Companion Animal Nutrition

life stage nutrition

the practice of feeding animals foods designed to meet their optimal nutritional needs at a specific age or physiological state

growth → maintenance → reproduction/lactation → senior

unqualified use of a term in a product name

(beef, tuna..) in a product name requires that the ingredient be at least 95% or more of the total weight of all ingredients exclusive of water used in the processing, but no less than 70% of the total product

use of a term with a qualifier such as “dinner”, “platter”, etc in product name

requires that the ingredient must be at least 25% of the total weight of all ingredients exclusive to water used in processing but in no case less than 10% of the total product

the term “with…” in a product name

intended to highlight minor ingredients and this example requires that ingredient to be at least 3% of the total product

the term “…flavor” in a product name

does not stipulate a minimum percentage. The ingredient flavor designation usually indicates that the flavor is less than 3% of the total product.

when formulating diets, what do you always start with?

energy

energy in formulating a diet

energy is the primary regulator of food consumption

animals should be fed enough food to meet their energy requirements

the non-energy nutrients should be balanced relative to energy density to ensure nutrient intake

animals eating an energy-dense food consume less of the food to meet energy needs

basal metabolic rate (BMR)

the energy required to maintain homeostasis in an animal in a post-absorptive state

maintenance energy requirement (MER)

the energy required to support energy equilibrium over a long period of time

daily energy requirement (DER)

the energy required to support energy equilibrium taking into account other factors

basal heat production for mature, warm-blooded animals could be described by the expression…

BMR (kcal) = 70.5 x W^0.73

maintenance energy requirements of dogs has been estimated to be…

MER = 130xW^0.75

daily energy requirements (DER) in dogs is calculated from …

adjusted BMR

what is the energy requirement of sedentary dogs

1.2 to 1.4 x BMR (85 to 98 kcal ME/kg BW^0.75

what is the energy requirement of an active dog

1.6-1.9 x BMR (112-133 kcal ME/kg BW^0.75

what is the energy requirements of a sled dog

may require up to 15 x BMR (1050 kcal ME) to maintain body weight

BS -1 characteristic

thin

BS -2 characteristic

underweight

BS -3 characteristic

ideal

BS -4 characteristic

overweight

BS -5 characteristic

obese

protein requirements of dogs

estimate based on endogenous nitrogen excretion equates to a minimum requirement of 1.7 g digestible protein/BW^0.75 for an ideal protein

when an average quality is used, the minimum requirements are increased to 2.1-2.5 g of digestible protein/kg BW^0.75

protein requirements in commercial foods

min allowance for CP is 10% of dry matter

recommended range for CP is 15-30 of dry matter

fat requirements of adult healthy dogs

min recommended allowance for dietary fat in foods for normal healthy adult dogs is 8.5%, which at least 1% of the food is linoleic acid (DM)

fat requirements for a young adult dog

the recommended range is 10-20% (DM)

the fat requirements for an obese-prone adult dog

lower levels of dietary fat are recommended (7-10% DM)

fiber requirements of dogs

the levels of dietary fat and fiber are important determinants of a food’s energy density

is a poor source of energy for dogs; thus, as the fiber content of foods increases, energy density decreases

dietary fiber also helps promote satiety

crude fiber up to 5% DM

obese-prone dogs may benefit from at least 10% DM crude fiber

patient assessment should include …

accurate and detailed medical and nutritional histories

reviewing the medical record

conducting a physical examination

evaluating results of laboratory and other diagnostic tests

patient assessment: medical and nutritional histories

a minimum dietary database for all canine patients should be obtained and include:

the type of food fed

recipes if homemade food represents the majority of the diet

brand names of commercial foods, if known

names of supplements, treats, and snacks

method of feeding

patient assessment for medical and nutritional histories → an extended dietary database includes:

quantities fed

recent changes in food type, intake, and preferences

access to food for other pets or livestock

who in the family buys food for the pet/feeds the pet

appetite changes with estimates for magnitude and duration

energy requirements of cats

caloric requirements are calculated based on neuter status and activity

1.2 x BMR for active neutered cats

1.4-1.6 x BMR for active and intact cats

most housecats are neutered and are minimally active and are more prone to overweight and obesity

1.0 x BMR is a good starting point and increase to reach ideal BCS

obese cats may require as little as 0.8 x BMR

what is the recommended range of energy density in foods for inactive/obese-prone young adult cats

3.3-3.8 kcal/g DM

what is the recommended range for foods for normal weight young adult cats?

4-5 kcal/g

protein requirements of cats

adult cats must rely primarily on gluconeogenesis from precursors for maintenance of blood glucose concentrations: glucogenic amino acids, lactic acid, glycerol

in omnivores, max gluconeogenesis occurs in the post-absorptive state when dietary glucose is absent

in cats, gluconeogenesis is maximal in the absorptive phase immediately after a meal

protein requirements for young cats

NRC suggests the minimum protein requirement for adult cats is 16% and the minimum recommended allowance is 20%

commercial foods prepared from natural ingredients and processed may have lower protein digestibility than the experimental foods used to establish these minimums

to provide margin of safety, AAFCO suggests a minimum dietary protein level of 26% DM for adult maintenance

cats have a special dietary requirement for what?

amino acids

cats require more arginine, taurine, methionine, and cysteine

also require more tryptophan to produce niacin

Vitamins B6, A, D3

the minimum recommended DM allowance of fat in adult cat food is ___

9%

fat levels above 9% DM are recommended for most cats

fiber requirements for young cats

cats do not require dietary fiber, but small amounts can enhance stool quality and promote normal GI function

natural foods of cats typically contain less than 1% dietary fiber

fiber concentrations lower than 5% DM are recommended for normal young adult cats

obese-prone cats → benefit from 5-15% DM crude fiber