Nutrition and amino acid metabolism in domestic dogs and cats

We know how crucial protein is to the nutrition of our dogs and cats, especially essential amino acids (AA), since they cannot be produced endogenously, but are only obtained through food. Over the course of evolution, domestic dogs have adapted to omnivorous diets containing both taurine-rich meat and starch-rich plant ingredients, while domestic cats remain obligate carnivores. Dogs differ from cats in many aspects of nutrition and AA metabolism, and much evidence shows that there are marked differences in both qualitative (i.e., presence or absence) and quantitative (i.e., quantity) requirements for protein and certain AAs (arginine, taurin...