Basic Nutrients Flashcards
What is the role of saliva?
Lubricates food and in some species it contains Ptyalin which begins the breakdown of food ( present in dogs but not cats)
What is the name of the muscular movement of food through the digestive tract?
Peristalsis
What is the role of HCl in the digestion of proteins?
lowers the pH of stomach contents which activates pepsinogen to pepsin. Pepsin plays an important role in digesting proteins
What is the enzyme that breaks down milk fats?
Gastric Lipase
What is the role of bicarbonate in digestion?
Neutralises the pH of the stomach contents before entry into small intestine to allow pancreatic enzymes to function effectively
What effect does Bile have on fats?
Emulsifies them (helps breakdown)
Name some disaccharidases
Sucrase, lactase, maltase
How are products of fat digestion absorbed?
Through the lacteals in the villi of the small intestine , then transported to the cysterna chyli and then the thoracic duct and then into the bloodstream
What solid nutrient is found in the highest quantity in dry dog food?
Carbohydrates
What is the average daily water intake for cats and dogs?
Approx 50mls/kg/day
What amino acid is essential to cats but not to dogs?
Taurine - cats cannot synthesize this in the body from the excesses of other amino acids
Name the fat soluble vitamins
ADEK
Name the water-soluble vitamins
B and C
What is the main difference between fat soluble and water soluble vitamins?
Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in the fat tissue and are therefore less prone to deficiencies and more prone to toxicosis. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored and are more prone to becoming depleted
What is the chemical name for Vitamin A?
Retinol
What is the function of Vitamin A?
Necessary for vision, reproduction, immunity and bone growth, maintenance of epithelium
What are sources of Vitamin A?
Fish oils
Liver
Plant sources in the form of carotenes (need activation in the body - peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots)
What are the consequences of an excess of vitamin A?
Skeletal malformations e.g. fusion of vertebrae in cats, bones overgrow
Hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity in skin)
What are the consequences of a Vitamin A deficiency?
Night Blindness Xerophthalmia (conjunctiva dryness) Impaired growth Reproductive failure Loss of epithelial integrity Dermatoses
Any specific info relating to Cats and Vitamin A?
Cats cannot produce the active form of Vit A so need to consume it in their diet e.g. eggs, fish oil
What is the chemical name of Vitamin D?
Cholecalciferol (D3) (found in animals)
Ergocalciferol (D2) (found in plants)
What is the function of Vitamin D?
Essential for calcium and phosphorous metabolism
What are sources of Vitamin D?
Marine fish and fish oils Liver Egg yolks Plants UV (activates the provitamin creating cholecalciferol in the skin)
What are the consequences of an excess of Vitamin D?
Hypercalcaemia
Soft tissue mineralisation
Renal failure
What are the consequences of a deficiency of Vitamin D?
Poor bone mineralization
(rickets in young animals; osteomalacia in adults)
Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
(too much PTH released as trying to correct Ca levels)
What is the chemical name for Vitamin E?
Tocopherols
What is the function of Vitamin E?
Antioxidant - defends against oxidative damage in cells
What are sources of Vitamin E?
only found in plants
Vegetable oils, seeds and grains
What are the consequences of an excess of Vitamin E? (rare)
Can impair absorption of other fat-soluble vitamins
What are the consequences of a deficiency of Vitamin E?
Pansteatitis in cats (inflammation of body fat)
Degenerative skeletal muscle disease
Impaired male reproductive function
Failure of gestation
What is the chemical name for Vitamin K?
Quinones
What Is the function of Vit k?
Activates blood clotting factors
What are the sources of Vit k?
Green leafy plants/vegetables
Bacteria in Liver
What are the consequences of an excess of Vitamin K?
unlikely to cause any toxicity
What are the consequences of a deficiency in Vitamin K?
Coagulopathy (impaired clotting ability)
Haemorrhage
*can be caused by lack of bacteria in LI due to antibiotics, warfarin, rat poison etc.
Name some important B vitamins
Thiamine (B1) Riboflavin (B2) Niacin (B3) Pantothenic Acid Cobalamin (B12)
What are the main functions of the B vitamins?
Involved in the use of food energy
Important for cell maintenance and growth and/or cell synthesis
What are the sources of B vitamins?
Whole grains, Wheat, rice Meat Dairy Green Vegetables Yeast
What are the consequences of an excess of B vitamins?
Very rare
What are the consequences of a deficiency of B vitamins?
Anorexia, weight loss
Muscle weakness
Neurological issues, seizures
Dermatitis
What is the chemical name for vitamin C?
Ascorbic Acid
What are the functions of Vitamin C?
Antioxidant Free radical scavenger collagen synthesis immunity drug and steroid metabolism iron absorption wound healing
What are the sources of Vitamin C?
Dogs and cats are able to synthesize Vitamin C in the liver. In small animals, provide: Broccoli cabbage spinach leafy greens green and red pepper
What are the consequences of an excess of Vitamin C?
Low risk
What are the consequences of a deficiency of Vitamin C?
Does not occur in cats and dogs
In guinea pigs commonly scurvy
(impaired wound healing and faulty bone formation)
Name the teeth and their function
Incisors - nibbling/grooming
Canines - catching prey/piercing flesh
Premolars - carnassial for cutting flesh
Molars - chewing/grinding
What are the main differences in rabbit teeth?
Peg teeth on top (incisors behind incisors)
No canines - have diastema
Have premolars but no carnassial
Open-rooted teeth
Name the 4 salivary glands
Zygomatic
Parotid
Mandibular
Sublingual
What are the functions of saliva?
Lubricates food
Aids mechanical and chemical (in some species) digestion
Thermoregulation
What enzyme is found in the saliva?
Ptyalin or alpha-amylase (starts to digest carbohydrates)
NOT produced in cats.
What are the 3 main gastric secretion?
Parietal cells secrete HCl and intrinsic factor
Chief cells secrete inactive pepsinogen
Goblet cells produce mucus
What is the job of pepsin?
Converts protein into polypeptides
What is the function of HCl?
Lowers pH and activates pepsinogen to pepsin
What is the function of Renin?
secreted by stomach wall and coagulates milk proteins
What is the function of gastric lipase?
Produced by stomach - starts digestion of fats in milk.
Breaks down fats to fatty acids and glycerol
Why shouldn’t you give adult dogs/cats milk?
Lipase tends to be more prevalent in young animals and production reduces after weaning. So if you don’t have milk for years and then give an adult it, they cannot digest it.
What is the function of pancreatic juice?
Contains bicarbonate (HCO3) which reduces the acidity of chyme allowing pancreatic enzymes to work.
What does enterokinase do?
Converts inactive trypsinogen to trypsin
What does trypsin do?
Breaks down proteins
What is the function of amylase?
Breaks down Carbohydrates
What is the function of Peptidases?
Break down polypeptides into amino acids
What is the digestion function of bile?
Emulsifies fats - breaks them down into smaller parts so that it’s easier to break down
Name some disaccharidases
maltase, lactase, sucrase
What do disaccharidases do?
Breakdown disaccharides to monosaccharides
How are the products of digestion absorbed?
Amino acids and simple sugars are absorbed into the blood capillaries in the villi of the SI
Fatty acids and glycerol are absorbed into the lacteals of the villi of the small intestine.
What happens to fats once they’ve been absorbed into lacteals?
Carried to the cysterna Chyli then the thoracic duct and back into the blood.
Where do protein and fat metabolism occur?
Liver
What are the functions of the liver?
Protein and Fat metabolism Bile production Stroage of fat-soluble vitamins Detox Iron store Ammonia converted to urea Synthesis of fibrinogen & other clotting proteins Storage of glucose as glycogen
What occurs in the large intestine?
Absorption of water and electrolytes
How much body weight is water?
70%. 50% in cells and 20% in between cells
What is the water requirement of animals?
Approx 50mls per kg per day
varies according to diet type
Does water provide energy?
No. Not at all