Fat In Pet Food: Friend or Foe?

Fat is the most digestible source of energy for dogs and cats, offering over twice as much energy per gram compared to proteins or carbohydrates. It’s highly palatable, and plays a critical role in:

1. Hormone regulation
2. Vitamin absorption (A, D, E, and K)
3. Maintaining lipid cell membrane structure
4. Controlling inflammation

Lipids form the membranes of every cell in the body and contribute to healthy skin, coat, and immune function. Fats are not just an energy source—they are essential to life.

In human nutrition, we often classify fats as “good” or “bad,” but dogs and cats metabolise fat differently. They can tolerate large amounts of both saturated and unsaturated fats without the cardiovascular risks we associate with these fats in humans. 

In fact, dogs and cats readily use these fats through a process known as beta-oxidation, which uses oxygen and generates energy to fuel their metabolism⁽¹⁾. Instead of categorising fat as good or bad, it may be more useful in our pets to consider fats as “facilitative” or “functional”⁽¹⁾.

Facilitative Fats

These fats increase caloric density (which supports energy, growth, and reproduction) and can be used in pet food to enhance palatability and texture. Fat also supports the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine. The fats containing these vitamins are emulsified into smaller droplets by dispersion with bile salts, so that lipase enzymes can break them into digestible forms for absorption and use in the body⁽¹⁾. 

Highly active dogs benefit from a higher proportion of fat in their diet, as it’s a dense source of energy, and it supports sustained activity and endurance⁽²⁾.

Functional Fats

These include essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6, which help manage inflammation, immunity, cognitive function, and skin health.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids are precursors to signalling molecules known as eicosanoids, which increase inflammation. Although at first glance, this could be considered counterintuitive, these play an important part of the immune response, blood clotting and cell growth.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids influence the production of hormones, which work in the immune system as well as working antagonistically alongside omega-6 to reduce inflammation.

• Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA): A precursor to DHA and powerful anti-inflammatory which works in conjunction with AA. Found in oily fish.

• Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA): Supports brain development and cognitive function. Found in oily fish, eggs, and offal.

• Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA): A precursor to EPA and DHA, though conversion is limited, especially in cats. Found in plant oils and seeds.

Since dogs and cats cannot synthesize omega-3 and omega-6, they must be included in the diet. A dietary omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 5:1 is considered optimal^(3,4).

Both omega-6 and omega-3 have important roles and are beneficial in the right quantities. However, excessive omega-6 can cause an imbalance in this ratio, which can promote chronic inflammation linked to allergies, IBD, arthritis, and more.

Raw vs. Cooked Fats

It’s important to remember that not all fat is equal. The most beneficial fats for dogs and cats are those which are raw from animal and fish sources. These fresh, unrendered fats are a healthy source of calories.

Fats in dry foods are cooked at high temperatures and pressures, which is a problem, because fat is very sensitive to heat and oxygen. When exposed to air, it oxidises and becomes rancid, producing free radicals that contribute to widespread inflammation and oxidative stress.

Not only do rancid fats promote inflammation, but they also reduce the nutritional quality of the food. To counteract the oxidation of cooked fats at ambient temperatures, dry food manufacturers add antioxidants. The most used synthetic antioxidants are BHA and BHT, whilst natural antioxidants may be included as mixed tocopherols or specific vitamins (e.g. C: ascorbic acid).

Synthetic antioxidants are inexpensive, and widely applied in the pet food industry. Although natural antioxidants are more suitable for dogs and cats, they do not offer the same range of antioxidant capacity when it comes to preserving pet food and preventing lipid oxidation compared to their synthetic counterparts⁽⁵⁾.

Raw food feeds pets as nature intended. As it is fresh, and stored frozen, it does not require any stabilising antioxidants, instead it contains natural antioxidants in the form of vitamins, which work to disperse free radicals in the body⁽⁶⁾.

Note: Whilst fresh fat is a healthy source of calories, obese pets or those with specific health conditions (such as pancreatitis) should avoid high-fat diets. Instead, it is wise to opt for leaner proteins. See our blog on Managing Pancreatitis in Dogs and Cats.

FAQ: Why is Turkey included in the Rabbit and Venison Mince?

Both rabbit & venison are very lean proteins. The turkey is in the Wild Rabbit & Venison for one very important reason – to ensure there is enough fat present. As our wild range meals are complete and balanced, they must comply with the FEDIAF guidelines for each nutrient, this includes fat. Without the turkey, these two proteins alone would not provide the appropriate fat levels required for maintenance. As discussed above, dogs use fat as an energy source, and require it for the absorption of fat-soluble Vitamins (A,D,E,K).

References

1. Bauer, J. E. (2006) ‘Facilitative and functional fats in the diets of cats and dogs,’ American Veterinary Medical Association, 229(5), 680-684. Available at: https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/229/5/javma.229.5.680.xml
2. Hill, R. C. (1998) ‘The Nutritional Requirements of Exercising Dogs,’ The Journal of Nutrition, 128(12), 2686-2690. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316623022927
3. Hesta, M. et al. (2012) ‘Biological effects of short-term salmon oil administration, using distinct salmon oil sources in healthy dogs,’ Journal of Small Animal Practice, 53(12), 699-704. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23173908/
4. Brady, C. (2021) Feeding Dogs: The Science Behind The Dry Versus Raw Debate
5. Sarkar, A. and Ghosh, U. (2016) ‘Natural Antioxidants – The Key to Safe and Sustainable Life,’ International Journal of Latest Trends in Engineering and Technology, 6(3), 460-466. Available at: file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/finalarticle%20(1).pdf
6. Stogdale, L. (2019) ‘One veterinarian’s experience with owners who are feeding raw meat to their pets,’ The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 60(6), 655-658. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6515799/#b7-cvj_06_65

Lucy James, BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Science

Looking to enhance your pet’s diet? Take a look at Cotswold RAW’s range of raw dog food and raw cat food, including raw meaty bones, dried treats, and puppy food.