Nutrient and energy requirements cont.

Nutrition Composition

Diets will contain varying amounts of and types of nutrients, and the nutrient profile will have an affect on the nutrient metabolism and also the amount of food that the animal will consume by choice.

•  Most animals will decrease the amount that they consume of a high fat diet 

• Some high calorie diets (such as high fat diets) will have increased palatability, which may cause the animal to eat more than they normally would of that diet 

• Adding treats and table scraps to an animals diet can override the body’s satiety signals as they are very appealing to the animal despite if they are “full”

Estimated Energy Requirements

There are many formulas that can be used to calculate the estimated energy requirements for animals

• Dogs are more challenging to estimate as different breeds cause a large variation in size for the species 

Some equations will utilize the following: 

• Algometric formulas

•  Linear equations 

• Body surface area

•  Charts

 All methods produce a result that are within a reasonable amount of each other

• Charts that have an MER calculated will allow the amount of kcals required to be determined.

• All estimated energy requirements will require adjustments to be made based on the response from the animal and the desired outcome.

Calculating the RER in Adult Maintenance

Canine: RER (kcal/day) = 70 x (body wt in kg)^0.75 OR RER (kcal/day) = (30 x body wt in kg) + 70 Feline: RER (kcal/day) = 70 x (body wt in kg)^0.75 OR RER (kcal/day) = (40 x body wt in kg) + 70

Feeding Trials

• Most accurate way of measuring a diet's ME for that particular species

•  Challenging to perform - costly, time consuming, requires a large number of animals in the study group

•  The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), is a government body that oversees pet food production. They have specific requirements for feed trials

Energy Density

• Energy density of a pet food is referring to the number of kilocalories present in a given weight or volume of the food 

• The diet must have a high enough energy density for the animal to be able to consume enough food to meet its daily energy needs

•  It is energy density that will be the main factor in determining the amount of food the pet will eat each day

•  Since the amount of food given to an animal is based on the energy needs of the animal and the energy density of the food, it is imperative that the other nutrients are also balanced in that quantity of food

Imbalances

• Excess energy intake is very common in both cats and dogs. >50% of dogs and cats are overweight or obese according to the AVMA 

• It has been shown that puppies - especially those that are of a large or giant breed that have excessive energy intake are more likely to develop skeletal disorders

•  Excessive energy intake during growth also creates higher numbers of fat cells within the animal's body which can contribute to obesity later on in life

•  Obesity in animals is linked to a higher prevalence of orthopedic disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, pancreatitis and heart failure

•  Inadequate levels of energy in the diet will cause a reduced growth rate in growing animals, and muscle wasting in adult animals