Further nutrient deficiencies found in extruded and canned pet foods

Following our previous Blog highlighting up to 94% of pet foods can be deficient in nutrition, despite the terms Complete or Balanced being stated on labelling.
We have discovered some further studies highlighting this issue with specific nutrients.

It is important to remember that nobody checks the processed pet foods you might buy. Many factors influence whether your dog will gain nutrients from them: recipes, manufacturing temperatures, storage, type of nutrient added, absorption rates and many more. Fresh food, being that which all creatures have evolved, offers a more nature derived, absorbable set of nutrients. Not only is Naked Dog checked for compliance to the guidelines, but our meals offer the antioxidants, flavanoids, omega 3 fats, natural minerals, enzymes, co-factors such as glucosamine and further compounds that are removed during processed food manufacturing processes.
If you have chosen Naked Dog, you have chosen well!

Zinc in particular has been found to vary hugely across processed food brands and manufacturers.
Zinc deficiency is linked to skin ailments, hair loss, immune function and can affect the endocrine system, such as the thyroid gland. It is a pivotal nutrient and needs to be replaced every day as it is not a nutrient that gets stored in the body as some others do.
In contrast Zinc excess leads to nausea, digestive cramps, appetite changes and can influence the balance and absorption of other pivotal minerals such as Iron and Copper.
Quite a few studies have found Zinc levels to either be too high or too low - beyond or below the parameters set out by the Fediaf Guidelines. The very guidelines that, if adhered to, the words Complete and Balanced can be used on pet food packaging.
Whilst an aim is made to add a nutrient supplement that has the balanced amount of Zinc in it, clearly this isn’t happening in practice, and with exception of these few occasional studies nobody is actually checking the nutrient status of processed pet foods make sure they comply.
It is something of a lottery as to the amount of Zinc your dog will gain, or over gain, from his meal.
Zinc too low showed in these studies:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770719/ 2019
https://doi.org/10.21577/0103-5053.20180142 2018
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2005.00585.x Jan 2006
Indicating 50% of the minimum requirement for Zinc in the dog foods.
Zinc variances including far too high and some at only 20% of the requirement showed in these studies:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29953228/ 2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-011-1285-6 2011

For a full look at Zinc in pet foods, this literature review is fantastic.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8066201/#B71-animals-11-00978 ( 2021)

B Vitamins are not at requirement levels either.
B Vitamins are fundamental to digestive processes from the health of the gastric juices the microbiome balance to the function of the intestines, they are also the pivotal vitamins of the nervous system. Calming, supporting at times of stress, nourishing nerves and supporting energy balance. Vitamin C is also reliant on B Vitamin levels, even though dogs can make some Vitamin C, all sorts of imbalances could mean they don’t get to use it in the body as needed.
The B Vitamins are a proper little family of vitamins too, and work best in synergy with each other, and in synergy with a varied beneficial microbiome. One being low can influence all the others, and, all the beneficial  functions of the others too.

Studies showing that within 6 weeks of storage the B Vitamin levels of dog food have reduced far, far below the nutritional minimums, B1 57% lost in storage, B2 32% lost, B12 34% lost and B6 89% lost in canned pet foods, due to both manufacturer and storage.

Your dog food is not fresh when purchased from the shelf. Transportation, pre transport storage and shop shelf time need to be considered. It could well be 6 weeks before it reaches your dogs bowl.
B1 (Thiamine) is the discussed vitamin to support the bodies protection from Insect biting or bite symptoms*, so if it is reducing by 57%, surely its lack will influence our dogs reaction to or attraction of fleas.
*https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32009117/

B Vitamin data and study Information Highlighted by Dr Conor Brady of Dogs First.
Citing: “Hoffmann La Rodue, F. T. (1995). Paper presented at the science and technology Centre, Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc., Topeka, K.S., on vitamin stability in canned and extruded pet food. Cited in De Tran et al. 2008. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.3247"  (B1, B2, B12)
& https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/33382101.pdf Alaina Mooney 2010. (B6)

By Caroline Griffith