Nutritional Assessment Flashcards
what should appropriate pet food be able to do?
provide enough calories to maintain ideal body weight at a particular life stage
tech’s role in a nutritional assessment
treat weight as a vital sign, discuss diet in depth, ask about everything (diet, exercise, etc)
important groups in nutritional assessments
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
made up of officials that regulate sale and distribution of animal feeds and drug remedies
guides state, federal, and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions, label and lab standards
establishes standard ingredient definitions and nutritional requirements for pet food
what does AAFCO not do?
directly test, regulate, approve, or certify pet foods
World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
made up of more than 200,000 vets worldwide
aims to advance health and welfare of companion animals
create standardizations in key areas including nutrition
help vet healthcare team and pet owners ensure pets are on optimal nutrition plan tailored to individual needs
WSAVA guidelines
support nutrition as an integral part of healthcare plan
perform nutritional assessment and make dietary recommendations for every pet every time
BCS/MCS charts, calorie need recommendations, food label guides, nutritional assessment checklist
FDA
oversees food labels, ensures ingredients used are safe and have a purpose
requires packaging to include: proper ID of product, net quantity, name/location of manufacturer/distributor, proper ingredient list
ingredients section of food label
listed by weight in descending order with the ingredient that makes up the highest percentage of total weight listed first
animal by-product meal
processed product from animal tissues
meat by-product
non-processed parts of mammals other than muscle usually consisting of organs, blood, and bone
poultry
clean muscle (skeletal, tongue, diaphragm, heart, esophagus) from chickens with or without accompanying fat, skin, nerves, and blood vessels
grains
corns, barley, oat, rice, rye, wheat
guaranteed analysis section of food label
guarantees levels of (at least) protein, fat, fiber, and moisture
varies in dry vs wet food
pet food maker may also list additional nutrients
important for choosing a diet for disease management
nutritional adequacy statement
if product claims to be “complete and balanced” the claim must be substantiated by analysis and state life stages product is suitable for
