Small Animal Primary Care Final

How long do homemade diets last? Canned? Dry food?

• fridge is 3-4d, freezer 1m

• fridge 5d, room temp <30min

• 1-2m sealed in bag

How should you start your nutritional assessment?

start with screening evaluation

perform BCS and MCS (muscle condition score)as part of PE

How do you calculate the percent overweight?

every incremental increase >5/9 is 10% overweight

True or false: BCS and MCS are not casually related.

true: animals can be overweight with muscle wasting

what are the 4 areas that muscle condition is assessed?

skull

spine

scapulae

wings of the iliae

what is the difference between cachexia and sarcopenia?

Cachexia: loss of muscle due to a disease state

sarcopenia: loss of lean body mass associated with aging

What is the normal healthy body fat index?

20%

useful tool for patients that are >8/9 BCS

__________________-: Used to calculate ideal weight based on body length and width measurements

- Another useful tool for patients that are >8/9 BCS

morphometric assessments

How do you calculate ideal weight of an animal? (3 ways/formulas)

• historical data from medical record

• calculate using BCS—> if an animal is Ideal weight = Current Weight - (Current Weight * % Overweight)

• Ideal weight = [Current weight * (100 - %BF)] / 0.8

What is the ideal weight for a 45kg Lab with a BCS of 8/9?

8 – 5 = 3 * 10 = 30% overweight

• 45 kg * 30% = 13.50 kg

• 45 kg – 13.5 kg = 31.5 kg

• Ideal weight for this dog = ~31.5 kg

What is the resting energy requirements (RER) formula?

=70* (ideal weight)^0.75

What is the formula for maintenance energy for weight loss in a feline and canine?

• MER= RER *0.8

• MER= RER* 1

these are based on the life stage factor charts

Memorize?

Cat:

Weight = 7.5 kg, BCS = 9/9, MCS = Moderate muscle loss

• Dry flaky skin with mats around tail base

• Moderate calculus and gingivitis

• Resistance on extension of hips

What is the MER?

Ideal weight = 7.5 – (7.5 X 0.4) = 4.5

• RER = (4.5)^0.75 x 70 = 216 kcal

• MER = ? x RER

• MER = 0.8 x RER = 173 kcal

how much of the MER should be treats?

<10%

3 components of the diet that should be controlled with cardiac disease? Kidney disease? Obesity?

• sodium, water, EPA/DHA

• phosphorus, protein, EPA/DHA

• protein, fats, fibre

4 components of a diet that should be monitored with diabetes?

fibre

protein

fat

carbs (cats)

Are dogs carnivores?

no

Who is regulating the pet food industry in Canada? USA?

• canada: NO ONE—> no a requirement to have an AAFCO statement, some federal roles

• USA: must have AAFCO statement but they dont police. There are some state rules monitored by officials.

____% of cat and dog

owners, respectively, cited the

Internet and other media as a

primary source of information on

pet nutrition

16% and 17%

True or false: Dog owners tend to be more

mistrustful of commercial foods than

cat owners

true

Are cats carnivores?

yes—> produce only 5% of the amylase that dogs produce

_________________: something produced while making something else

By-product

Are by-products bad?

not always—> some are high quality foods like Vit E is a by-product soybean processing

Calcium level not to exceed phosphorus level by ____ times

2.2

True or false: feces, hoofs, gorns, hair, teeth and roadkill are considered low quality by-products

false—> they are NOT by products

What is meat meal?

Rendered (cooked) tissue and bone from slaughtered mammals (NOT

blood, hair, hoof, hide, manure, GIT contents)

• ≤ 9% of crude protein to be pepsin indigestible

How can you tell what quality of by-products in the ingredient list?

you cant

Should meat be the first ingredient in the list?

Because ingredients are listed in order of weight, and since meat’s main

component is water, having meat as the 1st ingredient does not guarantee

a high level of protein (which is usually the most expensive nutrient)

NOTE: some manufacturers will ingredient split to make meat the first ingredient

What is commonly added to pet foods to prevent spoiling (preservative)?

antioxidants

Should corn be fed in dog food? Explain.

Yes—>Corn is not a filler as a filler is defined as an ingredient providing no

nutrients. Corn is a good source of protein and amino acids (corn gluten

meal), carbohydrates, fatty acids (linoleic acid), and antioxidants (vit. E,

lutein, ß-carotene)

Corn is over 85% digestible in the dog and cat GIT when it is cooked and

ground, more digestible in fact than rice, wheat and barley, and beef and

poultry too

Is it a good thing if a pet food company has never had a recall?

no—> this generally means that they are not doing quality control

Thoughts on grain free diets?

only use if necessary due to unknown risks at this time. Taurine deficiency from this diet may cause dilated cardiomyopathy

What is the maximum diet percent should a mixer/topper be?

max 10%

__% of recipes are not adequate as the sole source of nutrition

95

What are the 5 key ingredients you should assess in a diet?

• carbs

• protein

• fat

• minerals

• vitamins and trace minerals

3 components to an AAFCO adequacy statement?

• whether the diet is complete and balanced

• what life stage is it intended for

• how did companies determine this—> formulates or feeding tests

What is the life stage factor for canines in first 42d gestation? last 21d?

1.8

3

What is the feline life stage factor for gestation? Lactation? growth?

1.6-2

2-6

2.5

Overweight and underweight queens should not be bred. Why not overweight ones?

increased incidence of dystocia

Unlike dogs, cats have ________ weight gain throughout pregnancy, beginning shortly after conception

• _________(dependent or independent) of the number of fetuses

linear

Independent

What percent of weight gained is lost when a queen gives birth? How about food intake?

40%

reduced but increases again

In felines, when is there peak lactation?

3-4w

Canines:

only ____% of fetal development occurs in the first 5 weeks

• ____% of fetal weight and length occur between days 45 – 55!

5.5

75

At what two points of canine gestation do food intake and weight significantly decline?

2 weeks after mating when the embryo most likely implants

during the last week of gestation (just before whelping many bitches stop eating completely)

If well prepared-> after whelping bitch

is only _______% above pre-breeding

weight

5 – 10

When should cats ideally start pregnancy/lactation food?

2 weeks before breeding

Lactation takes a lot of energy, cats: _____x RER , dogs ______ x RER. Free

feed during lactation to weaning.

2 to 6

3 to >6

___________

Feline—>Required for normal fetal development. Absence or deficiency = abortions, fetal abnormalities, neonatal death, or delayed growth and development

Taurine

Felines:

__________

• Pregnancy increases oxidative stress

• Due to increased oxygen consumption and altered metabolism

• Vitamin E, Vitamin A and Magnesium

antioxidants

2 essential fatty acids for felines during pregnancy/lactation?

LA and AA since cats cant synthesize LA

DHA for retinal development

Is calcium supplementation recommended in canines during pregnancy?

no—> because it will decrease PTH activity and increase risk for eclampsia

NOTE: max ratio of 2:1 calcium phosphorus

True or False? A bitch’s energy needs during gestation

increase with the size of its litter.

true

True or False? A queen’s energy needs during gestation

increase with the size of its litter.

false

True or False? After giving birth, both bitches and

queens should lose most of the weight they gained

during gestation.

false

True or False? Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for

foetal brain development.

true

Pet parents can begin offering gruel to at about 3 weeks of age. Two ways to make optimal gruels include?

1. Blend a canned puppy/kitten food, with an equal amount of warm water

2. Grind 1-part dry food, with 3 parts warm water

___________ reduces energy requirements 24 – 33%

Neutering

How old to wean canines?

8w

How can you promote dry off in canines?

• Day 1: isolate dam from puppies and withhold food. Allow puppies to eat weaning food. Reintroduce dam at night and remove all food

• Day 2: isolate dam permanently, provide ¼ ration of maintenance

• Day 3: ½ ration of maintenance

• Day 4: Normal ration of maintenance

When do canines reach their mature weights?

small and medium breeds= 9-12m

large/giant breeds= 18-24m

What is the optimal BCS for canines when growing? Is this the same for everyone?

5/9

no, large and giant breeds should be kept more slim at 4/9

True or false: AAFCO is not a regulatory body or enforcement agency and does not approve or test pet foods.

true

The ________________ is the federal body that regulates

pet food safety. They ensure that food is safe to eat, produced in sanitary

conditions, free of harmful substances, and truthfully labeled.

FDA

_________________________: Focuses on preventing animal diseases from entering Canada and ensuring banned materials (like Specified Risk Materials) are kept out of animal feed.

CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

______________: Consumer packing and labelling act and competition act. This legislation controls how things are packaged and how they product consumers from misinformation.

Competition Bureau

What are the only 3 mandatory label requirements in Canada?

1. the bilingual common name/intended species

2. Net quantity

3. The Manufacturers name and principal place of business.

_________________________: An industry group whose members

voluntarily manufacture foods according to AAFCO guidelines.

PFAC (Pet Food Association of Canada)

What are the 9 AAFCO required label components?

1. brand and product name

2. species designation

3. net quantity statement

4. manufacturer/distributor information

5. ingredient list (in descending order by weight)

6. guaranteed analysis

7. nutritional adequacy statement

8. calorie content

9. feeding directions

True or false: Vitamins and minerals make up about ½ of the ingredients on a

pet food label.

true (in their scientific names)

So essentially all diets require _______ protein sources to create

complementary protein. Incomplete proteins are lacking one

or more essential amino acids

TWO

How many essential amino acids do cats require? dogs?

11

10

4 life stages that AAFCO recognizes?

growth

maintenance

gestation/lactation

all life stages

Instead of relying on marketing buzzwords (like "holistic" or "premium"), veterinarians should guide clients using the ___________________________Guidelines.

WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association)

True or false: Senior pets have the same nutrient needs as their younger

counterparts.

true—> Quantities per unit of body weight may change, and the way they are provided may require modification.

AAFCO does not have a senior adequacy statement so what should you look for?

a maintenance diet

how do energy requirements differ in senior canines?

18-24% reduction in MER

so a decreased caloric need without impacting nutrients

they also have increased fibre

How do senior felines differ in energy requirements?

As cats age, energy requirements decrease

Then from 12-15, they actually require more energy

BUT digestibility of protein, fat and starch decrease with age

Should you decrease protein in senior patients?

Protein is important! Don’t restrict unless clinically indicated

What is the ideal level of protein for senior pets? (dogs and cats)

18% of ME in dogs

22.75% of ME in cats

What benefits can an increased dietary protein level bring to a senior pet?

• increasing lean body mass

• immune system support

• increase tissue repair

___________ can improve immune competence in senior dogs

→ Vitamin E, beta carotene, lutein

Antioxidants

Canned food with 75% moisture and 10% crude protein (as fed). Calculate the % of protein with dry matter basis.

- 100% – 75% moisture = 25% DMB

- 10% protein ÷ 25% DMB = 40% protein

- This food is 40% protein DMB

DMB in wet food is ___x that of dry food

4X

Kibble with 10% moisture and 18% crude protein (as fed). What is the protein % in a dry matter basis (DMB)?

- 100%-10% moisture = 90% DMB

- 18% protein ÷ 90% DMB = 20% protein DMB

How do you calculate carbohydrate content?

Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) found that ___% of dogs and ___% of cats were overweight or obese in a 2022 survey

59

61

Optimal body fat is ______% for dogs and cats

15-20

What is the definition of obesity?

>40% body fat

What are the 4 practical ways of determining the degree of obesity?

1. Relative body weight (RBW)

2. Body condition score (BCS)

3. Morphometric analysis

4. Body fat index (BFI)

What does relative body weight (RBW) equal?

= Animals weight ÷ Estimated ideal weight

What is one morphometric measurement that is consistent in both dogs and cats?

pelvic circumference

How does neuter status affect risk for obesity?

Gonadectomized dogs and cats: decreased metabolic rate by 20-25% due to loss of estrogens and androgens

What is the weight loss food break down in dogs?

● Dogs: 6-10% fat, 5-25% fibre, and 16-30% protein (think 10-20-30)

What is the weight loss food break down in cats?

● Cats: 8-12% fat, 3-15% fibre, and 34-42% protein (think 10-10-40)

If your animal is obese, Can you just feed less of the same food?

1. Calorie dense foods are higher in fat. Fat has 2.25X the calories of carbs and protein, and it is very efficiently digested and metabolized. Higher fat foods tend to promote retention of body weight, even when total calories consumed are reduced.

2. Decreased food fed = decreased nutrients = nutrient imbalances. Weight loss foods are designed to decrease calories without sacrificing nutrients such as protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, as they are proportionally higher in these items

5 steps of a weight loss plan?

1. commitment

2. feeding plan

3. exercise plan

4. communication

5. monitoring

What is one thing you may have to supplement in pets trying to lose weight?

omega 3FAs

________ is a theoretical minimum for daily energy consumption, not an

actual one

RER

How fast or slow should my pet be losing weight?

● ≤ 2% of body weight per week, otherwise unhealthy

● ≥ 0.5% is needed to maintain owner interest