Ingredient Breakdown — Riboflavin — Vitamin B2
Coco here, and I’ll be meowing about riboflavin instead of meowing about food or pettings, but the human promised me both of those when I’m done, so let’s get this over with.
What is it?
Well like the name says…it’s a vitamin. I know, shocking.
Why do pet food companies use it?
Have you noticed that “pets die without it” is a common answer for this question? But the road to death without riboflavin for us cats and dogs is pretty gross. Dogs lose weight, their skin gets all flakey, they get eye issues, they get something called collapse syndrome, and then they die. And cats? Without it, we stop eating, we lose weight, our hair falls out, and we die. That’s not a road I’d like to travel, kthx. My ideal road ends in treats.
What are its other uses?
Humans:
Humans did some research, and think that maybe riboflavin can be used to help with really bad headaches called migraines. (My really bad headache is called QQ, but I don’t think riboflavin can help with that.)
Pets:
No other uses aside from that minor “preventing us from dying” thing.
Where do we get it?
All kinds of foods have it — eggs, milk, cheese, liver (yum), kidneys (yum), mushrooms (ewwwww)….Humans can even buy pasta that has *extra* riboflavin in it, because it’s that important. It can also be made by chemical synthesis or fermentation, but don’t ask me what those are because I’m only a cat, and I have no idea.
Any issues with its use?
Alright, I was promised some goods, now I gotta find the human to get ‘em…*pads off*
