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tvpjournal.com | September/October 2016 | T O day' S Ve T erinary Prac T ice ac V n n u T ri T i O n nOT e S Peer r eviewed 85 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS IN THE DIET Dietary Requirements i t is recommended that all pet food provide essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Minimum requirements for total fat, la , ala (except for adult cats), e P a + d H a , and aa are published by the nrc , and minimum requirements for the concentration of crude fat, la , ala , aa (cats only), and e P a + d H a in pet food are listed in the aa F c O nutrient profiles. 2,8 These minimum requirements are listed in Table 2. Sources of Essential Fatty Acids Sources of la and ala are plant-based oils, including corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and flaxseed oil. aa is found typically in animal fat, with little to no aa present in plant oils and seeds. 1 a s of 2016, e P a and d H a are described in aa F c O nutrient profiles for growth and reproduction, and the nrc lists these fatty acids as essential. a s a result, many pet foods contain sources of e P a and d H a . Fish oil is the main dietary source of e P a and d H a . c ommon oils used in pet food and their saturated and essential fatty acid content can be found in Table 3. More information regarding sources of essential fatty acids can be found elsewhere. 9 Table 2. m inimum r equirements of Essential Fatty Acids in Grams/1000 kcal 2,8 d o G s (Growth) d o G s (Adult Maintenance) C A ts (Growth) C A ts (Adult Maintenance) t otal Fat N r C r A 21.3 13.8 22.5 22.5 AAFCO 21.3 13.8 22.5 22.5 l inoleic Acid N r C r A 3.3 2.8 1.4 1.4 AAFCO 3.3 2.8 1.4 1.4 Arachidonic Acid N r C r A 0.08 ND 0.05 0.015 AAFCO ND ND 0.05* 0.05* Alpha-linolenic Acid N r C r A 0.2 0.11 0.05 ND AAFCO 0.2 ND 0.05 ND Eicosapentaenoic Acid + d ocosahexaenoic Acid N r C r A 0.13 0.11 0.025 0.025 AAFCO 0.1 ND 0.03 ND ND = not determined; RA = recommended allowance * Corrected after original publication by AAFCO Table 3. Common o ils u sed in Pet Food and Fatty Acid Content (grams/100 g) a s aturated Fatty Acids (total) l A 18:2 n-6 A l A 18:3 n-3 AA 20:4 undifferentiated EPA 20:5 n-3 d HA 22:6 n-3 Corn oil 12.948 53.230 1.161 0 0 0 Canola oil 7.365 18.640 9.137 0 0 0 Flaxseed oil 8.976 14.246 53.368 0 0 0 Fish oil, menhaden 30.427 2.154 b 1.490 c 1.169 13.168 8.592 a. USDA Food Composition Database, ndb.nal.usda.gov b. 18:2 undifferentiated c. 18:3 undifferentiated n-3 = omega-3; n-6 = omega-6