An essential fatty acid from the Omega-6 family. While fatty acids derived from fish oil have an anti-inflammatory effect, ARA is used to deliberately cause controlled inflammation, without which wounds would not heal and blood could not clot [1]. It is also a building block of the brain and protects the intestinal mucosa. The cat has only limited (not zero) Δ-6 desaturase activity, thanks to which it creates traces of ARA from linoleic acid - this is enough to maintain vital functions, but not for reproduction, therefore ARA must come from animal tissues in the diet [2] [3] [7].
What it contains: Animal fats (pork lard, duck fat, goose fat), egg yolks and offal (liver, cerebellum). It does not occur in plants.
Deficiency (in cats): Reproductive catastrophe in female cats (lack of heat, abortions) [4], coagulation disorders [5], slowed growth of kittens and rough fur.
Excess: Similar to LA, too much ARA-rich fat in the absence of fish (Omega-3) causes the body to drown in pro-inflammatory mediators, which increases joint pain and destroys the kidneys [6].
Sources
- National Research Council (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10668/nutrient-requirements-of-dogs-and-cats
- Bauer JE (2008). Essential fatty acid metabolism in dogs and cats. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-35982008001300004
- Bauer JE (2006). Metabolic basis for the essential nature of fatty acids and the unique dietary fatty acid requirements of cats. JAVMA 229(11):1729–1732. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.229.11.1729
- Morris JG (2004). Do cats need arachidonic acid in the diet for reproduction?. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0396.2003.00469.x
- MacDonald ML, Rogers QR, Morris JG (1984). Effects of dietary arachidonate deficiency on the aggregation of cat platelets. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/0742-8413%2884%2990057-4
- Brown SA, Brown CA, Crowell WA, et al. (2000). Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in early renal insufficiency in dogs. J Lab Clin Med 135(3):275–286. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10711867/
- Chamberlin AJ, Bauer JE (2014). Dietary gamma-linolenic acid supports arachidonic acid accretion and associated Δ-5 desaturase activity in feline uterine but not ovarian tissues (cats have insufficient Δ-6 desaturase activity). Journal of Nutritional Science 3:e43. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4473166/