For decades, the marketing of Wonder Bread, with its added vitamins and minerals, claimed to build bodies eight ways: muscles, bones and teeth, body cells, blood, appetite, growth, brain, and energy. Pet food contains many of the same vitamins and minerals as Wonder Bread to build your pet’s body eight ways. This blogpost will focus on why minerals are so important in your pet’s diet.

Macro- and Microminerals

Minerals are the inorganic compounds contained in food. Some minerals are included in the category “micronutrients,” or trace minerals, since they are present in food in only small amounts when compared to protein, fat and carbohydrates. Essential microminerals include iron, zinc, copper, iodine, manganese and selenium. Macrominerals are the opposite of microminerals, and this group includes familiar minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium, chloride and sulfur.

What Do Minerals Do?

Minerals’ functions are as diverse as the compounds themselves. Calcium and phosphorous build strong bones and teeth. Sodium and chloride help maintain the balance of water in cells and in the blood vessels. Enzymes and hormones require minerals to function normally. A simple example of a mineral required for hormone function is iodine, which is critical to the function of thyroid gland. Without iodine, dogs, cats and humans cannot make thyroid hormone and they become hypothyroid.

Mineral Excess or Deficiency: Neither is Good

An excess or a deficiency of a mineral in a pet’s diet can both cause illness. In a previous blogpost, I profiled two dogs, one with a calcium level that was too high and the other with a calcium level that was too low. Getting the correct mineral content in a homecooked pet food recipe is not easy. This is why veterinarians recommend feeding your pet store-bought pet food from a reputable producer, unless they have special dietary needs identified by your veterinarian. See a 2022 blogpost on how to choose the right food for your pet.

If you feel the need to cook for your pet, you should cook with a recipe developed by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. You can find a directory board-certified veterinary nutritionist online.

An Example of Mineral Deficiency: Potassium in Cats

Potassium deficiency is a common problem in cats with chronic kidney disease. A cat’s diet is its major source of potassium and, if you are a cat with chronic kidney disease, you might not be eating well, decreasing your potassium intake. Cats with chronic kidney disease also produce lots of urine. Potassium is excreted in the urine. When urine production is high and appetite is low, potassium levels in the blood fall. Cats with low potassium are very weak and often hang their heads down because they don’t have the strength to hold them erect. Thus, oral potassium supplements are a common prescription for cats with chronic kidney disease.

An Example of Mineral Excess: Copper in Dogs

Veterinarians are talking a lot about copper in dog food these days. Some dogs accumulate excessive amounts of copper in their livers, causing elevations in liver enzymes and hepatitis, and some dogs experience liver failure. Veterinary scientists have noted an increase in copper levels and canine hepatitis beginning in the late 1990’s. This increase in copper in the liver coincided with an increase in the bioavailable copper in dog food. These veterinary scientists are trying to sort out the reason behind increases in copper concentration in dog livers and are also recommending the copper levels in dog food be decreased.

The Importance of Annual Wellness Exams for Pets

While minerals are critical to your pet’s health, imbalances of minerals can cause illness and are one reason annual examinations and blood tests are important in all pets.