Weight Control And Homemade Diets Flashcards
What can cause obesity?
-underlying medical conditions
-genetic factors
-home made or unbalnced diets
-lack of exercise
-overfeeding
-highly palatable food
-feeding ad lib
What is hyperplastic obesity?
Obesity resulting from an increase in the number of fat cells in young animals
What is hypertrophic obesity?
Obesity in adult animals resulting from an increase in fat cell size
Why does neutering tend to lead to weight gain?
-decreases activity levels
-linked with the removal of testosterone and oestrogen
-both have appetite depressant effects
-increases animals tendency to gain weight
What are some side effects of obesity?
-enlarged abdomen
-sluggishness
-decreased physical activity
-decreased life span
-respiratory difficulties
-increased risk of diabetes mellitus
-increased surgical risk
What should be followed when reversing obesity?
-identify target weight
-create milestones; 10-15% less each time
-should be slow and gradual
-reduce intake by an additional 10% if no weight loss
What RER are dogs and cats fed at during weight loss?
Dogs = 1.4 x RER
Cats = 1 x RER
What do commercial weight loss diets contain?
-vitamin and mineral requirement remains the same
-increased fibre content, slows down digestion and absorption of nutrients
-have less fat
-lower calorie density
What is a metabolic diet?
-designed to support weight loss at home but is a prescription diet
-turns overweight dogs from fat storers to fat burners
-helps regulate appetite and the feeling of fullness
Why does a low energy/fat diet aid in weight loss?
Stored body fat is used to meet energy needs thus resulting in weight loss
How can exercise contribute to weight loss?
-contributes approximately 5% to weight loss
-unless dog is actually doing agility or flyball exercise
What can cause an animal to lose weight?
-physiological changes (pregnancy, old age, exercise)
-feeding mismanagement (malnutrition, low energy diet)
-trauma (pain induced anorexia, head injuries)
-disease (tooth loss, parasitism, diabetes mellitus, liver failure, cancer)
-other (meds, drugs, neglect)
How do animals lose weight?
-when their energy intake is less than the amount they use everyday
Why can homemade diets lead to weight loss?
-can be inadequate if they are not correctly balanced
What information should be gathered from a diet history?
-current diet
-who feeds animal and how much
-estimate energy expenditure
-clinical examination
-must take care as owners may withhold information
What should be included in commercial diets given to underweight patients ?
-contain more protein and fat than carbohydrates
-high palatability
-high protein quality
-high digestibility
-high nutrient value
What complications can occur when feeding weight loss diets?
-diarrhoea
-initial weight gain is fat and water, not protein
-re feeding syndrome
What concerns are there about homemade diets?
-they are challenging to make
-require significant research and expert guidance to undertake with any success
-wether all nutrients are provided in the right proportions
-concern that they do not provide adequate nutrition
What advantages are there for homemade diets?
-suitable for animals with allergies
-can be more palatable for picky eaters
-doesn’t contain as many additives or preservatives
-can calorie count more specifically
What disadvantages are there for homemade diets?
-can be unbalanced
-expensive to buy all ingredients
-difficult to keep food fresh
-risk of contamination
-wrong amount may be fed
What are disadvantages of feeding raw diets?
-can cause bacterial infections or parasitic diseases
-potentially unbalanced
-can cause GI upsets
-may use low quality ingredients
-risk of salmonella
