Cat Nutrition Flashcards
obligate carnivore
needs to eat meat
energy requirements
proteins, fats, carbs used for energy
ME
metabolizable energy
GE-energy in feces, urine, gas
GE
gross energy
can’t all be used by animal
DE
digestible energy
GE-energy in feces
most animals eat to meet their energy requirement
true,
do cats have a carb requirement
no
don’t have salivary amylase to break down starches
fats
fat affects palatability, makes them like it more
protein
high requirement
25-30% suggested
won’t adjust to low protein diet, will break down muscle to meet amino acid requirement
arginine
one meal without it could be deadly
most proteins have this in them, so not usually a problem
taurine
most animals produce it on their own, cat’s don’t
need it in diet, not in dog food (why cats shouldn’t eat dog food)
only present in animal products
taurine deficiency
blindness, heart problems
vitamin a
other animals can convert beta-carotene to vitamin a, cats can’t
niacin
most animals can covert amino acid tryptophan, cats can’t
thiamin
not usually deficient, if feeding diet high in raw fish will bind it, cause deficiency
urolithiasis link to diet
pH of urine can be affected by diet
calcium to phosphorus ratio
can cause bone problems, common with high meat diets
non-nutritional feed considerations
odor, feces aka digestibility (human consideration)
appeal of feed to animal (smell)
benefits of dry food
better for teeth
less spoilage
cheaper
disadvantages of dry food
less water
may have more plant protein, carbs
benefits of wet food
more water
may have more animal protein, less carbs
disadvantages of wet food
more expensive
spoils quickly
AAFCO
association of american feed control officials
each state has group of officials
maintains official definitions of feed ingredients
regulates labeling terms
how much to feed?
will overeat if food is always available
2 meals a day limits intake, helps monitor eating habits
