Exogenous amino acid (absolutely necessary) for dogs and cats. In addition to building proteins, it is a substrate in the urea cycle in the liver. Digesting large amounts of meat releases toxic ammonia, and thanks to arginine, it is quickly converted in the liver into safe urea and excreted in the urine [1]. Ornithine is also produced, which returns to the cycle and is used again. It protects the body’s cells (including nerve cells) against ammonia poisoning and prevents its accumulation in the blood.
What it contains: Virtually every protein of animal origin (meat, fish, offal, eggs) as well as connective tissue and gelatin [3]. It does not require additional supplementation in a meat diet.
Deficiency: Profuse salivation, vomiting, toxic effects of ammonia on the brain - unsteady gait, tremors, severe neurological seizures and death [2]. In nature, deficiency practically does not occur because there is plenty of arginine in meat.
Excess: It is a natural component of the urea cycle in the liver - the body of a healthy animal is perfectly capable of metabolizing its excess and excreting [1].
Sources
- National Research Council (NRC) (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10668/nutrient-requirements-of-dogs-and-cats
- Morris JG, Rogers QR (1978). Ammonia intoxication in the near-adult cat as a result of a dietary deficiency of arginine. Science 199(4327):431–432. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.619464
- Li P, Wu G (2023). Amino acid nutrition and metabolism in domestic cats and dogs. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 14:19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-022-00827-8