Analysis of phosphorus, calcium and vitamin d in conventional and non-conventional commercialized pet foods in malaysia

An abstract of the research paper presented to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, in partial requirement on the course DVT 55204 – Research Project. The proper balance of nutrients is essential when feeding dogs and cats. Like in humans, animals cannot make nutrients all by themselves, so a balanced diet of high nutritional value is needed to meet their dietary requirements, giving pet animals energy, and keeping them healthy. The essential minerals and vitamins keep the pet’s metabolism and immune system functioning normally. In both dogs and cats, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D are crucially necessary nutrients that must be incorporated in a well-balanced diet. The classic functions of vitamin D are to stimulate intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption, renal calcium and phosphate reabsorption, and regulate bone mineral metabolism, making it vital for calcium and
phosphorus homeostasis. However, it is unknown if the amount of theses minerals in the pets dietary are sufficient to meet the nutritional requirements. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is any difference in calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D levels between conventional and non-conventional pet diets, and if both meet the international nutritional standards. The results from this study may assist pet owners in making an informed decision when choosing diets for their pets. The outcomes of this research found that the nonconventional (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, BARF) diet samples had a higher number (37.5%, n=12/32) of parameters not meeting the nutritional standards as compared to the conventional diets, which only recorded (12.5%, n=4/32), parameters not meeting the standards. Thus, our results indicated that there are potentially more risks of malnutrition in non-conventional (BARF) diets and they may not be ideal pet diets for cats and dogs without further supplements or changes in composition. It is also worth to mention that all premium diets tested in the conventional category met the nutritional standards.
Keywords: BARF diet, biologically Appropriate Raw Food, Bones and Raw Food, pet
nutrition