Nutrition Flashcards
Why is chocolate bad for dogs?
contains a compound known as theobromine. Theobromine has a
number of effects on the body. It is a potent cardiovascular and central nervous
system stimulant and renal damage can occur in severe cases.
What clinical signs can occur if a pet eats chocolate?
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Trembling and muscle spasms
- Increased excitment, irritablity or nervousness
- increased heart rate
- Seizure, coma, death(rare-usually due to cardiac disturbances)
When do clinical signs usually develop?
occurs between 4 to 15 hours of ingesting the chocolate ,
How much chocolate does a dog need to ingest to induce toxicity?
toxicity of theobromine is considered to be dose dependant.
This means that a number of factors will influence if or to what
degree an animal will be affencted, including the type and amount
of chocolate eaten, the size of the animal and the sensitivity of the
individual.
theobromine is reported as 200 mg per kg body weight,wh
List 2 common fibre sources used in pet foods in each of the categories below –
Rapidly fermentable fibres-
Moderately fermentable fibres –
Slowly fermentable fibres -
Examples of rapidly fermentable fibre sources in pet foods
include; apple pectin, citrus pectin, guar gum, gum arabic and
pea fibre
moderately fermentable fibre sources in pet
foods include beet pulp, brans such as oat bran, rice bran,
wheat bran and soy fibre
slowly fermentable fibre sources in pet foods
include celluloses and hemicelluloses including powered
cellulose, soybean hulls and peanut hulls
In what diseases/conditions would a high fibre diet be beneficial
management of diseases such as obesity,
weight management, diarrhoea, constipation, diabetes mellitus,
and colitis.
What are some of the disadvantages of a high fibre diet?
greater stool volumes which is
disadvantageous to many owners. Excess fibre can dilute the
energy and nutrient content of food to such an extent that an
animal may have difficulty eating enough of the food to meet its
needs
As a veterinarian you assess the diet your patient is currently being fed and recommend that your client’s cat change from its current diet (which is a grocery store dry and wet food) to a premium hairball control diet (available in dry and wet food).
a. What would be your advice to the client to ensure a smooth transition to the new food?
b. Do you have any hints for the owner if the cat is reluctant to accept the new food?
a) Generally a 7 day transition period is
recommended. This is achieved by mixing increasing
amounts of the pet‘s new food while decreasing amounts of
the current/old food over the specified time period.
b) Gradual transition - min. 7 days, 3-4wks ideal, 2-3
months in some
- Warming the food increases its palatability
-Add warm water to the dry pet food and blend
thoroughly, or make gravy by adding water to the
equivalent canned pet food
-Adding flavouring agents in the short term such as
tuna juice, chicken broth
-Sprinkle the food with oregano.
-Mix old with new food gradually or offer both bowls
together (new food in old bowl)
-Flat saucer – avoids rubbing whiskers on dish
Stress-free environment - away from noisy
appliances, dogs, kids
-Avoid offering new foods in stressful environments –
food aversions may develop
-Room temperature, new can
-Most owners want to feed dry food either alone (33%)
or combined with moist food (66%)*
-Dispense both dry and canned
-avoids grocery purchase of moist (may contain
excessive calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and/or
sodium)
Name some safety issues potentially associated with home cooking.
List some common balance problems
Any additional issues to be concerned about?
what are treatment options for dogs eating chocolate?
- no antitoxin available for theobromine - best option is supportive therapy with intravenous therapy
if less than 4 hours will induce vomiting if greater than 4 hours activated charcoal is administered preventing further absorption
