(T2) Lecture 6b - Life cycle nutrition of dogs Flashcards
When are dogs considered older?
When they reach half of their life expectancy
In older dogs lean body mass decreases which means there is less protein tissue. What are the consequences of this?
- Per unit of body you have a reduction of the basal metabolic rate (less protein turnover)
- Reduction in activity can coincide with thyroid fxn (important for basal metabolism)
- Decrease in MER!
What is are the 2 goals of nutrition for older dogs?
- Optimization of quality and longevity of life
- Minimization of disease
Why is nutrition an important aspect of geriatric care?
- Delay or elimination of cancer, kidney disease, and heart disease
What is the water requirement for older dogs?
- More prone to dehydration; possible osmoregulatory disturbances, medications (diuretics), and chronic renal disease
- Continuous access to fresh, clean water is important
- Closely monitor intake
Energy requirement of older dogs
- lean body mass decreases; less protein tissue
- subcutaneous fat increases
- basal metabolic rate gradually declines
- body temperature may decrease
- less active
- impaired thryoid fxn
How does body mass change in older dogs?
Decrease in lean body mass
Increase in fat body mass
How is the protein requirement of older dogs affected by a decrease in lean body mass?
- Alterations in protein synthesis and turnover
- Higher protein intake in older dogs than in younger adults to try and keep lean body mass high for as long as possible (~50% more protein)
When kidney fxn is impaired, why would high protein diets accelerate renal disease?
Too much pressure on the kidney having to get rid of the N
What are the fat requirements of older dogs?
- Low fat intake to reduce risk of obesity
- Essential fatty acid requirements must be met (linoleic and linolenic)
What are the fat requirements for very old dogs?
Higher fat intake to prevent to lose weight. More fat in food =
- increase in energy intake
- increase in palatability
- increase (likely) protein use (to maintain mass)
- correct immunonescence
What are the requirements for Ca and P for older dogs?
- Avoid excessive P intake; clinical or subclinical renal disease often present in older dogs
- Foods with 0.25-0.75% DM P are recommended
- Osteoporosis not a clinical problem in dogs so there is little concern about Ca deficiency in older dogs.
- ratio is still ~1:1
What are the pros and cons of fiber (soluble vs. insoluble) for older dogs?
PROS
- older dogs are prone to constipation; add insoluble fiber to prevent
- soluble fiber decreases postprandial glycemic effects in older diabetic dogs (aka reduces the rise in blood glucose)
- dilutes calories while reducing satiety
CONS
- can impair digestion of other nutrients
- flatulence (soluble fiber)
- dilutes calories; for very old dogs want less fiber to increase calorie density
What is the recommended DM content of fiber for older dogs?
Greater than or equal to 2%
What are 4 goals of a good reproductive feeding program?
- Optimize conception
- # of puppies per litter
- Ability of the bitch to deliver; rapidly-available energy (glycogen) fed right before delivery
- Viability of prenatal and neonatal puppies
What should precede mating and conception?
Optimal nutrition of reproducing animals
- malnutrition before breeding is often unnoticed until puppies are born at a low birth wt
What is flushing?
An increase in food intake (plane of nutrition) and body conditioning prior to mating increasing the chance of proper pregnancy
When during gestation does an increase in food intake and body wt occur?
Most of the change is happening in the second portion of gestation
- unlike the cat who has a linear increase in BW throughout gestation
What are the protein requirements for a dog during gestation?
*Protein and AA req for reproduction is not well defined
- Higher protein quality (aka digestible and ideal AA profile)
- increases vigor of newborn puppies
- decreases neonatal mortality
- supports important maternal gain - Protein deficiency during pregnancy
- decrease birth wt
- increase mortality during first 48hr of life
- decrease immunocompetence of puppies - Recommended allowance - late pregnancy
- CP doubles
- Arginine (so urea cycle fxns well)
What is the requirement for fat during gestation?
Increasing fat levels
- increase digestibility
- increase energy provision
- increase nitrogen retention
Also ensuring sufficient linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid.
What does the amount of fat in the diet of a gestating dog depend on?
- litter size
- body condition
- food intake
- giant-breed bitches need high-energy throughout gestation
What is the CHO requirement for a dog during gestation?
Recommendation: ~20% of energy from CHOs (starch or fiber)
- Bitch needs digestible CHOs during pregnancy
- High metabolic requirement for glucose; 50% of energy for fetal development supplied as glucose
If a gestating dog is fed a CHO-free food, what could happen?
NOT GOOD. Points of evidence that we need to feed some digestible CHOs (starch and glucose) bc without:
- increase wt loss
- decrease food intake
- decrease birth wt of puppies
- decrease neonatal survival of puppies
- increase risk of stillbirth
- increase risk of hypoglycemia and ketosis during late pregnancy
- decrease lactose concentration in milk
If no CHOs are fed to a gestating dog, what must happen to avoid consequences?
- Protein intake must double
- Gluconeogenesis used to form energy from AA (also means a lot of deamination resulting in more pressure on the kidneys to get rid of N)
