10 - Feedings Dogs 2 Glossary Terms

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

The energy required to maintain homeostasis in an animal in a post-absorptive state (ideally after an overnight fast) that is lying down but awake in a thermoneutral environment to which it has been acclimatized. The mean BMR of dogs is determined to be 70 kcal/kg BW^0.75.

Daily Energy Requirement (DER)

The sum of BMR plus the energy expended for breed, neuter status, age, daily activity, environmental temperature, and insulative characteristics of the integument.

Dry Matter (DM)

A basis for expressing nutrient content in food, representing the percentage of a nutrient remaining after all moisture has been removed. Nutrient requirements for protein, fat, and fiber are often given as a percentage of DM.

Gestation

The period of pregnancy in a female dog, lasting 58-68 days. Significant weight gain occurs after the 28th day, and it is recommended to start feeding extra energy four weeks after mating.

Lactation

The period of milk production in a female dog after giving birth. The maintenance energy requirement for lactation is approximately 145 kcal/kg BW^0.75, which should be adjusted based on litter size and breed.

Maintenance Energy Requirement (MER)

The energy required to support energy equilibrium, where metabolizable energy (ME) intake equals heat production, over a long period. For experimental dogs in kennels, this has been estimated to be 130 kcal/kg BW^0.75.

Metabolic Weight

Calculated as Body Weight to the power of 0.75 (BW^0.75). It is more closely related to a dog's energy requirements than its linear body weight in kilograms, accounting for metabolic scaling across the species' vast size range.

Resting Fed Metabolic Rate (RFMR)

An alternative to BMR, measured in animals that are not in a post-absorptive state but otherwise meet the criteria for basal metabolism.