More and more pets are forming part of our family environment. And pet owners are increasingly concerned with the health and welfare of their animals. Pet care includes correct:

This is why in recent years there has been a considerable increase in the production and marketing of compound feed for dogs and cats. Behind us are the days when they were fed with left-overs, bones and raw viscera, which led to problems like intestinal obstructions (bones), bad nutrition in general (unbalanced diet) and parasites (from raw viscera) that can infect family members.

In spite of considerable acceptance by pet owners of ready prepared feed, the initial results were not totally satisfactory, because the feed consisted of granules, and not extruded pellets. The granule making procedure does not gelatinise starch correctly or destroy the micro-organisms that can be found in raw material. For this reason, the final product not only run the risk of being contaminated, but was also difficult to digest.

On the other hand, in extrusion the product is subject to high temperatures that greatly increase the digestibility of carbohydrates and the total destruction of micro-organisms. However, not all extruded products available on the market are of a high quality, since this requires:

Several factors form part of the extrusion process that must be carried out correctly in order to guarantee that the process is under perfect conditions and that there is a correct gelatinisation of the starch. These are some of the most important parameters associated to extrusion:

What happens when the process is not carried out correctly?.

Cereal starch (representing carbohydrates) does not gelatinise correctly, so the dextrination process is not completed. The starch is not converted into dextrins, and can not be attacked by the digestive enzymes, which reach the intestine and cause:

The temperatures reached with extrusion are sufficient to guarantee the total sterilisation of the raw materials, guaranteeing feed in perfect conditions, which is not possible with the granulation technique.

If the temperatures are too high, we find what are called Maillard reactions: the proteins are de-naturalised, fats are burnt and the final result is a hard to digest feed with a low biological value. It is therefore very important to carry out the extrusion process within appropriate parameters to offer a completely trustworthy product.

BIOLOGÍA Y NUTRICIÓN S.A., uses state-of-the-art techniques and the best equipment, with automatic control over all these processes, to manufacture a homogeneous product of the best quality.

High quality raw materials are absolutely essential to obtain a good finished product. A correct extrusion process increases the digestibility of the carbohydrates but this will not be sufficient if the formula does not consist of high quality raw materials.

Raw materials or vegetable and animal origin are combined to manufacture feed for cats and dogs. In this way, the final product has a balanced percentage of all the nutrients required to cover the needs of these pets in each of the stages of their lives: growth, maintenance, pregnancy, activity, etc.

For this reason, all the ingredients that are used to produce the feed manufactured by BIOLOGÍA Y NUTRICIÓN S.A. are strictly selected before purchase, and analysed before they enter the production process.

Following are details of the origin of the nutrients that form part of the feed that BIOLOGIA y NUTRICION S.A. manufactures for dog and cat feed.

The main source of the carbohydrates used in our feed is corn. We use whole cereal and not milling leftovers or by-products. Other manufacturers use mill left-overs which reduces costs, but lowers the quality of the final product.

It is useless to include proteins if they can not be digested and absorbed by the intestine, or if they are digestible (easily digested and absorbed) but have a low biological value and therefore do not provide the amino-acids necessary for the animal to synthesis its own proteins.
A protein deficiency results in less resistance to diseases, a lifeless coat, low muscular development and a reduced growth rate in puppies or kittens. This is why it is very important to provide high quality proteins in the diet:

- Digestibles: Can be broken down by enzymes and therefore easily absorbed..

- Of high biological value: That which alone, or in combinations, presents a final amino-acid profile that is in accordance with the amino-acid requirements of cats and dogs.

The proteins that we supply in the diet are digested in the stomach and broken down by enzymes into smaller units, until they reach the most basic protein unit, which is the amino-acid. These amino-acids are absorbed in the intestine and used by the animal to make its own proteins such as enzymes, hormones, antibodies and other proteins to fulfil its own demands and renew tissues that are constantly being degraded (destroyed) and synthesised (formed). BIOLOGÍA y NUTRICIÓN,S.A uses proteins of animal origin as the main source of proteins, in order to obtain an adequate amino-acid profile. The origin of these animal proteins are meat flour and chicken flour.

We combine animal fats with vegetable oils to obtain a correct balance of essential fatty acids, to guarantee a soft and shiny coat and healthy skin.

The animal fat used for all our products comes from chicken. It is a very rich source of linoleic acid (natural coat conditioner), an essential nutrient that has to be supplied in the diet of our cats and dogs.

In addition to linoleic acid, cats require arachidonic acid. Dogs synthesise this fatty acid from linoleic acid, but cats need arachidonic acid to be present in their diet..

Vegetable oils are a good source of linoleic acid, but arachidonic acid is only found in animal fats, so it is very important to provide these fats in a cat's diet.
A correct percentage of fat in feed is more important that is usually thought. Too much fat creates obese dogs, and too little fat makes the feed less attractive and leads the organism to use proteins as a source of energy, resulting in eventual protein deficiencies.

“A balanced diet is very important”

Nutrient that is essential for the correct functioning of the intestine.

There are many sources of fibre that can be used to manufacture pet food, but BIOLOGÍA Y NUTRICIÓN S.A. Has decided to use beetroot pulp. This source of fibre has a correct balance of soluble and non-soluble fibre, which guarantees correct intestinal movements (neither too fast nor too slow).

The beetroot pulp that reaches the colon generates a series of fermentations that are beneficial for the short intestine of our pets. These fermentations are thanks to the action of saprophytic bacteria that use the beetroot pulp as a basis for a series of reactions that produce volatile fatty acids, later used by the colonocites* to protect the intestine over the years.

*Colonocites = Cells that coat the walls of the short intestine.

A correct supply of calcium and phosphorous is essential for growth, and during the rest of an animal's life. These minerals are included in the diet, and additional calcium and phosphorous tablets are not required. They are not only a waste of money, but can be bad for the animal's health.

An overdose of vitamins A and D can be toxic, because they are liposoluble vitamins, and accumulate in the animal's tissues and cause food poisoning symptoms.