Enzymes

Enzymes are essential for dogs and cats because these substances (proteins) are necessary for regulating certain chemical reactions in the body. Enzymes are biological catalysts – substances that can speed up or slow down a chemical reaction – they reduce the amount of energy needed for chemical reactions to occur and are required for a wide range of metabolic reactions; without enzymes, these metabolic reactions cannot take place or will proceed very slowly. Each enzyme in a dog’s or cat’s body has its own function; more than 80,000 different enzyme systems are known. Life is impossible without these enzymes.

It is possible to divide enzymes into digestive enzymes and metabolic enzymes.

1. Metabolic enzymes. These enzymes act as catalysts in living cells. They are essential for the body’s balance because they are needed to regulate/control almost every chemical reaction in the body related to metabolism. Therefore, these metabolic enzymes are present in all cells of the body, in all body tissues, and in all organs.

2. Digestive enzymes. Intrinsic digestive enzymes are enzymes that the body produces and secretes itself to break down food into smaller, absorbable nutrients. Intrinsic digestive enzymes include those secreted by the gastric glands in the stomach and those secreted by the pancreas; these intrinsic enzymes are necessary for breaking down fats, proteins, and sugars. In addition to intrinsic enzymes, there are also extrinsic digestive enzymes. These include enzymes such as protease (needed for protein digestion), amylase (needed for starch breakdown), and lipase (needed for fat digestion).

Digestion

Various enzymes are involved in the digestion of food. Enzymes already present in the food or in the intestines are responsible for breaking down food. But how exactly is food broken down?

When a dog or cat eats food, it first enters the stomach. Enzymes present in the food also enter the stomach along with the food. The stomach is responsible for a large part of the initial digestion of the food, as much as 75%.

The high acidity of the gastric juices inactivates enzymes present in the food. These enzymes are too large and complex for the stomach acid to digest. When the inactive enzymes enter a more alkaline environment, the intestinal tract, they are reactivated.

After initial digestion in the stomach, the partially digested food enters the duodenum. Several organs come into play here that are necessary for digestion. For example, the pancreas produces enzymes that enter the duodenum through the papilla of Vater (a kind of drainage channel). These enzymes then complete the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

In addition to the pancreas, the liver secretes substances that neutralize the acidity of the gastric juice and emulsify fats. This improves both digestion and absorption.

After the duodenum, the food mass continues through the intestinal tract. Nutrients from the mass are absorbed through the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream. This blood eventually reaches the liver, which filters it to prevent unwanted substances from circulating in the body. After filtering, the nutrients are transported to cells throughout the body.

Waste products, undigested food, and bacteria eventually reach the large intestine to be eliminated.

Digestive enzymes

Complex nutrients that cannot be absorbed by the body because they are too large are broken down into smaller subunits by digestive enzymes.

There are three digestive enzymes most commonly found in an animal’s body: lipase (for fat breakdown), protease (for protein breakdown), and amylase (for starch breakdown). These digestive enzymes originate from the pancreas, where they are produced. After a dog or cat has eaten, the pancreas releases these enzymes into the intestines. There, the complex nutrients—proteins, starch, and fats—are broken down; once broken down into smaller subunits, they can be absorbed through the intestinal wall.

As mentioned above, there are three different digestive enzymes that play an important role in breaking down nutrients: amylase, lipase, and protease.

1. Amylase. This enzyme is produced in the pancreas. The pancreas then releases amylase into the duodenum (the beginning of the small intestine). In the small intestine, amylase breaks down starch, which is eventually converted into glucose; other enzymes are also involved in this process. The glucose then passes through the wall of the small intestine into the bloodstream.
   In humans, amylase is present in saliva, so starch digestion begins in the mouth. In dogs and cats, there is no amylase in saliva; starch digestion in these animals begins only in the intestines. Moreover, dogs and cats produce less amylase than humans, making them less efficient at breaking down carbohydrates.

1. Lipase. Both the pancreas and the small intestine produce this digestive enzyme. Lipase contributes to the good health of cells in the body. It is also responsible for breaking down fats and enables the body to store fat sources for longer periods.
2. Protease. This enzyme is produced in multiple locations: the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine. Proteins themselves are too large to be absorbed through the intestinal wall. When proteins are broken down into smaller pieces, amino acids, the body can absorb them. Protease is responsible for breaking down these proteins.

When a dog or cat starts chewing, the production of digestive enzymes begins. Chewing sends a signal to the body that triggers the production and release of enzymes into the stomach and intestines. When a pet receives a balanced diet, it will have no problems breaking down and absorbing all nutrients from the food.

Digestive enzymes break down nutrients into smaller pieces so the body can absorb them. Once a puppy is weaned, its body begins producing enzymes on its own. Healthy dogs can produce digestive enzymes themselves and also receive a boost through their diet.

Normally, it is not necessary to supplement dogs or cats with digestive enzymes, provided the animals are healthy. However, if a dog or cat’s body cannot produce digestive enzymes on its own, supplementation is necessary. Often, the pancreas is the culprit, as it fails to produce the required digestive enzymes. This can have various causes, such as pancreatic inflammation or Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). EPI is rare and mostly breed-related.

If the pancreas cannot produce the correct digestive enzymes, food will pass through the body without the necessary nutrients being absorbed. These nutrients are too large and complex to be absorbed through the intestinal wall; digestive enzymes are necessary to break them down into smaller pieces. When the body cannot absorb the required nutrients from food, this can lead to serious health problems. The various causes of insufficient digestive enzymes in the body are:

• Genetics. Even if a dog or cat is in optimal health, congenital health problems can cause the body to produce too few digestive enzymes. Causes vary. For example, an animal may have type 1 diabetes, which prevents the body from producing enough digestive enzymes. A pancreas that is too small can also cause insufficient enzyme production.
• Inflammation. Inflammation in the intestines can cause problems. Inflammation can damage certain digestive organs, reducing their ability to produce digestive enzymes. Intestinal inflammation can result from poisoning, a poor diet, or diseases such as IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), which causes chronic irritation in the intestines.
• Injury to the intestines. This injury can be caused by, for example, a collision or a fall.
• EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency). When an animal has EPI, the pancreas produces too few digestive enzymes because the cells that produce these enzymes are damaged by the condition. It is important to give dogs and cats with EPI digestive enzymes through supplements or by feeding fresh tripe, which contains digestive enzymes.