Basics of nutrition

Question 1

What are the main components of nutrition?

Answer 1

Water
Energy (protein, fat and carb) (fat provides most)
Minerals
Vitamins

Question 2

What is RER?

Answer 2

Energy required to maintain homeostasis without catabolising body tissue

Question 3

What are the ways you can measure nutrient units?

Answer 3

% as fed (e.g. 8% protein)
% as dry matter (e.g. 28% DM protein)
Amount of nutrient per calories provided (e.g. 6g protein per 100kcal)
Proportion of total calories provided by nutrient (e.g. 23% metabolisable energy from protein)

Question 4

How many amino acids are there?

Answer 4

21

11 essential in cats, 10 in dogs

Question 5

Outline the importance of fat

Answer 5

Highest energy levels
Source of fat soluble vitamins (DAKE)
Also source of essential FAs - linoleic acid dogs and cats, arachadonic acid in cats
Source of omega 3s

Question 6

Outline the importance of carbohydrate

Answer 6

Not considered essential but very important source of energy, especially if another source if restricted
Provides fibre
soluble - holds water to make f+ softer
insoluble - adds faecal bulk

Question 7

What are the water soluble vitamins

Answer 7

B and C
C not essential
B is - 8 essential types, many enzymatic and metabolic functions

Question 8

What are the 2 types of mineral?

Answer 8

Macro - need >100mg/1000kcal

Micro - need less

Question 9

What are the nurtrients that don’t fall into any of the main categories?

Answer 9

Choline

L-carnitine

Question 10

What are the fat soluble vitamins and why are they important?

Answer 10

D - Ca homeostasis
A - vision/ immunity
K - coagulation
E - antioxidant

Question 11

What are the main important minerals?

Answer 11

Macro - Ca, Na, Cl, phos, K
Trace - Fe, Cu, Mang, Zn, I, Se

Important in body structure - Ca/ phos
body fluid - Na/ Cl
Enzymes - Zn

Question 12

Which animals need more protein?

Answer 12

Cats more than dogs

Question 13

What are the basic increased requirements in growth?

Answer 13

higher protein
energy
DHA (retinal and brain development)
Ca/ phos (ratio important)

Question 14

What does each point on a 9 scale BCS mean?

Answer 14

10-15% weight

e.g. 7/9 = 20-30% overweight

Question 15

Where can you go to get lots of tools for nutritional advice/ tips in hospital/ checklists etc

Answer 15

WSAVA global nutrition toolkit

Question 16

What are the signs of malnutrition?

Answer 16

Normally greater than 10% unintentional weight loss
Poor coat
poor wound healing
muscle wastage
hypoaalbuminaemia
impaired immunity

Question 17

What are the predisposing factors for malnutrition?

Answer 17

> 3d anorexia
Large protein loss - e.g. periotonitis, GI losses
Severe disease

Question 18

How can cooking affect food?

Answer 18

Can improve digestibility but raw shown overall to have better digestibility (and therefore smaller firmer f+)
Can cause loss of AAs
Improves plant bioavailability
Can destroy antinutrient factors

Question 19

How can raw food affect teeth

Answer 19

Wild animals have similar levels of periodontitis but less calculus - but is the periodontitis that leads to tooth loss

Question 20

What are the main risks of raw food?

Answer 20

Unbalanced nutrition
Bone fragment injury
microbial contamination

Question 21

What are the main nutrient imbalance risks for raw feeding?

Answer 21

60% raw commercial diets in canada had imbalances incl v low Ca, v low I, inadequate Ca Phos ratios

Question 22

What is the importance of microbial contamination in raw food?

Answer 22

Lots of disease found incl multidrug resistant salmonella
e.coli found in 60% of commercial diets in canada
Might increase shedding in the environment, e.g. yersinia and toxoplasma
Not to be used by immunocompromised people/ near children

Question 23

What are the main bone fragment injuries with raw feeding?

Answer 23

Tooth injury
Oesophageal FB
gut perforation

Question 24

What is the counter arguement that pets are carnivores that don’t need carb?

Answer 24

Whole grain is a mix of carb, protein, essential FAs, vitamins and fibre
Most dietary protein allergies in pets are meat based (beef, dairy, cats also fish and lamb)
Carb is a good source of glucose, which brain cells, RBCs and the renal medulla need
Although carb not needed essentially (except in reproducing animals) it is a good source of energy
Dogs are omnivores not carnivores. Studies have shown 36 genomic differences between wolves and dogs, 10 of these associated with carb and fat metabolism

Question 25

Which animals may have issues with grains?

Answer 25

Irish setters - gluten sensitive enteropathy

Border Terriers - canine epileptoid cramping syndrome

Question 26

When may a home cooked diet be appropriate?

Answer 26

Animal has more than one dz
Dz induced inappetance
No commercial option

Question 27

What is a quick/ general way of checking the suitability of a home cooked diet

Answer 27

Meat level - 25-30% dogs, 35-50% cats
Grain to meat ratio - 2-3:1 dogs, 1-2:1 cats
Oil (fat) source
Ca source (Ca carbonate)
Multivitamin and trace mineral source