Special feeding requirements of senior dogs and cats (and horses)

Question 1

In dogs more so that cats, what does the onset of aging depend on>

Answer 1

Body size (and age)

Question 2

Onset of ageing: small/mini breeds

Answer 2

<10kg

From 11 and a half

Question 3

Medium breeds

Answer 3

11-25kg

from 10

Question 4

Large breeds

Answer 4

26-45kg

from 9

Question 5

Giant breeds

Answer 5

> 45kg

from 7 and a half

Question 6

Cats

Answer 6

ageing when older than 11

But for Persian, Siamese and Maine Coon it is 9-10 yrs

Question 7

Clinical process of growing old (8)

Answer 7

Slow progressive decrease of vital functions i.e organ functions

1. Decr physio power and load capacity
2. Decr stamina and endurance
3. Decr heart and lung capacity (incr in resp disturbances)
4. Decr kidney function
5. Obesity- but at the late stages the body mass will shrink and decrease
6. Decr mental capactity: Alzheimers (beta amyloid plaques), drowsiness
7. Bone, teeth and joint issues
8. Decr immune

Question 8

Emotional changing

Answer 8

Can become more aggressive as they get older
Caused by emotional (hormonal) imbalance
Use emotion scoring

Question 9

Alteration of articular cart and intervertebral discs (6)

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Physio basics of growing old and how to treat them nutritionally (9)

Answer 10

E metab
E supply 
Protein turnover and its regulation
Protein supply 
Metabolic changes 
Changeable water metab
Vits 
Minerals 
Carb supply

Question 11

E metab

Answer 11

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

Question 12

E supply

Answer 12

-20% for the dogs

Cats: altogether unchangeable! fat digestibility decr so to compensate the FI increases

Question 13

Protein turnover and its regulation

Answer 13

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!!

Question 14

Metabolic changes (5)

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Protein supply

Answer 15

Ideal, HBV
CP 30-32%
CKD extra protein so the muscles do not degen (GH–IGF2–building aa’s into the muscles)

Question 16

Mineral supply

Answer 16

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)

Question 17

Vitamin supply

Answer 17

Give MORE because the utilization has decreased!

**exception for vit A and D

Question 18

Carb supply

Answer 18

NB to give low GI so as not to affect the insulin excretion

Question 19

What is the Glycaemic index

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Examples of low GI foods

Answer 20

Lentil
Soybean
Soya

Question 21

Examples of mediun GI foods

Answer 21

Banana
Rice
White bread

Question 22

Examples of High GI foods

Answer 22

Sugary food
Potatoes
Melon
Honey

Question 23

Supplements and antioxidants (8)

Answer 23

Antioxidants 
Omega 3 PUFAs
Probiotics 
MOS
FOS
Chondroitin sulphate
Fat burners
Immunostimulants, modulants, Nucleic acid

Question 24

What are the antioxidants

Answer 24

Carotenoids

Lutein

Question 25

Omega 3 PUFA’s

Answer 25

Fish in sunflower oil (but remove the sunflower oil)
Soybean oil
olive oil

Question 26

Probiotics

Answer 26

yoghurt
kefir
lactobacilli (capsulated)

Question 27

MOS

Answer 27

mannan oligosaccharides

Yeast uses competitive antagonism

Question 28

FOS

Answer 28

fructo-oligosaccharides
beets, carrots and other veg
Fermentable fibre
N-trapping/fixes N in the gut lumen- therefore should cook without sodium

Question 29

Chondroitin sulphate

Answer 29

Can be natural or synthetic

Question 30

Fat burners

Answer 30

L-carnithine

Trivalent Cr

Question 31

Summary of basic aging requirements (9)

Answer 31

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

Question 32

The elderly horse (7)

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Nutrition of elderly horses

Answer 33

1. Incr E density: fat 7%
2. Protein 6% because lower digestibility- give lysine and threonine in the form of leafy alfalfa
3. C:P note they have decr P digestibility

Question 34

Nutrition of horses with Dx (also good for teeth)

Answer 34

Soaked beet pulp
Chopped hay
Pelleted feed
**Note these have low GI so are also good for EMS and PPID