title: Vitamin A concentrations in commercial foods for dogs and cats.
abstract: The vitamin A concentration was determined in 89 Australian brands of commercial foods for dogs and cats. It was found that 8% of the dog foods and 14% of the cat foods had concentrations of vitamin A below the minimum recommended 1.1 mg/kg dry matter (dm) for dogs and 1.8 mg/kg dm for pregnant or lactating cats. Canned and fish-labelled cat foods were the only varieties with less than the minimum recommended concentration of Vitamin A, of which 71% were the same brand. The minimum recommended concentration of vitamin A was exceeded in all canned dog food tested. Concentrations of vitamin A in dry (ca. 6% moisture) dog and cat foods and semi-moist dog foods (ca. 23% moisture) never exceeded 10 mg vitamin A/kg dm. In contrast, canned pet foods stated to contain liver or kidney showed vitamin A concentrations from 13 to 284 mg/kg dm.
authors.affiliation: South Australian Department of Agriculture, Adelaide.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Heanes
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002415:Cats; D004285:Dogs; D005515:Food Labeling; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A