Lecture 1 - Intro To Veterinary Nutrition

Question 1

A substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and life maintenance

Answer 1

Nutrient

Question 2

A nutrient that an animal cannot synthesize in sufficient qualities that should be provided with the normal diet

Answer 2

Essential nutrient

Question 3

A diet that provides all needed nutrients in sufficient amounts and not in excess of known safety limits

Answer 3

Balanced diet

Question 4

Evaluation of the adiposity (fat tissue content) in an animal

Answer 4

Body condition

Question 5

A subjective but validated system used to rate body condition; helps to determine and monitor changes

Answer 5

Body condition score

Question 6

How much did the pet food industry profit globally in 2020?

Answer 6

$92.66 billion

Question 7

True or False: Veterinarians should have at least some knowledge about nutrition

Answer 7

True

Some FYI reasons…
- Vet clinics often sell specialized pet foods
- Some vets pursue careers related to pet food
- Nutrition management is especially important to some patients
- It can help solidify client compliance and loyalty

Question 8

True or False: The energy intake to energy expenditure ratio has no influence on body mass or its fluctuations

Answer 8

False; these factors are STRONGLY correlated!

Remember…
BM MAINTENANCE: energy intake = expenditure
BM INCREASE: energy intake > expenditure
BM DECREASE: energy intake < expenditure

Question 9

What is the equation used to calculate metabolic body-weight?

Answer 9

BW(kg)^0.75

Question 10

True or False: A larger animal requires MORE nutrition per its weight when compared with a smaller animal

Answer 10

False; a larger animal actually requires LESS nutrition per its weight than a smaller animal!

(More so has to do with amount of metabolically active tissue rather than weight itself)

Question 11

Which species has the HIGHER metabolic rate:

Homeothermic or poikilothermic?

Answer 11

Homeothermic

Question 12

A state of poor diet or poor nutrition; overarching term that describes any form of nutritional deficiency

Answer 12

Malnutrition

Question 13

Overall energy and protein malnutrition

Answer 13

Marasmus

Question 14

Protein malnutrition (where energy is still sufficient)

Answer 14

Kwashiorkor

(Often seen in third-world countries)

Question 15

The totality of microorganisms that reside in the GI tract

Answer 15

Gastrointestinal microbiome

Question 16

What are some of the microbiota present in the GI microbiome?

Answer 16

Bacteria, protozoa, fungal organisms, viruses

Question 17

What are the functions of the microbiota in the GI microbiome?

Answer 17

Digest nutrients and prevent their absorption, or synthesize nutrients (such as vitamin K)

Question 18

Beneficial microbial species that can be provided to an organism to support their health

Answer 18

Probiotics

Question 19

Compounds such as soluble fibers that support a normal microbiome

Answer 19

Prebiotics

Question 20

The totality of metabolites in a certain biological environment

Answer 20

Metabolome

Question 21

True or False: Nutritional requirements are not static and change with aging, reproduction, and activity

Answer 21

True

Question 22

When are nutritional requirements highest in animals?

Answer 22

During lactation and growth

Question 23

True or False: Nutrition for performance is the same as nutrition for maintenance

Answer 23

False; the nutrition requirements are different

Question 24

True or False: An animal’s nutrition requirements will change once they are neutered

Answer 24

True

Question 25

An indication of the energy status of an individual or a group/herd; rated on a point scale from “1 to 5” or “1 to 9”, depending on the species

Answer 25

Body Condition Score (BCS)

Question 26

What numerical values are assigned to each of these body conditions (on the 5 point scale):

Under-conditioned, ideal, and over-conditioned?

Answer 26

Under-conditioned = 1 or 2
Ideal = 3
Over-conditioned = 4 or 5

Question 27

What does a higher number indicate on any BCS scale?

Answer 27

More soft tissue coverage on bone (not necessarily a good thing if in excess!)

Question 28

What numerical value(s) signify an ideal BCS in dogs and cats on the 9-point scale?

Answer 28

4 or 5 for dogs, and 5 for cats

Question 29

One point on the 9-point BCS scale is equivalent to a ______% difference in body weight from the ideal

Answer 29

10%

Question 30

Why is it difficult to assess the average BCS of a flock (especially just based off of visual assessment)?

Answer 30

There is often a range of up to 3 condition scores, so it is best to pick around 25 sheep from the flock for proper assessment then average the scores for the flock BCS

Question 31

Why is it important for an animal to be relaxed/not tense when determining a BCS?

Answer 31

Tension/crushing makes it impossible to effectively feel the short ribs and get an accurate BCS

Question 32

What are qualities that correlate to an ideal BCS, in terms of the backbone and short ribs?

Answer 32

Slight elevation to vertebrae, and able to feel each rounded bone but not press between them

Ends of short ribs are rounded and filled with muscle, should not be able to press between them

Question 33

Which medical conditions correlate with an UNDER-CONDITIONED BCS?

Answer 33

Disease, stress, poor diet, and inadequate food amounts

Question 34

Which medical conditions correlate with an OVER-CONDITIONED BCS?

Answer 34

Disease (such as Cushing’s or low thyroid function), and excess food or treats

Question 35

True or False: Keeping track of BCS is important because it provides a quantifiable measure of progress over time, as well as evaluation of different sizes, life stages, and species

Answer 35

True; additionally, no equipment is needed and BCS can be determined with a simple PE!

Question 36

What are some limitations of BCS

Answer 36

Subjectivity, variability between evaluators, and very few validated systems for measuring BCS

Question 37

When are morphometric measurements used?

Answer 37

To more accurately assess severely overweight pets (those with >40% excess body-weight)

Question 38

True or False: Some animals may have an adequate BCS but still suffer from muscle atrophy or sarcopenia

Answer 38

True

Muscle condition scores are used to assess muscle content separate from fat/soft tissue, and muscle atrophy can range from “none” to “severe”

Question 39

What factors should be assessed when weight loss is noted in an animal?

Answer 39

• Solitary vs part of group/herd
• If in a herd, note what percentage of herd is too thin (age, sex, location)
• Draw a timeline since last known ideal BCS (note any changes, speed of weight loss, and consistent vs fluctuating)

Question 40

Describes a young (usually) animal that is in poor BCS and smaller size overall

Answer 40

Failure to thrive

Question 41

In terms of graze, what are some factors that affect feed quality?

Answer 41

Inadequate quantity, overgrazing, drought, insufficient food for physiological state/activity, poor facilities (unclean, poor feeder space)

Question 42

In terms of extruded, pelleted, or canned food, what are some factors that affect feed quality?

Answer 42

Poor digestibility, poor bioavailability, unbalanced foods

Question 43

What are some animal related factors that lead to an animal being underweight?

Answer 43

Low social status, illness, lameness, young/timid

Question 44

What are some physiological demands that can create issues for an animal if intake is not increased to match the increased demand (assuming feed and animal factors are all adequate otherwise)?

Answer 44

Lactation, working/sporting in dogs, sporting in horses