the Digestive Tract of Dogs and Cats

Cited by 3 publications

References 125 publications

Characteristics of Nutrition and Metabolism in Dogs and Cats

Characteristics of Nutrition and Metabolism in Dogs and Cats

Recent Advances in the Nutrition and Metabolism of Dogs and Cats

Gut Health Optimization in Canines and Felines: Exploring the Role of Probiotics and Nutraceuticals

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