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Copper - Cu in dog and cat diets

A short guide to the role of Copper - Cu in dog and cat nutrition.

It functions as a coenzyme in many biochemical reactions. [1]. It is necessary for hematopoiesis, i.e. the formation of red blood cells. It plays a role in maintaining proper pigmentation of the skin and fur (responsible for the production of melanin), controlling neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, and participates in the formation of collagen and elastin. Necessary for the action of the enzyme ensuring the integrity of connective tissue. Copper enzymes also play an important role in the final pathways of oxidative metabolism, protecting against free radicals. [2][3].

What it occurs in: Mammalian liver (mainly beef and veal), in smaller amounts in muscle meat and other offal and eggs [2].

Deficiency: Deficiencies rarely occur if animals are fed a balanced diet based on meat and offal. Most often, it occurs as a result of malabsorption problems caused by excess zinc, calcium or vitamin C in food. [1].

Excess: In most healthy dogs and cats, a small excess of copper from the diet is efficiently removed by the liver and excreted in the bile. Some dog breeds may have a genetic problem - the so-called copper hepatitis. In such a case, the liver cannot get rid of excess copper, and it accumulates in hepatocytes, which leads to many problems; inflammation and even cirrhosis of the liver [4].

Sources

  1. National Research Council (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, Chapter 7 - Minerals. National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10668/nutrient-requirements-of-dogs-and-cats
  2. Amundson LA, Kirn BN, Swensson EJ, Millican AA, Fahey GC (2024). Copper metabolism and its implications for canine nutrition. Translational Animal Science. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10787350/
  3. Wedekind, K. J., Yu, S., Kats, L., Paetau-Robinson, I., & Cowell, C. S. (2024). Micronutrients: Minerals and Vitamins. In Small Animal Clinical Nutrition (6th ed.). Mark Morris Institute https://s3.amazonaws.com/mmi_sacn5/2019/SACN5_6.pdf
  4. Dirksen K, Fieten H (2017). Canine Copper-Associated Hepatitis. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28063745/