Midterm, lectures 5 and 6 Flashcards
Define ‘natural’ pet food.
- food/ingredients are derived solely form plant, animal, or mined sources
- is in its unprocessed state or ad been subjuected to physical processing, heat processing, rendering, purification, extraction, hydrolysis, enzymolysis, or fermentation
- has not been produced or subjected to a chemically synthetic process and not containing any additives or processing aids that are chemically synthetic except in amounts as might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing practices
Define ‘organic’
- certified organics are produced by USDA inspected and certified operations
- for certification 95% or more of the ingredients must be organic and manufactured in a certified organic facility
- BUT certification of organic pet foods is OPTIONAL
Define ‘human grade’
- there is not a regulatory meaning for human grade
- it is free to interpretation by pet food manufacturers
List the common problems with homemade diets
- inverse Ca:P ratio (leads to NSHP)
- essential fat deficiency
- lack of appropriate vitamin-mineral supplement
- diet drift/ingredient substitutions
What are the pros of a homemade diet?
- pet will not voluntarily consume any commercial diets
- pet will not consume a therapeutic diet
- cooking for pet is therapeutic for client
- client’s peace of mind
What are the cons of a homemade diet?
- unbalanced
- deficiencies
- excesses
- safety?
- risk of ingredient drift/ ingredient swap
Outline ‘quick check guidelines’ for assessing homemade recipes
- protein source
- CHO source
- fat source
- Ca and P supplement
- other vitamins and minerals
What are the risks of feeding a raw-meat based diet?
- bacterial contamination (E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter)
- food safety and public health concerns- LIABILTY b/c of zoonotic disease
- intramuscular parasites
- raw bones
- anti-nutritional factors (raw eggs contain avidin which can lead to biotin deficiency, raw fish contain thiaminase)
Soluble dietary fiber
- increased fermentability
- slows GI transit time
- increases fecal moisture
Insoluble dietary fiber
- decreased fermentability
- increases fecal volume
How can the different characteristics of fiber normalize intestinal transit?
- production of Short Chain Fatty Acids (VFAs) enhance salt and water absorption
- reduces gut luminal pH
- “prebiotic” (microbial food)
- increases fecal water and bulk
- minimizes fluctuations in blood glucose
List common fiber-responsive diseases
- obesity
- diabetes mellitus
- constipation
Why isn’t starvation the best way to address weight reduction?
- goal is calorie restriction not malnutrition, worry about hepatic lipidosis in cats
Why will a patient lose weight more quickly/efficiently/safely when fed a diet designed for weight loss as compared to just decreasing the amount of a maintenance diet?
- Weight loss diets are designed to have the proteins, vitamins, and mineral content adjusted for lower caloric density
- It is lower in fat, goal is calorie restriction, not malnutrition
- Decreasing the amount of a maintenance diet doesn’t adjust levels properly and the animal will not be full (increased begging and other unwanted behavior)
How do pet food companies approach formulation of weight reduction diets? What are the different strategies? Is one better, one worse?
- fiber enhanced vs non-fiber enhanced
- fiber enhanced diets provide energy dilution with increased satiety, decreased digestibility; the cons are increased stool volume, +/- decreased palatability, +/- poor haircoat, constipation?
- needs of the pet and owner really determine which is best for the pet
