Investigation on Iodine Levels in Canine and Feline Canned Food Products in Italy

Thyroid diseases, and in particular hyperthyroidism, have frequently been diagnosed in cats by both pathologists and clinicians over the last 20-30 years. Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are common endocrine disorders in elderly pets. Although the causes are not yet fully understood, it appears that a proper intake of iodine in the diet can reduce the incidence of these diseases. In Italy, moist canned foods are currently used extensively for both dogs and cats. Although moist foods are used to cover just a small portion of the energy requirements of dogs, they cover a much larger portion of these requirements in cats. The aim of the present study has been to verify the iodine levels in different types of complete, moist cat and dog food sold in different distribution channels. The results have shown that 25% of the analyzed food did not respect the recommended range and that nutritional adequacy was not influenced by the distribution channel.