Ingredient Breakdown — B-5 (d-Calcium Pantothenate)
It’s Coco, back with another vitamin…oh joy. The human female says it’s important to write about all the ingredients in our food so people can learn about what’s in the food, but I say the only thing that matters is if the food’s tasty or not. Priorities, you know?
What is it?
A really long time ago, like so long ago I can’t even understand how long ago it was (1931? what even is that?), a human described it as an acid-y thing that yeast needed. And he named it after “pantos”, which I learned means “from everywhere” (and not “pants”) in a language called Greek, which I do not speak because it isn’t cat. It’s a molecule that makes up other molecules that do things that are important.
Why do pet food companies use it?
We need it for metabolic energy, which I need or I can’t eat or nap or groom myself or tear after Little Squishie.
And dogs totally need it, or they could die.
What are its other uses?
Humans:
Humans need it for the same reason we do — without it, they have no energy so they can’t feed us or pet us, and they get angry and can’t sleep, which is all bad because naps are great.
Pets:
Pretty sure “staying alive” is a solid enough reason, eh?
Where is it sourced?
Lots of humans want ingredients that come from “real” foods. But it’s *super expensive* to extract B-5 from real foods, so most companies use a synthetic, and I learned that means humans make it in a lab, which is not a dog like I thought it was, but a room where humans make things. Huh.
Any issues with its use?
So far, there’s nothing bad about it. Like ZERO toxicity if I get a little too much in my food. And pet food companies don’t use a lot of it, because we don’t need a lot of it, so win all around!
Oof. First ingredient of 2021. Yay me? I think I’ll reward myself with a nap.
