Supplemental zinc sources for adult cats

Abstract

An 56-day experiment was conducted with 24 adult male and female cats, no defined breed and animals average weight of 3.56kilograms. The experimental design was entirely randomized, with four treatments and six repetitions, amounted to 24 experimental units for all the assessed parameters, except for zinc source retention, with 18 experimental units, and skin biopsy, with 16 experimental units. A split-plot arrangement was used for plasma zinc assessment. The experimental treatments were four: commercial ration plus 30 mg of chelated zinc; commercial ration plus 30 mg of zinc (zinc sulfate); commercial ration (feed) plus 30 mg of zinc (zinc oxide); control treatment (commercial feed with no supplemental source). The fecal excretion, the chelated zinc and the zinc oxide sources presented less excretion (P<0,05). Zinc oxide displayed lower urinary excretion and higher retention in the organism, in comparison to other zinc sources tested (P<0.05). As for zinc in skin, the chelated source was superior to other treatments (P<0.05) and similar to that of zinc sulfate, in relation to zinc concentration in the hair. As for skin histology, there was no difference among the treatments. The chelated and inorganic sources manifest different absorption points and assist different tissues in the organism.