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| linoleic acid |
Linoleic acid, a naturally occurring omega-6 fatty acid found in common pet-food ingredients such as corn and chicken fat, is a required nutritional component of the canine and feline diet. Fatty acids are the building blocks of dietary fat and are formed by specific combinations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.Certain groups of fatty acids, called the omega-3 (fatty acids in which the first double bond is located at the third carbon atom) and omega-6 (fatty acids in which the first double bond is at the sixth carbon atom), are particularly important to various functions in the dog’s body. The first double bond is located at the 6th carbon atom, therefore, this is an omega-6 fatty acid.Omega-6 fatty acids are essential for maintenance of skin and coat condition, normal growth, proper membrane structure, and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.Linoleic acid is the most important omega-6 fatty acid since it cannot be synthesized by the dog and is used to make other omega-6 fatty acids.Cats also require arachidonic acid, in addition, because they cannot synthesize it from linoleic acid. The optimal omega-6:omega-3 fatty acid ratio to maintain a healthy skin and coat in dogs and cats is between 5:1 and 10:1. This means that between 5 and 10 omega-6 fatty acids should be present for every 1 omega-3 fatty acid.
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