Cat Nurition Flashcards
Cat have specific needs since they’re labeled as _____________
Obligate carnivores
T/F Cat Nutri is a big business
T
Energy sources for cats
Fats, Carbs, proteins
What is ME?
Metabolized energy
1. Gross en - (energy in feces) = Digestible energy
2. Gross energy - (energy in feces, urine, gas) = metabolized energy
Energy is expressed as _________________
DE or ME
ME is used for:
used for: maintenance, heat, production (growth, gestation, activity, lactation)
Intake of food can be upset be:
- Decreased activity
- Drastic change in environmental temperature
- Palatability changes
- Change from low energy to high energy food
- Change in health of teeth and gums
- Improper balance of nutrients
Requirments for carbs
No real requirements
- cats lack salivary amylase
- RM: lack of sweet receptors
Cats lack _________ for carbs
salivary amylase
Cats lack _____ receptors
sweet
high levels of ______ prolly not healthy
carbs
many adult cats are ___________
lactose intolerant
Cats need ___ of dry matter fat
9%
Cats can handle ___ of fat
50% in diet
Free choice of fat is ______%
15-20% by weight
Fat affects _________
palatability
Required fatty acids deficiency causes _______
skin and coat problems
Excess fat can cause:
diarrhea
The most required macronutrient
Protein -> 40%
Suggested amount of protein
25-30%
Cat body doesn’t adjust well to _____ diets
low-protein diets
Specific amino acid requirements
Arginine
- 1 meal without arginine can potentially be deadly
- very common
Healthy to feed only dog food to cat?
no
“Amino acid-like” substance
Taurine
– Most animals can convert cysteine to taurine
– Cats can’t
– Deficiency can cause
* Retinal degeneration
* Heart problems
– Only present in animal products
Vitamins
Vit A
- other animals can convert beta-carotene to Sit A (retinol)
- cats cannot
Niacin – Vit B3
- Most animals convert tryptophan to niacin
- Cats cannot
Thiamin
- not usually deficient, but anti-thiamin substances occur
(in some raw fish esp.)
Minerals
NaCl
- NAY: Concern about urolithiasis
(pH of urine can be affected by diet)
MOST IMPORTANT nutrient?
WATERRRRR
Dry food for cat > Wet food for cat?
idk, both(?)
Dry cat food
- 5-12% most
- cheaper, less spoilage, better for teeth
- more plant protein
- more carbs
Canned cat foods
- 72-85% moist
- 80% fo thiamin is lost in canning process, so processor must add in extra thiamin)
Wet cat food
- more protein
- less carbs
- more expensive (pay more for water)
- spoils quicker
Non-nutritional feed considerations
- Consistency, odor, volume, etc. of feces
– Digestibility is important - Appeal of feed to owner
(color, odor, texture) - Appeal of feed to animal
(smell)
Regulaory Agencies
- USDA (United States Department of
Agriculture) - FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
- FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
- State Associations = Department Agriculture,
Trade, Consumer Protection (DATCP) - AAFCO (Association of American Feed
Control Officials) *** - National Academies 2006; Nutrient
Requirements of Dogs and Cats.
– A valuable resource for industry professionals formulating diets; label regulations etc.
AAFCO
- Association of American Feed Control
Officials
– Maintains official definitions of feed
ingredients
– Regulates labeling terms “Complete and
Balanced”, “Nutritious”, etc.
“Meat”
clean flesh of slaughtered
mammals and is limited to…the striate muscle…with or
without the accompanying and overlying fat and the
portions of the skin, sinew, nerve and blood vessels
which normally accompany the flesh.
“Meat meal”
the rendered product from mammal
tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, horn, hide
trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents
Some changes: FDA is getting more _______
involved
National Academies 2006; Nutrient
Requirements of Dogs and Cats
- Lists all known nutritional requirements
- based on published research trials
How much to feed?
- Cats will eat 8-16 small “meals” each day
– Many will overeat, especially with inactivity
Two meals a day can be good
– Limits intake
– Helps to monitor eating habits
– Able to feed each cat differently in multiple cat
households
How much to feed: body condition scores
Example 1-5
- 1: emaciated - visible bones
- 3: robs/musculature palpable, abdominal tuck visible
- 5: extremely obese, hard to feel bones
Is Body Mass Index used?
proposed, but not really used
Commonality of obesity?
very common
Restricting food can be ______
dangerous
Hepatic lipidosis
secondary consequence from obesity, cancer, kidney disease, any liver problem, etc…
relating to diet
Commercial diets are made to be fed as the _____
sole ration
Treats can affect _______ if fed in large amounts
formulation
Generally, treats and table scraps shouldn’t;t be more than ____% of diet
10%
Supplements versus Feed
- Feed: made to be complete diet
- Better to feed a little good feed rather than supplements
- Over supplementation can cause problems
Easy or hard to fulfill all nutrient needs for cats?
Hard
Cat digest system not designed for ____ digestion
veggie digestion
No ___ in a veggie diet for cats
Low ___
Taurine, B-12, and other B-vitamins
Low zinc
Feeding geriatric cats
- Most important to feed highly quality proteins
- Energy needs are less (30-40% less)
- monitor dental health
Feed geriatric cats: - Most important to feed what?
highly quality proteins
