Horses, Cattle, and Sheep -- These species are able to synthesise vitamins B, K, and C.  However vitamin A may need to be suplemented.  Dry feed is often low in the retinoids.  Legume or grass hay and alfalfa pellets are good sources of vitamin A, especially in breeder stocks.  A deficiency can cause milk fever.

Swine -- Generally swine require additional supplementation more frequently than other large animal species.

Guinea pigs DO require vitamin C supplementation, the other species do not.  These animals are copraphagic.  This activity supplies microbial sources of the B vitamins and fatty acids.  They digest fibre poorly, but it is required for GI motility.  Guinea pig diet should contain approximately 15% crude fibre. Greater amounts (even 20%) will cause cæcal impaction and mucoid enteritis.  Therefore, Guinea pigs should not be feed large amounts of greens or carrots.

Water -- cats can survive for long periods without water.  They do not drink copious amounts of water, but it is required to prevent urolithiasis.  Even though the cat does not appear to drink a lot of water, plenty of fresh water should always be available.

Food -- The food needs of a cat increases as the environmental temperature decreases (they require more food in colder weather).  Dry, prepared cat food is important in domesticated cats, since in contributes to and ensures clean and healthy teeth.  Palatability is very important in cats.  If a cat does not like his food, he will starve himself to death.

Amino acids and proteins -- Feline requirements for proteins is higher than most other animals.  The amino acid taurine is especially important.  A deficiency of taurine will cause cardiomyopathy progressing to heart failure and retinoid degeneration resulting in blindness.  Commercially prepared foods contain taurine sufficient to prevent a deficiency.

Fats -- Cats cannot convert linoleic acid to lenolenic and arachodonic acids, therefore the latter two fats must be included in the diet.  Additionally, vitamin E must also be included in the feline diet as an anti-oxidant to prevent lipid peroxidation that may occur with faulty fat metabolism.  A deficiency of vitamin E will cause steatitis (or fat inflammation).

Carbohydrates -- Cooked carbohydrates are acceptable for cats, however, uncooked they may produce flatulence and diarrhœa.  Many adult cats may be lactose intolerant.  These animals will also exhibit flatulence and diarrhœa.

Vitamin A -- Cats cannot convert beta-carotene to active vitamin A species.  Therefore, they must be supplemented with active retinoids.  Fishes and fish oils are high in vitamin A and serve as an excellent source in cats.  Commercial foods typically contain sufficient vitamin A to prevent deficiency.

Thiamine -- Cats need approximately 5 times the thiamine as dogs.  Raw fish is high in thiaminase, thus destroying some of the thiamine required by cats.  Cooked fish is better for the animal.  A deficiency of thiamine will cause an unkempt, anorexic, hunched appearance in the animal.
 

Many cats exhibit peculiarities with eating.  While many cats will eat only commercially prepared foods (some will eat only wet, canned food), some like table foods and even vegetables.  Some cats like sweets, while others do not.  Typically, diets high in wet, canned foods are more likely to cause frequent and loose stools but also contribute water to the diet, thus decreasing the risk of kidney stones.  Dry foods, as mentioned previously, a better for dental health, but require fresh water more frequently.  Given the differences in cats and dogs, cats should never be given a diet of commercially prepared dog foods, since deficiencies of taurine, vitamins A and E, thiamine, and fats will result, causing a state of malnutrition in the cat.