In the body, it acts as the main extracellular electrolyte (works closely with potassium). Its main task is to maintain proper water management in the body (regulates osmotic pressure), control blood pressure and ensure proper nerve conduction and muscle contractions. [1].
What it contains: Muscle meat, fresh or dried blood (plasma), in smaller amounts eggs. Sodium can be balanced by adding dried hemoglobin or non-iodized rock/sea salt (in micro doses) [1].
Deficiency: Sodium deficiency resulting from a meat diet is practically non-existent. It is almost always a secondary problem related to the rapid loss of fluids from the body (vomiting, diarrhea, extensive burns) or Addison’s disease (adrenal insufficiency, which destroys the mechanism of retaining sodium in the body) [2].
Excess: Healthy dogs and cats that have constant access to water tolerate slightly increased doses of sodium in their diet (in cats, this was confirmed by, among others, the 5-year PEANUT study, in which 3 times higher sodium did not worsen blood pressure or kidney function). The most dangerous is the intake of a large amount of sodium by an animal at one time (acute salt poisoning), which is a directly life-threatening condition. It may happen when the animal eats salty table scraps or homemade salt dough. Symptoms include extreme thirst, vomiting, diarrhea and neurological symptoms (confusion, muscle tremors, seizures) [1] [3] [4].
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
- Hand MS, Thatcher CD, Remillard RL, Roudebush P, Novotny BJ (2010). Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 5th Edition. https://www.markmorrisinstitute.org/sacn5.html
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Salt Toxicosis in Animals. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/toxicology/salt-toxicosis/salt-toxicosis-in-animals
- Reynolds BS, Chetboul V, et al. (2024). Long-term safety of dietary salt: a 5-year prospective randomized blinded and controlled study in healthy aged cats (PEANUT study). JVIM. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10800216/