Minerals and vitamins Flashcards
Define mineral
Inorganic element
Define macro-element
Required in large amounts
Define micro-element/trace-element
Lower amounts needed
Define bioavailability
Ease of extraction from a source
Define pica
Eating non-food sources, can be indicative of a depraved appetite
Define vitamin
Organic compounds that are required in small quantities for normal growth and maintenance of animal life (can be fat or water soluble)
Define pro-vitamins/vitamin precursors
Many vitamins consumed as non-active dietary form which requires chemical change to function as the vitamin
List the essential fat soluble vitamins
- A (retinol)
- D2 (ergocalciferol)
- D3 (cholecalciferol)
- E
- K (phylloquinone)
List the essential water soluble vitamins
- C (ascorbic acid)
- B complex (thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinamide, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, choline, cyanocobalamin)
List the essential macro minerals
- Calcium
- Phosphorous
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Chloride
- Sulphur
List the essential trace elements
- Iron
- Zinc
- Copper
- Iodene
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Cobalt
- Fluorine
What is deficiency?
- Not having enough of something
- Leads to death
What is toxicity?
- Having too much of something
- Leads to death
Describe bioavailability
- Just becuase something is present does not mean it can be extracted or, in the case of proteins, that it has the correct AA profile
- Depends on chemical form, other compounds that can interact, age, gender, species, body stored, environmental (organic or inorganic)
Explain the relevance of soil consumption
- Pica/geophagy
- Ruminants eat grass, ripping action, likely to ingest soil
- More likely to eat soil in wet weather
- Also when very windy and dry
- Likely to have high normal ingestion of soil
- Soil contains some impotant nutrients
What is the role of sulphur in the body?
- In proteins containing cystine, cysteine and methionine
- Also in vitamins (biotin and thiamin), hormones (insulin, oxytocin), metabolites (CoA), chondroitin sulphate (cartilage, bone, tendons, blood vessel walls)
Describe the occurence of sulphur deficiency
- Mostly ruminants
- Sulphur deficiency is also protein deficiency in non-ruminants
- Feed ruminants non-protein nitrogen sources, divorces sulphur and protein
- Enough protein but not enough sulphur
- Wool approx 4% sulphur, woolier more likely to be deficient
What are the effects of sulphur deficiency?
- Decreased fibre quality, eventually shed
- Decreased rumen function
- Increased salivation and lacrimation
- Growth retardation, emaciation and death
Describe sulphur toxicity
- Excess dietary sulphur converted to H2S
- May cause reduced rumen motility, nervous and respiratory distress
- Has major role in other mineral interactions (iron and copper, copper and molybdenum, copper and sulphur)
Outline the nutritional needs during pregnancy and lactation
- Aim for ideal BCS before mating
- Last 3 weeks of pregnancy change diet
- Do not supplement Ca and vit D
- Feed small, frequent meals near end of gestation
- Growth type diet
- Feed free choice at peak lactation
- High caloric density, increased protein, inreased calcium
Outline the nutritional needs of senior cats/dogs
- Change to senior type food
- Higher in fibre,essential fatty acids, zinc and B vitamins
- Risk factor management for geriatric disease
- hgih levels of dietary antioxidants
- Smaller, more frequent meals
- Alter feeding amount to maintain optimum body conditions
Explain the importance of a carnivorous diet for cats
- Need taurine, arachidonic acid and pre-fromed vit A
- Only found in animal tissues
- Insufficient taruine leads to cardiomyopathy adn irreversible blindness
- Higher pH than 6.2-6.4 risk bladder stones
- Contrlled lgel of magnesium to help prevent feline lower urinary tract disease
- Wet ratehr than dry to avoid FLUTD
- Need pre-formed retinoids in diet, do not utilise carotenoids
Outline rabbit nutrition
- Long fibre essential (dental, behavioural)
- Protein 13-18% DM
- High quality protein
- No added dietary fat required
- Cits A, D and E required in diet
- Coprophagy
Outline guinea pig nutrition
- Similar to chinchilla
- Coprophagy
- Provide vit C, cannot synthesise it