Commercial and alternative pet foods, and pet obesity Flashcards
T/F: obesity is the most common nutritional disorder and predisposes animals to many conditions
True
Where can excess calories come from?
Diet Neutering (decreased metabolism) Inactivity (medical/crates) Aging Endocrine disease Competition (social facilitation) Genetics
Success of a weight-reduction program depends on??
Owner compliance Friendly feeding plan Increase exercise Monitoring Maintain target weight
What percent body fat is considered ideal for a pet
15-20%
What is optimal weight loss?
2% body weight/week
If you lose more than the “optimal loss”, what occurs?
Decreased metabolic weight
Decreased lean body weight
How should we change the food to lose weight?
Increase soluble fiber
Decrease fat
High protein
L carnitine and CLA
Antioxidants
Restricted sodium
What feeding method should be used on a weight loss diet?
Free-choice reducing diet
2-4times a day
Once the target weight is reached, how do we maintain the target weight?
Increase cals by 10% per week until weight is stable
What is the MOA of slentrol?
Selective MTO inhibitor
Stop chylomicron formation and reduce fat absorption (10% effect)
Increased fat in enterocytes increases peptide YY -> hypothalamus satiety center (90% effect)
Private label brands market emphasis on _____________, while grocery brands market __________
Low cost; palatability
Speciality brands put market emphasis on __________
Ingredients and optimal nutrients
Are veterinary medical foods controlled?
Yes by the FDA
Licensed veterinary sales only
What are the forms of commercials foods?
Dry
Soft-dry
Soft-moist
Moist
Dry foods have _____% moisture
6-12
Semi-moist foods have ________ % moisture. Can this food be free fed?
25-40%
Yes
What type of food contains simple sugars and should NOT be recommended to diabetic patients
Semi-moist foods
Soft-dry foods (
(Treats)
Can moist foods be fed free choice ?
Nope
__________________ are nutrients or foods added with the intention of improving a diet
Supplements
If you are feeding balanced diets to normal dogs and cats, is supplementation necessary?
Nope
Use/overuse may pose health risks
Your client comes to your clinic wanting to supplements corn oil to their dog’s pet food to improve dry skin. What do you recommend?
Probably not a good choice..
Dry skin is usually not due to a lack of nutrients like fats/oils, it is usually due to environmental factors
Just a tsp/cup of dry food –> 40% increase in energy density
Owners usually do not strictly adhere to recommended feeding and supplement diets with treats. For animals on therapeutic diets, how can you improve diet adherence?
Work with your owners to find treats that will not disrupt the current diet
Eg jerky treats have 6.9% NaCl -> for a patient in renal failure you should find other treats that are not high in sodium
Dry matter is made of?
Carbohydrates Protein Fat Mineral Vitamins
In a can of wet food, you have 75% moisture. What percentage is your dry matter?
Dry mater = 100%- moisture%
100% - 75% = 25% dry matter
You have a can of wet food with 75% moisture. 10% of this can is protein. How much protein is there on a dry matter basis?
100% - 75% = 25% dry matter
Dry weight = nutrient% / dry matter %
Dry weight = 10%/25%
Dry weight =40%
What are some types of alternative diets?
Homemade wellness diets
Homemade therapeutic diets
Raw food diets
What are potential problems associated with homemade pet foods?
Source of recipe - formulation errors are common
Preparation errors are common
Time consuming
Lack of feeding trials
What is diet drift??
In homemade pet foods
As more time passes, the more the diet will differ nutritionally from the initial recipe
- > tired of making something
- > cant find an ingredient
- > substitutions
What are common nutritional errors of homemade foods?
Calcium and/or trace mineral deficiency
Vitamin deficiency
Excessive protein or fat
Essential fatty acid deficiency
Cats are special - taurine
What are common problems of raw food diets?
Refrigerated, freeze dried, or frozen –> pathogens survive these conditions
Food safety
Nutritional imbalances
GI foreign bodies and perforations
Dental issues
Obstipation
What are the purported benefits of raw food diets?
Improved skin and coat Elimination of breath, body, and fecal odors Improved health and immune function Improved behavior and activity level Reduces disease incidence
Enhanced digestion due to the presence of naturally occurring enzymes found in raw foods
Cleans teeth
Simulates diets eaten by “wild” cats or dogs
What is the food enzyme concept?
Enzymes are an energy factor or “life force” and each person is given a limited supply of bodily enzyme energy at birth
Heat destroys enzymes in food –> shortage of digestive and metabolic enzymes
Enzyme deficiency –> accelerated aging and predisposes us to disease
T/F: pathogen contamination is a concern with raw diets
True
20-35% of poultry carcasses for human consumption are positive for Salmonella spp.
50% are positive for Campylobacter
T/F: pathogen contamination of pet foods is a human health concern
True
Pets infected shed pathogens > children and elderly/ immunocompromised susceptible !!
