Nutrition Flashcards
Why is nutrition important
Optimum health/activity
Vital in companion animals
Failure leads to suboptimal performance/medical impact
Energy derived from food
Energy fundamental requirements - power for cells to function
Measured in calories / kilocalories/kilojouls/megajoules
Energy contents
Carbs
Fats
Proteins
Water energy value
None
Gross energy
Max amount of energy that can be released from food
Digestible energy
Energy available from food when it has been absorbed into the body after digestion minus faecal losses
Metabolisable energy
Energy that is ultimately utilised by the tissue minus the energy lost in faeces, urine and gas products of digestion
4 basic classes of macronutrients ( energy producing nutrients)
Protein
Fat/lipids
Carbs
Dietary fibre (energy producing nutrients)
2 basic classes of micronutrients (non energy producing nutrients)
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
Is it’s own nutrient - most important as only survive 3 days without water
15% water loss is death
Carbohydrates 4 forms
Simple sugars
Complex sugars
Starches
Dietry fibres
Simple sugars
Smallest and simplest form
Monosaccharides eg glucose and fructose
Unhealthier sugar
Quicker release - stored quicker
Complex sugars
Aka disaccharides 2 linked monosaccharides
Eg lactose, sucrose, maltose
Unhealthier sugar
Starches
Polysaccharides- multiple monosaccharides
Eg starch, glycogen, fibre
Healthier sugars
Slower release - stores slower
Metabolic need
Minimum energy required to carry out the body’s chemical process to maintain life
Any excess can be stored or removed
Functions of carbohydrates
Energy production and storage
Regulation of blood glucose
Building macromolecules
Sparing use of protein for energy
Assisting in lipid metabolising
Dietary fibre (roughage)
When might carbs be needed more
Pregnant
Working
Diarrhoea
Deficient in something
If fed in excess stored as fat
Carbs and cats
Cats are carnivorous
Can’t utilise large amount of carbs - deficient in digestive enzymes for carb absorption
High protein diet to maintain glucose levels
Dietary fibre
Edible parts of plants
Soluble dietary fibre
dissolves in water to form a gel
Fermented in colon
Beneficial bacteria and increased viscosity of feaces
Insoluble fibre
Does not dissolve in water
Metabolically inert
Contain some prebiotic fibre
Absorbs water as it moves through digestive system - hard feaces
Not a source of energy for cats and dogs ( won’t contribute to weight gain)
Function of dietary fibre
Increases bulk and water of intestinal contents
Low energy count (corrects and prevent obesity)
Regulation of gut transit time and bowel movement
Produces short chain of fatty acids - colon health
Structural integrity of gut mucosa
Alteration of nutrient absorption and metabolism
When might dietary fibre be needed
Weight control - corrects obesity
Control appetite
Control calorie count
Gut integrity
Helps for teeth wear
Fed in excess = constipation/gas
Fats and lipids
Most calorie rich macronutrients
Saturated- solid at room temp (bad)
Mono and poly Unsaturated - liquid at room temp (goodish)
Increase palatability odour and texture of food
Fatty acid
During digestion fats are broken down into fatty acids which absorbed into blood
Building blocks of fat in body
Essential (need in diet)
non essential (body can synthesise out of other food types)
Carry fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K)
Essential fatty acids
Linoleic acid (omega 6)
Key for metabolic regulation and cell function
Linoleic avid (omega 3)
Essential to life for all mammals
Function of fat
Provision and storage of energy
Provision of essential fatty acids
Aids absorption of fat soluble vitamins
Metabolic and structural functions (cell membrane integrity)
Insulate/protect organs
Enhance texture and palpability
Synthesis of hormones (steroids)
When might we need more fat
Pregnant
Young animals (high energy)
Working animals
Too little = low energy, dull coat underweight
Excess = fat, low energy
Cats and fatty acids
Cannot convert essential fatty acids into longer chains
Dogs can synthesis arachidonic acid (polyunsaturated) from linoleic acid but cats cant
Protein
Complex molecules
Work in cells (long chains/building blocks of aa linked by peptide bonds)
Essential amino acids
Horses dogs and rabbits require 10
Cats require 11 (taurine - found only in meat source)
Essential amino acids
Must be part of the diet because the body can’t synthesise from anywhere else
Non essential amino acid
Body will create out of diet
Valine
Muscle coordination
Neurological and mental function
Tryptophan
Body maintenance
Phenylalanine and threonine
Tissue repair
Methionine
Hoof and hair quality
Isoleucine, histidine, arginine, leucine and lysine
Growth and development
Where does most of digestion of protein occurs
Small intestine
Excess protein
Used as energy or converted into fat
Function of protein
Regulates metabolism
Structural role in cell walls and muscle fibre
Transport oxygen
Protect against infection
Synthesise hormones and enzymes
Energy source
Tissue and growth repair
When might we need more protein
Infection/wound
Pregnancy/lactation
Deficiency = weak hair/skin, muscle wastage
Excess = fat
Cats and protein
Higher maintenance protein needs
Too little = eye problems
Need taurine in diet as unable to synthesise in body
Micronutrients minerals
Inorganic nutrients
Macrominerals
Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sulphur, sodium and chloride
Micro minerals
Iron, copper, zinc, iodine, selenium and manganese
What are minerals sometimes collectively referred to on food labels
Ash
Vitamins
Organic compounds
Most cannot be synthesised
Fat soluble (toxicity risk) - A,D,E,K
water soluble (poorly stored) - C,B complex
vitamin A
Sources - fish oils, liver, eggs and dairy products, FRV
Antioxidant properties
Vision, coat/skin, reproduction
Vitamin A deficiency
Anorexia
Impaired growth and reproductive failure
Ataxia
Vitamin A excess
Skeletal abnormalities
Vitamin D
Sources - fish and fish oils, dairy products, the sun
Essential for bones and absorption of other vitamins
Vitamin D deficiency
Rickets
Vitamin D excess
Soft tissue calcification
Hypercalcemia - too much calcium
Vitamin E
Source- plants, veg oils, seeds and grains, egg yolk, green veg
Antioxidant properties
Vitamin E deficiency
Dull/ flaky skin
Muscle weakness
Reproductive failure
Vitamin E excess
No negatives - non toxic
Vitamin K
Source - leafy greens, cod liver oil
Regulates formation of blood clotting factors
Vitamin K deficiency
Unable to clot blood
Haemorrhage increased time
Vitamin K excess
Anaemia potentially
None recorded
Vitamin B complex
Thiamine (B1) riboflavin (B2) niacin (B3) pyridoxine (B4) biotin, folic acid and cobalamin (B12)
Meat fish and poultry
Coenzymes
Non toxic
Body can’t store them
Cell, muscle and energy metabolism
Vitamin b deficiency
Aneamia
Vitamin b excess
Nervous system damage
Diarrhoea
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Synthesised in the liver (except guinea pig)
Citrus fruit and green veg
Antioxidant
Immunity
Drug and steroid metabolism
Collagen synthesis
Vitamin C deficiency
Bad breath
Bone / joint pain/weakness
Delayed wound healing
Vitamin C excess
Non toxic
Water
7% water loss leads to dehydration
15% water loss leads to death
Daily water requirements
50-60ml per kg in 24 hours cats require less than dogs
Cats and dogs water contents
Dry food 6-10%
Semi moist food 24-40%
Canned/wet food 80%
Horses rabbits and guinea pigs water content
Grass 85%
Hay 10%
Haylage 30-60% (40% ideal)
Basic nutrients
Electrolytes - potassium, sodium and chloride
Potassium
Normal function of heart muscles
Deficiency = down to diet (not common in cats and dogs)
Sodium
Controls electrolyte balance between intra and extracellular fluids
Maintain nerve cells and muscle fibre contractibility
Deficiency = not seen
Chloride
Aids regulation of normal osmotic pressure, water balance and acid-base balance
Forms HCl
Deficiency = not common
Factors that stimulate appetite and salivary secretions
Warm it
Add fats
Strong smelling foods
Dogs feeding behaviour
Omnivores - hunt in packs and experience gaps between meals
Cats feeding behaviour
Carnivores - solitary hunters eating little and often
Don’t like sharing
Horses/rabbits/guineapigs feeding behaviour
Herbivores- herd grazers, foragers, eating little and often roughage
What is meant by the term a balanced diet
Diet that meets the nutritional energy needs for the specific animal
Complete vs complimentary feed
Complete - contains everything needed and already balanced
Complimentary- might need to add something additional for condition etc
Ad libitum meaning
As and when required always accessible
What factors may contribute to malnutrition
Lack of food/type of food
Environment not meeting energy requirement
Illness/age/health
Non ruminant herbivores meaning (horses rabbits guinea pigs etc)
Designed to eat little and often (grazers) of high fibrous low energy density foods
Hind gut fermentors using the caecum
Susceptible to colic or GI stasis
Coprophagia - eat feaces straight from anus (not horses)
Non ruminant herbivores nutritional sources of energy
Fat and carbs
Protein
Feeding practices horses
Quality forage, water, salt/mineral block
Grain and concentrates often unnecessary
Forages and concentrate examples
Forages - legumes (alph alpha) or grasses
Concentrates - grains
Forages
Nutrients vary greatly with management and maturity of the grasses
Legumes are higher in protein, calcium and energy than grass
Hay is dried forage
Rabbit/ guinea pig/ chinchilla stomach volume
8-12ml/kg
Feeding guidelines for horses and ponies
Forage is base
Feed at rate of 1.5-2.5% of body weight
Feed by weight not volume
Stomachs are small so concentrate a (if required) should be fed twice daily no ,ore than 0.5% of body weight per feed
fibre for herbivores
Hay haylage and grass major source of fibre and energy
Carb for herbivores
Non structural carbs (sugars)
Digested rapidly
Energy released quickly for short burst of energy
Structural carbs (fibre)
Digested slowly
Provide sustained energy
Best time to feed fat horses
Between 3-4am as grass sugar levels are at their lowest
Nutrient sensitive diseases causes
Clinical nutrition
Diet influences disease and recovery in a number of conditions
Gastritis
Inflammation of the stomach
Uncommon in horses (ulcers)
Common in cats and dogs
Clinical signs of gastritis
Horses - gastric ulceration
Dogs/cats - vomitting
Gastritis diet modification
Low fat and highly digestible
Dogs/cats - chicken and rice/recovery food
Horses - ad lib fibre little and often to buffer stomach
Enteritis
Inflammation of the small intestine
Infectious origin - bacterial/viral
Non infectious origin - parasite
Clinical signs of enteritis
Diarrhoea
Introduce small low fight and highly digestible meals - introduce back to normal diet
Colitis
Inflammation of large intestine
Infectous origin - bacterial/viral
Non infectious origin - parasite, drug intoxication, food allergy
Clinical signs of colitis
Watery diarrhoea (maybe blood)
Increase fibre diets
Elimination diet if food allergy
Obesity form
Common form of malnutrition
Classed as obese if 15% over optimum body weight
How to treat and diagnose obesity
Diagnosis via body scoring chart
Treat by - increased exercise, fibre, low fat, balanced diet (make sure doesn’t lose more than 2-3% each week)
renal failure
Progressive degeneration of renal function naturally occurs from aging
Clinical signs of chronic renal failure
May not occur till >70% nephrons stop working
Polydipsia (drinking lots)
Polyuria (weeing lots)
Weight loss
Lethargy
Inappetence
Vomiting
How can you expand chronic renal failure patients life span
Renal Diet (up to 2 year’s extension )
Reduces strain on kidneys
Controlled protein
Restricted phosphorus
Reduced sodium - prevent hypertension
Liver failure/disease
Common
Related to ragwort in horses
Not diagnosed until later stages of disease process due to enormous capacity to regenerate
Diet control for liver failure patients
Moderate protein
Restricted fats
Highly digestible complex carbs
Increased soluble and insoluble fibre
Low copper (accumulates in liver)
Add zinc - limits encephalopathy
encephalopathy
Disease which affects the function of the brain due to toxins or viral infection
Laminitis
Inflammatory condition of the laminae in foot
Could be caused by diet
Length of hoof
Box rest
Hard ground
Joint infection
Clinical signs of laminitis
Unwillingness to move
Rocking weight back
Recumbency (lay down)
Prominent growth rings on feet
Flaky soles, sore feet, shortened gait
How to prevent laminitis
Diet
Avoid lush grass in autumn and spring
Hard work on hard ground
Equine Cushing disease (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction)
Effects pituitary gland and causes tumour to develop
Clinical signs of Cushing disease
Muscle wastage
Lethargy
Increased drinking and urinating
Supraorbital fat pads
Long curly coats
Pot belly
Mouth ulcers and recurring infections
Diet needs for Cushing disease
Medication
Soak hay to get rid of sugars (replace minerals with balancer)
Restricted grass
Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)
Hormonal disorder similar to Cushing disease and diabetes type 2
Causes strong link with obesity and impaired action of insulin
Clinical signs of Eunice metabolic syndrome
Laminitis
Fat pads
Difficulty in weight loss
Lethargy
Obesity
Excessive drinking and weeing
Diet needs for EMS
Well balanced graze
Low levels of soluble carbs and reduced calories
Essential vits and mins
Recurrrent airway obstruction (RAO) equine asthma
Respiratory disease characterised by airways narrowing due to
airborne allergens
Dust from hay and straw
Ammonia from wee
Clinical signs of equine asthma
Chronic cough
Excess thickened mucus
Increased respiratory effort and rate
Heave lines
Diet needs for equine asthma
Avoid dry hay
Soaked hay
Haylage
Grass
Diabetes mellitus
Impaired production/release of insulin
Caused by imbalances in metabolism of carbs fats and proteins So unable to regulate blood sugar levels
Clinical signs of diabetes mellitus
Polyuria/polydipsia
Excess appetite
Weight loss
Pot belly
causes abnormalities in pancreas so doesn’t produce enough insulin
Diet needs for diabetes mellitus
Avoid moist soft foods (high sugar levels)
Increase soluble fibre (dogs)
Normal diet: high protein low carbs (cats)
Insulin shots before meals
Resting energy requirements formula (RER)
70 x ((BW in kg) ^0.75)
Round to nearest whole
Units = Kcal/24hours
Daily energy requirements (DER) Formula
RER (answer) x life stage (given)
Units is Kcal
there will be a range due to range on life stage
Divide both answers per tin/sachet of food to find amount pet should be fed per 24hours
Go to nearest half
Exotics basic energy requirements formula (ME Kcal/day)
110-440 x (BW)^0.75
110-440 is range on data table (given)
Total daily ration calculation for horse
(BW(KG) / 100) x 2.5 (2.5% of body weight)
Energy requirement for maintenance for horses calculation (MJ)
18 + (BW/10)
digestible energy required in mega joules
Average hay/grass MJ DE/Kg
9
How to calculate for energy requirements for horses
Work out total daily feed capacity then workout digestible energy
Take digestible energy and divide by 9 (the MJ in hay/grass)
Then compare against total daily feed (whether need to feed more or less)
