Glossary

• What is the true stomach in ruminants called?

  Abomasum
• What are the building blocks of proteins?

  Amino acids
• What does a balanced diet ensure for animals?

  Nutrients in correct amounts for health
• What is the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?


  Energy required for basic body functions
• What are carbohydrates made of?

  Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
• What is a carnivore?

  An animal that primarily eats meat
• What is the function of the cecum in hindgut fermenters?

  Breaking down fibrous plant material
• What is cellulose?

  A complex carbohydrate in plant cell walls
• What is constipation?

  Difficulty in emptying the bowels
• What is coprophagy?

  Re-ingesting soft faeces for nutrients
• What is diabetes?

  A metabolic disease causing high blood sugar
• What are disaccharides?

  Carbohydrates composed of two sugar units
• What does digestibility refer to?

  The extent food can be broken down
• What is Digestible Energy (DE)?

  Energy that can be digested by the body
• What is dry food?

  Commercial food in pellets or biscuits
• What characterizes Equine Metabolic Syndrome?

  Obesity and insulin resistance in horses
• What are essential nutrients?

  Nutrients that must be obtained from food
• What are fat-soluble vitamins?

  Vitamins stored in body fat
• What is fresh food?

  Unprocessed food with a limited shelf life
• What is a frugivore?

  An animal that primarily eats fruit
• What are the benefits of fruits and vegetables?

  Low in fat, high in vitamins and fiber
• What is grass and forage food?

  Nutritional for animals that digest cellulose
• What is Gross Energy (GE)?

  Total chemical energy in food
• What is a herbivore?

  An animal that primarily eats plants
• What are hindgut fermenters?

  Animals that digest fibrous material in the cecum
• What is hypothyroidism?

  Insufficient thyroid hormone production
• What is laminitis?

  Painful inflammation of hoof tissues
• What are lipids?

  Organic molecules including fats and oils
• What is live food?

  Animals fed to carnivores while alive
• What are macro minerals?

  Minerals needed in larger quantities
• What are maintenance energy requirements?

  Energy needed based on activity and life stage
• What is meat essential for?

  High protein and fat for carnivores
• What is metabolism energy?

  Energy the body can extract from food
• What are micro minerals?

  Minerals needed in smaller amounts
• What is a monogastric animal?

  Animal with a single-chambered stomach
• What are monosaccharides?

  Single sugar units
• What are nutrients?

  Chemical substances required for body functioning
• What are nutritional requirements?

  Specific nutrients needed by animals
• What is an omnivore?

  An animal that eats both plants and animals
• What does palatability refer to?

  Acceptability of food to an animal