Chelated Zinc

Studies in dogs found chelated zinc is absorbed better than zinc oxide. Data on this in cats are limited.

Chelated zinc is zinc bound to amino acids or proteins, often listed as zinc proteinate. Cats need zinc, and the Merck Veterinary Manual describes zinc deficiency signs such as vomiting and delayed growth in dogs and cats. Complete cat foods add zinc in measured amounts. For a cat with skin disease or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian before adding zinc.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Chelated zinc is a form of zinc attached to amino acids or small proteins. It is added to supply the zinc a cat needs for skin and immune function. Labels may list it as zinc proteinate or zinc amino acid chelate, and both describe the same idea.

Yes. The Merck Veterinary Manual says zinc availability can sometimes be reduced by other components in commercial diets. Phytate from plant ingredients and high calcium are commonly cited examples. Formulators account for this by adding enough zinc to meet the target.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Zinc proteinate is zinc bound to partly broken-down protein. It is one of the chelated zinc forms used in cat food. Some foods use it alone, and others combine it with zinc sulfate or zinc oxide. The label shows which zinc forms a given recipe uses.

Pettings gives chelated zinc 4 out of 5 and lists it as a chelated mineral. It appears on 74 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Our How We Score page explains how ingredient scores are set. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.