20: Nutritional disorders and wellness diets 1 Flashcards
Types of food sensitivity? Difference btw them?
- Food allergy (hypersensitivity): adverse reactions to food that have an immunologic basis
- Food intolerance: adverse reactions to food due to nonimmunologic mechanism
Clinical signs similar, mechanism different
What % of allergic responses in dogs and cats are due to food?
10 to 20%
Symptoms of food sensitivity? Clinical signs appear when?
Skin: pruritis (itchy), self-inflicted alopecia, plaques, ulcers on lip in some cats
Digestive tract: vomiting, small bowel diarrhea, large bowel diarrhea
Clinical signs appear 4 to 24h after consumption of food with offending antigen
Food allergens are generally…
Large proteins: beef, dairy products, fish and gluten intolerance
Lactose intolerance
Diagnosis of food sensitivity
First: rule out other causes of allergic disease, then
- feed an elimination diet and demonstrate a decrease or elimination of clinical signs
- “challenge” the animal with the original diet and observe a return of clinical signs
- feed select ingredients to identify the specific dietary component to which the animal is allergic
How do you select an elimination diet? How long should you feed it and what do you look for?
Diet containing novel protein and CHO sources
e.g. cat = lamb and barley, dog = fish and potato, horse = timothy hay
Feed it for 8 to 10 weeks
Look for diminishing clinical signs of hypersensitivity. If they decrease, re-feed original diet, observe for return of signs.
If signs reappear = definitive diagnosis of food hypersensitivity
Adding food allergen to elimination diet
Food allergens can be identified by adding a small amount of a single suspected allergen (e.g. 1 tbsp of ground beef) to the elimination diet
Lifelong management of food allergy
Exclusively feed diet that is nutritionally complete and balanced and does not contain the food allergens to which animal reacts
Additional treats and human foods should not be fed unless they are known to be free of the allergen
Slide 9
Look
Most common form of malnutrition in companion animals? Prevalence?
Obesity
25 to 44% of dogs, 20 to 48% of cats, 25 to 45% horses
Why is obesity more common now?
Changes in lifestyle to sedentary companions (+ positive energy balance)
Cat = mouser in barns
Dogs = working partner
Horse = free-range grazer/labour
What is the cause of obesity
Overconsumption of calories
- excess body fat deposition
- increased ratio of fat to lean tissue
Positive balance for extended period of time
- energy intake high
- energy expenditure lower
= lower health and longevity
Definitions of overweight, obese? Begs the question…
- Animals 1 to 9% above optimal weight = above optimal
- Animals 10 to 19% above optimal weight = overweight
- Animals >20% above optimal weight = obese
Begs the Q, what is normal or optimal weight?
Risk factors for obesity (5)
- Breed
- Gender and gonadectomy (neuter status)
- Age
- Physical activity
- Type of diet fed
How is breed a risk factor for obesity? Gender/gonadectonomy?
Breed: cocker spaniels, golden/labrador reetrivers, shetland sheepdogs
Females more at risk, neutering of dogs and cats lowers basal metabolic rates/decreases voluntary activity
How is age a risk factor for obesity? Physical activity?
Age: growing animals not likely obese. Older dogs and horses (decrease in E requirement), middle-aged cats
Physical activity: Daily energy expenditure.
Working vs sedentary dog, playful/outdoor cat vs sedentary, exercising horse vs pasture pet. Individual temperament.
How is type of diet fed a risk factor for obesity?
- Caloric composition of foods and feeding
- Highly palatable diet (overconsumption, calorically dense foods, high fat)
- Free-choice feeding
Slides 15, 16
Calculating daily intake for weight loss cats/dogs
What should we feed cats for weight loss?
Cat food formulated for weight loss
- contain adequate amounts of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals
- restricting normal maintenance may result in nutrient deficiencies
Composition of weight loss diet in cats
- Fewer calories
- Decrease fat content to 8 to 12% (maintain palatability, reduce E)
- Increase amount of complex CHOs (starch and fiber, decrease sugar)
- Increase indigestible fiber (increase bulk/defecation)
When increasing indigestible fiber in a cat weight loss diet, be aware that…
Decreases digestibility of diet
Bulk may not reduce voluntary energy consumption
What should we change in a weight loss diet for dogs (vs maintenance)
More complex CHOs as source of E (lower in E than fat)
- maintenance = 30-50% of calories from CHOs
- weight loss diets = 50 to 60% of calories from CHOs (more fiber)
Fiber diets create bulk to decrease appetite
Adverse side effects of increasing bulk in dog weight loss diets
- Reduced nutrient digestibility
- Poor skin and hair coat quality
- Poor diet palatability and acceptance
How to feed a horse for weight loss (6)
- Lower amount of ration for high-calorie diet
- Consume diet with lower energy value
- Increase energy expenditure through exercise
- Reduce level of nonfibrous CHOs and fat (feed more fiber)
- Feed bulkier feedstuffs
- Restrict grazing of lush pastures
Examples of diseases associated with or exacerbated by obesity (7)
- Hyperthyroidism
- Diabetes mellitus
- Joint stress/musculoskeletal pain
- Hypertension
- Decreased immune function
- Degenerative joint and orthopaedic disease
- Cardiovascular disease
What is diabetes mellitus?
Chronic endocrine disorder caused by altered glucose metabolism, usually as result of either relative or absolute deficiency of insulin
Characteristics and cause of type 1 diabetes? What species is prone?
Abrupt onset, more common in dogs
Absolute lack of endogenous insulin production by the pancreas
- bc of immune-mediated destruction of the pancreatic islet B-cells
- need for regular administration of exogenous insulin for survival
What is type 2 diabetes? Characteristics? Cause?
Slow onset, cats more prone
Impaired insulin secretion and cellular resistance to circulating insulin
- Insulin resistance = elevated concentration of circulating insulin needed to maintain blood glucose adequately
- Deposition of amyloid in islet cells of pancreas
- Complete loss of beta cell function over time
Diet may be a cause (rapidly digestible CHOs (starch/sugar))
Clinical symptoms of diabetes mellitus
- short or long term hyperglycemia = glucose toxicity
- increased water consumption
- increased urination (polyuria)
- occasionally weight loss
If uncorrected, can lead to renal disease, neurological disorders and development of cataracts
Risk factors for diabetes mellitus in cats
Type 2 most common
Risk factors: age, obesity, inactivity, neutered males (higher risk), breed (siamese and burmese)
What % of diabetic cats need insulin therapy for survival? Why?
70%
Bc of amyloid deposition in islet cells:
- impairment of insulin deposition
- insufficient insulin secretion
- need for exogenous insulin
Management of diabetes in cats
- Most need insulin injection (to prevent glucose fluctuations), only a few can be treated with diet alone
- Weight reduction and control
- Minimize postprandial blood glucose fluctuations
- Feed a premium cat food with high quality ingredients and consistent caloric distribution of CHOs, fats, protein
- Portion-controlled meal feeding (multiple small meals)
- Meal should be offered prior to administering insulin
- Monitor blood glucose levels
Why should meals be offered prior to administering insulin?
If not, blood glucose will drop and cat may become unconscious
Characteristics, risk factors of diabetes in dogs
Type 1 most common (require daily injections of insulin)
Diabetes related to obesity
Other factors: age (females more prone), sex, presence of hormonal abnormalities, breed (schnauzers, samoyed, australian terrier)
Dietary management of diabetes in dogs
- Complex CHOs (starch and fiber) should make up 40-50% of calories (avoid rice)
- Food should contain fermentable fiber
- Moderately restrict fat
- Feed high quality dog food w consistent CHO, fat and protein caloric distribution
- Portion-controlled meal feeding
- Consistent feeding times (coincide w peak insulin action)
- Meal before insulin administration
Diabetes mellitus in horses
Pancreatic secretion of insulin rarely fails during lifespan
Insulin resistance is quite common w obesity, but diabetes not
More common in older horses/ponies
Insulin resistance leads to other disorders: laminitis, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, osteochondrosis
Dietary treatment of diabetes in horses
- provide meals at intervals to avoid large glucose response
- avoid high starch diets
What is hepatic lipidosis? Risk factors? Clinical signs?
Common liver disorder in cats w high mortality rate
Excessive accumulation of TGs in hepatic cells interferes w liver function
Affects females more, associated w obesity and diabetes mellitus
Clinical signs = anorexia, depression, jaundice, weight loss, muscular wasting
Reversible w aggressive treatment
Dietary management for hepatic lipidosis in cats
- Requires early diagnosis and immediate nutritional therapy
- High protein, energy dense formulated diet (30-50% protein, 30-50% fat)
- Anorexia may persist (tube feeding)
- Long term treatment = prevent obesity/promote weight loss
What is laminitis in horses?
Systemic disease resulting from failure of attachment between laminae junction in foot (inflammation of laminae)
Four phases of laminitis
- Developmental
- Acute
- Subacute
- Chronic
Dietary management for laminitis
Obesity and insulin resistance leads to breakdown and separation of laminae
Weight loss program:
- avoid rapidly digestible starches
- avoid forages rich in water-soluble CHOs (glucose, fructose, sucrose)
- feed low-caloric density food
- Feed diet that does not disturb microbial environment in cecum