Dog Food Nutrients

Compare dog food nutrients? These are substances obtained in the food, which the organism takes advantage of, for the animal's growth, development, maintenance and tissue regeneration.

What nutrients does dog food have? There are seven large families of essential nutrients.

Which are they? Energetic nutrients:

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Fats

Non-energetic nutrients

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Water

How do they act?

• They are structural components of the body.
• They modulate the chemical reactions that take place in the organism, also known as the metabolism.
• They transport substances, out or through the organism.
• Regulate the body temperature.
• Provide energy.
• They influence over the taste and the voluntary consumption of the food.

The Energetic Nutrients

Proteins: They are composed of 23 essential amino acids, some of these can be synthesized by the dog's body directly, but other can't. The proteins that come from animals are richer in amino acids than those of vegetable origin, which is why the combination of both will improve the biological value of the food. Nevertheless, it is the quality and not the quantity of the amino acids that determines or contributes to the better quality of the diet.

Carbohydrates: These are classified into two groups, the soluble carbs which are turned into energy when they are digested and the insoluble ones (fibers), which don't provide energy, but reduce the energetic density of the food; on the other hand they are essential for regulating the functions of the intestine.

Fats: They are essential in the diet because they:

• allow the absorption of lipo-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K),
• are the source of fat acids which are essential,
• provide 2.25 times more energy than carbohydrates and proteins,
• improve the taste of the foods.

Non-energetic Nutrients