Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin identified as a metabolic requirement for cats, dogs and other companion animals; however, its need in the diet may be conditional.

Zinc is an essential dietary element that can be found in many natural mineral deposits. There are several forms available in the market that are used to supplement petfoods.

Many petfoods today are promoted for the ingredients they do or do not contain rather than their nutritional performance, disingenuously playing off of the consumers’ perception about the ingredients rather than their real nutritional value.

There are numerous “colors” that have been used in petfoods for decades.

While the current DL-methionine shortage is a temporary matter that will resolve itself early in 2015, the potential exists for a recurrence in the future.

Could pumpkin be more? Today, legume seeds and tubers are being used in profusion with grain-free diets, so alternative ingredients are very much in vogue. Which begs the question: might gourds like pumpkin be an ingredient option in petfoods, and does it make good sense for a pet’s diet?

There is enough evidence in the human and animal nutrition research literature to suggest that resistant starch may have a wide array of health benefits. So, is resistant starch a “future fiber” for the next generation of petfoods?

At the recent Joint Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science and American Dairy Science Association and Canadian Society of Animal Science there were 27 topical reviews and original research presentations focused specifically on companion animals out of the hundreds of abstracts in the program.

The 14th Annual American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition and Research Symposium was held in Nashville, Tennessee on June 4, 2014 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. The symposium coincided with the American College of Veterinary and Internal Medicine Forum. This year the symposium attracted 155 professionals from around the globe. The attendees were treated to more than 30 presentations of original research, reviews and poster presentations on topics ranging from clinical care and diagnostic techniques to general animal nutrition and food product evaluations.

Consumers and the media say they want petfoods that are fresh, natural, inexpensive, perfectly formed and appealing to the eye, taste great, and are constantly available to the market regardless of season or supply. The retailers and distributors want petfoods that will last on the shelf for years, appeal to consumers, are encased in beautiful packaging and don’t degrade or get buggy.