Special feeding requirements of senior dogs and cats (and horses) Flashcards
In dogs more so that cats, what does the onset of aging depend on>
Body size (and age)
Onset of ageing: small/mini breeds
<10kg
From 11 and a half
Medium breeds
11-25kg
from 10
Large breeds
26-45kg
from 9
Giant breeds
> 45kg
from 7 and a half
Cats
ageing when older than 11
But for Persian, Siamese and Maine Coon it is 9-10 yrs
Clinical process of growing old (8)
Slow progressive decrease of vital functions i.e organ functions
- Decr physio power and load capacity
- Decr stamina and endurance
- Decr heart and lung capacity (incr in resp disturbances)
- Decr kidney function
- Obesity- but at the late stages the body mass will shrink and decrease
- Decr mental capactity: Alzheimers (beta amyloid plaques), drowsiness
- Bone, teeth and joint issues
- Decr immune
Emotional changing
Can become more aggressive as they get older
Caused by emotional (hormonal) imbalance
Use emotion scoring
Alteration of articular cart and intervertebral discs (6)
Decr in the number of chondrocytes Fibrillisation of the joint surface Periarticular osteophyte formation Decr in cavity space Sclerosis of subchondral bone Soft tissue swelling of the joint
Physio basics of growing old and how to treat them nutritionally (9)
E metab E supply Protein turnover and its regulation Protein supply Metabolic changes Changeable water metab Vits Minerals Carb supply
E metab
The ME
Dog maint is 0.54xBW to the power of 0.75
Cat maint is 0.336xBW to the power of 0.75
Basal metab will decrease with age so too will these numbers
E supply
-20% for the dogs
Cats: altogether unchangeable! fat digestibility decr so to compensate the FI increases
Protein turnover and its regulation
The aa pool has to be full, lack of protein has damaging consequences
GH and IGF-1 (produced in liver)- building of aa into muscle and basic bone material
Same amount of protein for young and old- to prevent muscle loss–**exception in CKD!!
Metabolic changes (5)
Cats less prone to obesity because the fat digestibility coefficient decreases with age 10-15% points
Dog and cat: glucose intol: in old hyperosmolarity, in young, ketogenic
Decr insulin sensitivity in the liver-instead of GNG there is fat synth
Decr fat desaturation- alteration of eicosanoid deriv metab– incr in PGE2 and Leukotriene B4– incr inflamm and cramps and spasms
Dysbiosis of microbial flora
Protein supply
Ideal, HBV
CP 30-32%
CKD extra protein so the muscles do not degen (GH–IGF2–building aa’s into the muscles)
Mineral supply
less P and Na because kidney has lower capacity
NO ACIDIFICATION in the cat- because more prone to oxalate crystlas rather than struvite (can give NH4Cl in the case of struvite crystals)
Vitamin supply
Give MORE because the utilization has decreased!
**exception for vit A and D
Carb supply
NB to give low GI so as not to affect the insulin excretion
What is the Glycaemic index
Ranking of 0-100 of foods based on the extent that they alter blood glucose (and therefore insulin secretion)
High GI: rapidly, digested, absorbed and metabolized therefore can greatly alter blood glucose and insulin levels
Low GI: smaller fluctuations in blood glucose
Examples of low GI foods
Lentil
Soybean
Soya
Examples of mediun GI foods
Banana
Rice
White bread
Examples of High GI foods
Sugary food
Potatoes
Melon
Honey
Supplements and antioxidants (8)
Antioxidants Omega 3 PUFAs Probiotics MOS FOS Chondroitin sulphate Fat burners Immunostimulants, modulants, Nucleic acid
What are the antioxidants
Carotenoids
Lutein
Omega 3 PUFA’s
Fish in sunflower oil (but remove the sunflower oil)
Soybean oil
olive oil
Probiotics
yoghurt
kefir
lactobacilli (capsulated)
MOS
mannan oligosaccharides
Yeast uses competitive antagonism
FOS
fructo-oligosaccharides
beets, carrots and other veg
Fermentable fibre
N-trapping/fixes N in the gut lumen- therefore should cook without sodium
Chondroitin sulphate
Can be natural or synthetic
Fat burners
L-carnithine
Trivalent Cr
Summary of basic aging requirements (9)
Decr E intake Moderate the postprandiol glucose (and then insulin) peak (via the GI foods?) HBV protein and ensure its sufficient Decr salt Incr vits and minerals No acidification- especially in the cat Omega 3 over omega 8 Antiox, MOS, FOS, chondroitin and fat burners In horses vit C is NB
The elderly horse (7)
Decr insulin sensitivity Csuhing's due to incr ACTH EMS Dysbiosis Chronic pain- arthritis, poor mobility and decr grazing Eq asthma Maint E requirement decr with age
Nutrition of elderly horses
- Incr E density: fat 7%
- Protein 6% because lower digestibility- give lysine and threonine in the form of leafy alfalfa
- C:P note they have decr P digestibility
Nutrition of horses with Dx (also good for teeth)
Soaked beet pulp
Chopped hay
Pelleted feed
**Note these have low GI so are also good for EMS and PPID
