We explore blueberries for more than just their novelty presence in food for dogs and cats.

The vitamin-like compound inositol may facilitate other B-vitamin action, though its inclusion in pet food formulas has never been fully defined.

Is it possible to remove food “chemicals” from nutritionally complete pet foods and maintain a balanced formulation?

Cranberries are being included in many pet foods without issue, but there is very little evidence that they are providing substantial urinary tract benefit.

Cognitive function has not been considered a criterion for evaluating nutrient requirements, but the benefits derived from lipoic acid regarding memory may merit reconsideration.

Folic acid is a small but important part of a properly fortified pet diet.

Thermal processing—also known as cooking—of petfoods provides a number of benefits, including convenience, enhanced flavor and texture, improved consistency, pathogen control and decreased spoilage. However, extensive processing can increase variability, destroy essential nutrients and create unwholesome by-products. From a formulator’s perspective, this creates a dilemma regarding how to assure the diet is sufficiently fortified while avoiding excess after accounting for processing effects.