Chapter 9: The Cat Is Unique (Hill)

Question 0

teh cat needs a continuous supply of what nutrients:

Answer 0

retinol, niacin, taurin, and arachidonic acid

little glutamate and benzoic acid

Question 1

the cat is a pure carnivore and adapted to what?

Answer 1

high protein, high fat, low carbdiet

Question 2

why do cats have a high protein requirement?

Answer 2

they are unable to down regulate the enzymes which degrade amino acids

Question 3

arginine in cats

what does deficiency cause?

Answer 3

is essential because its an integral part of the urea cycle

deficiency causes: hyperammonemia due to:

decreased ornithine synthesis from glutamate and proline due to decreased activity of pyrroline-5-carboxylase

decreased citrulline synthesis because less ornithine amino transferase and carbomyl phosphate synthetase activity

Question 4

sulfur containing AA’s

Answer 4

increased requirement for them so methionine is usually the limiting amino acid

Question 5

felinine

Answer 5

unique AA only found in cat urine - not needed in diet

Question 6

adaptions to low carb diet:

Answer 6

no glucokinase in liver, so liver does not homeostatically control blood glucose.

blood glucose increases easily in response to stress
cannot taste sweetness

amylase activity is low and increased activity is not induced by increased carb in the diet

gluconeogenesis is switched on all the time even in cats fed a high protein diet

Question 7

arachidonic acid

Answer 7

CONDITIONALLY ESSENTIAL - because its only essential for reproduction in cats

cats lack delta-6 desaturase so are unable to synthesize arachidonic acid from linoleic acid and therefore either need arachidonic acid or gamma-linoleic acid in the diet.

Question 8

Vitamin A

Answer 8

unable to be synthesized in cats because they can’t use carotene because they lack the dioxygenase enzyme

Question 9

Vitamin D

Answer 9

required because reduced synthesis of precursor in skin

Question 10

niacin

Answer 10

cats are unable to use tryptophan as a precursor of niacin. reflects increased proteind egradation

Question 11

what two intolerances are indicative of heavy protein diets and low veggie diets?

Answer 11

glutamate and benzoic acid intoleraance

Question 12

taurine structure

Answer 12

resembles alanine except:

taruine has a sulfonyl group and AA resides on the beta carbon

Question 13

taurine function

Answer 13

most common Sulfur containing AA

• conjugates with bile acids in the liver
• lipophobic (diffuses poorly through intact membranes)
• may play a role in osmoregulation (present in cells without cell walls)
• modulate interaction between Ca and phospholipids
• antioxidant

Question 14

taurine deficiency

Answer 14

central retinal degeneration and blindness
poor repro
increased collagen-induced platelet aggregation
reversible dilated cardiomyopathy

Question 15

taurine metabolism

Answer 15

synthesized from methionine and cystein so not essential in most mammals

Question 16

why is taurine essential in the cat

Answer 16

decreased synthesis of taurine from cystein

bile acids conjugated with taurine instead of glycine

Question 17

in what species is taurine conditionally essential in perinatal period?

Answer 17

primates!

Question 18

diagnosis of taurine levels

Answer 18

plasma taurine concentration

whole blood taurine concentration

Question 19

bioavailability of taurine

Answer 19

purified diets > dry > canned

decreased by heat processing

increased fecal losses with soy-bbased diets

Question 20

can cats have vegetarian diets

Answer 20

yes though they are difficult to formulate and needs purified substances found only in animal kingdom like arachidonic acid and retinol

Question 21

can cats eat human or dog food?

Answer 21

no because they contain too little protein, arginine, taurine, etc. cat foods may be fed to dogs but are calorie dense and may cause obesity

Question 22

can cats have home-cooked diets

Answer 22

yes but its difficult to formulate

Question 23

can liquiid diets be fed to DOGS?

Answer 23

yes - nutrient requirements of dogs are not that different from people

Question 24

dogs require the same essential nutrients as people except for which supplements?

Answer 24

they do NOT require vitamin C and DO require arginine

Question 25

in what way does dog metabolism differ form people

Answer 25

their metabolism of fat

Question 26

what are the differences in dog vs wolf genome?

Answer 26

indicative of domesticationn:
nervous system
digestion of carbs and fat

amylase initiates starch digestion
maltase-glucoamylase
sodium-glucose cotransporter-1