Jennifer Adolphe, Ph.D.

Dr. Jennifer Adolphe graduated with her Ph.D. in companion animal nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan. She previously completed a master's degree in human nutrition and is a registered dietitian with the College of Dietitians of British Columbia. Her Ph.D. research examined the effect of carbohydrates on metabolic and cardiovascular health in lean and obese dogs. Adolphe is the recipient of more than 20 awards and scholarships for her academic work. Her work in the pet food industry has focused on product development and ingredient procurement. She is currently the senior nutritionist at Petcurean Pet Nutrition, a Canadian, family-owned company committed to offering superior quality pet foods.

Articles by Jennifer Adolphe, Ph.D.

• Pet food sustainability: A focus on protein

  Monday, November 13, 2017

  ​High-protein, high-meat diets have taken over the pet food aisle in recent years. Dietary protein is important for many reasons. It provides essential and nonessential amino acids for synthesis of proteins in the body that are necessary for tissue repair and maintenance, antibody and enzyme production, and as a source of energy.

• What to know about taurine for dogs and cats

  Tuesday, June 20, 2017

  Taurine is a unique amino acid because it is only found in animal tissues and, unlike other amino acids, it is found free in the body and is not incorporated into protein. Many cells are able to make taurine, but the liver is the primary production site. Tissues with the highest taurine concentration are the heart, muscles, central nervous system, retina and platelets in the blood. Taurine plays important roles in maintaining fluid balance and the ability of the heart to contract.

• Is glycemic index a relevant tool for evaluating pet food?

  Tuesday, February 16, 2016

  Glycemic index has become a common tool to evaluate pet foods. However, as with many trends in the human and pet food industries, it is often used without a full understanding of its meaning and proper usage. The glycemic index originally was developed in the early 1980s to rank human foods based on their effect on blood glucose levels. The glycemic load is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index of a food by its carbohydrate content.

• How much protein should pet food contain?

  Monday, November 30, 2015

  Visit any Internet message board about pet nutrition and you will more than likely find a heated debate about protein — pros, cons, good sources, bad sources and more opinions than you ever wanted to know. Proteins are the building blocks of your pet's body and consist of chains of amino acids joined together. They can range in size from only a few amino acids to large, complex molecules in which the amino acid chains are intricately folded. Why are proteins such a hot topic for pet nutrition?

• Dietary options for adverse food reactions in pets

  Friday, July 17, 2015

  ​Does your pet have itchy skin or experience chronic vomiting, diarrhea or paw licking? If so, your pet may be having an adverse reaction to his food. Both food allergies and food intolerances can cause adverse reactions. Food allergies occur when the immune system reacts inappropriately to a food. Food intolerances are more common and occur without immune system involvement.

• The great grain debate: Should pet foods avoid grains?

  Thursday, April 02, 2015

  Grain-free diets are becoming much more commonplace in the pet food aisle. There are a number of reasons for this growing trend, such as the belief that grains are harmful for pets or that grain-free diets are more appropriate for dogs and cats from an evolutionary perspective.

• Weight management for pets: A key ingredient for a long, healthy life

  Tuesday, January 27, 2015

  ​Did you know that an estimated 22-44 percent of pets are substantially heavier than their ideal body weight? One of the most important things we can do to protect the long-term health of our pets, and something that we can largely control, is helping them maintain a healthy weight.