6: Nutrient Requirements for Adult Cats Flashcards

1
Q

What is an ‘adult’ cat? Stages?

A

Reach adulthood around 12 months
Nearing 7 years = older
1-7 years = young to middle-aged cats

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2
Q

Water requirement varies with… What parts of diet composition should affect water intake

A

Requirement varies with physiological and environmental conditions

Adjust water intake based on DM content (dry diet = more), protein (more protein = more water to maintain urine), sodium (more= more water)

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3
Q

Recommended water intake for cats?

A

1 mL water per kcal ME prevents urinary problems/crystals

Allow cats to self-regulate

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4
Q

Where do cats get water? What else would influence water requirement?

A

From food, water, metabolic water (glucose oxidation)
Climate (hot/dry), lactation

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5
Q

What would influence a cat’s energy requirement?

A

Age, activity, sex, neuter status (more fat tissue, less muscle tissue = more protein turnover = higher E requirement), breed, hairless cat (less insulation)

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6
Q

Thermoneutral zone of cat? What does it affect

A

between 30 and 38C
If not in thermoneutral zone, maintenance energy requirement goes up

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7
Q

Is the association between body mass and energy requirement linear?

A

No. Mouse has a greater E requirement /kg body weight than elephant

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8
Q

What is metabolic body weight in cats? Why is it important

A

BW ^ 0.67
Create linearity between body weight and maintenance energy requirement

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9
Q

Maintenance energy requirement (MER) calculation in cats

A

100 kcal metabolizable energy (ME) x kg BW^0.67

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10
Q

Slide 12

A

body condition scoring

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11
Q

Carbohydrate digestion in cats

A
  • limited capacity to metabolize certain sugars
  • low adaptation of disaccharidases at brush border (effectively utilize some monosaccharides)
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12
Q

Safe upper limits of CHOs (g/kg DM diet)

A

Glucose or sucrose = 50-150
Lactose or raffinose = 50
Fructo-oligosaccharides = 7.5
Cellulose = 100

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13
Q

Is there a known optimal starch inclusion level for the cat diet?

A

No, from the kibble perspective there is (optimize binding)

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14
Q

Change in lactase activity in the cat

A

High in first 5 weeks of life, but decreases drastically during weaning period (decrease of lactose in the diet)

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15
Q

Describe starch utilization in cats

A
  • requirement not determined
  • limited fermentation (non-functional cecum)
  • small amounts recommended
  • prebiotics
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16
Q

Recommended & dietary fiber in cat diet

A

Natural foods of cats contain </=1% of dietary fiber
Recommended </=5% dietary fiber

17
Q

Why is protein in excess rapidly catabolized

A
  1. body maintenance
  2. stimulate protein synthesis
  3. excess energy stored as fat
18
Q

Danger of feeding excess protein

A

Increased risk for renal disease (need to excrete a lot of nitrogen from deamination)

19
Q

Compare efficiency of protein utilization in cats to other species

A

Lower in cats due to lack of ability to conserve N and essential AA

20
Q

Functions of fat. Essential f.a. in cats

A

energy source, fat soluble vitamins, palatability

Linoleic, arachidonic, a-linolenic (EPA/DHA)

21
Q

Fat digestibility in cats

A

94-99%
Cats tolerate high amounts of dietary fat (high-density lipoprotein mammals)

22
Q

Deleterious effects of lipid oxidation? How to prevent

A

Feline pansteatitis (body fat becomes inflamed (yellow fat disease))

High levels of PUFA (e.g. high fish diet) = high levels of vitamin E: prevents free-radical or oxidative damage

23
Q

When does Ca deficiency occur in cats? P excess causes… Ideal Ca:P ratio

A

Ca deficiency may occur in cats only eating non-supplemented meat (no bone)

P excess causes lower urinary tract and renal disease

Ca : P ratio = 0.9 to 1.1 : 1

24
Q

Behavioural, physical and metabolic changes in older cats

A
  • less active
  • decreased lean body mass
  • decreased digestive function, immune response, glucose tolerance, renal function, smell, taste perception
  • less adaptable to metabolic and physiological perturbations (e.g. new foods)
25
Q

Goals of nutrition in older cats

A
  • maintain ideal body condition and weight (typically by feeding less_
  • adequate intake of nutritious food
  • good hydration
  • minimize disease
26
Q

Nutritional modifications to slow down aging in cats

A
  • decrease caloric intake
  • adequate amounts of other nutrients
  • difficult to achieve
27
Q

How does water intake/requirement change in older cats

A
  • impaired thirst sensitivity
  • decline in renal function (increased water losses due to incapability to concentrate urine)
  • reduced ability to thermoregulate
28
Q

How do energy requirements change as cats age?

A

They decrease then increase with age

29
Q

Energy requirements of very old cats

A

Need energy dense diets or else weight loss
- significant reduction in fat digestibility
- slight reduction in protein digestibility
- decline in pancreatic enzyme secretion

30
Q

Protein requirement in older cats

A
  • no restriction of dietary protein
  • maintenance of lean body mass, protein synthesis and immune function
  • protein needs higher than young to middle aged cats
  • feed high quality protein (high digestibility, ideal aa balance aka animal protein)
31
Q

Fat requirements in older cats

A
  • risk of death increases 3-fold in obese cats (moderate to low levels of fat may reduce risk of obesity)
  • fat sources should be highly digestible (ability to digest fat decreases)
  • dietary fat improves palatability (improves food/caloric intake)
32
Q

Fat digestibility with age

A

Reduction of fat digestibility in aging cats
Phenomenon for all f.a. groups
Need higher quality fat

33
Q

Fiber requirement in older cats

A
  • constipation is a common problem in older cats
  • Insoluble fiber (<5%) can help in managing constipation (gut health)
  • high level of fiber (<10%) = reduced nutrient digestibility, caloric density (cat stops eating)
34
Q

Why is constipation common in older cats

A

Reduced water intake, limited activity and reduced colonic motility

35
Q

Ca and P requirements in older cats

A
  • bone mass of cats declines after 7 years of age
  • moderate levels of available dietary Ca recommended to maintain bone mass
  • reduction in dietary P levels recommended (30% of cats have kidney disease)