While fast-growing livestock breeds need the minerals to support bone growth and joint development, pets may benefit from chelated trace minerals to counterbalance other components of the animals’ diets.
An animal nutritionist suggested in a video from Petfood Forum (below) that pet food companies learn from livestock feed formulators. She recommended that pet food formulators consider chelated trace minerals to help avoid skeletal problems in dogs and cats. While fast-growing livestock breeds need the minerals to support bone growth and joint development, pets may benefit from chelated trace minerals to counterbalance other components of the animals’ diets.
“In the case of pets, the reason why trace mineral bioavailability is an issue is because the diets are high in calcium and phosphorus and that reduces availability of zinc copper manganese,” Karen Wedekind, Ph.D., nutritionist with Novus International, said. “Those nutrients are important in skeletal health, so it could make a real difference.”
Especially in large breed dogs, canine hip dysplasia, osteochondrosis and osteoarthritis can all cause problems, she said.
“We have data in livestock saying that these micro-minerals can reduce lameness,” she said. “I know if if pet food companies would do some research that they could see what a difference it would make.”
Petfood Forum CONNECT
Learn more about pet food ingredients at Petfood Forum CONNECT, where global pet food industry professionals will learn the latest pet food trends, access a wide network of industry suppliers and collaborate in one-to-one meetings to share business ideas. During a time when travel and in-person meetings are inadvisable, Petfood Forum CONNECT attendees will network during virtual meetings and happy hours, have access to more than 15 live or on-demand educational sessions and participate in live Q&A discussions with speakers and chat with pet food professionals from around the world. Registration grants access to options for an exclusive directory of digital showrooms, allowing attendees to schedule one-to-one meetings with key pet food industry suppliers.
Tim Wall covers the dog, cat and other pet food industries as senior reporter for WATT Global Media. His work has appeared inLive Science, Discovery News, Scientific American, Honduras Weekly, Global Journalist and other outlets. He holds a journalism master's degree
from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a bachelor's degree in biology.
Wall served in the Peace Corps in Honduras from 2005 to 2007, where he coordinated with the town government of Moroceli to organize a municipal trash collection system, taught environmental science, translated for medical brigades and facilitated sustainable agriculture, along with other projects.
For several years, the pet food industry has celebrated the market’s growth outpacing that of many other consumer goods categories, even during the pandemic.
