CAM - nutrition

• Why


  Aim to balance the energy provided in food with the energy required by an individual animals body
• Energy content of the diet is derived from

  • Fats
  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins
• Gross energy (GE)


  The maximum amount of energy that is released from a food
• Digestible energy (DE)


  Energy available after the food has been digested and absorbed by the body
• Metabolisable energy (ME)


  Energy available for use by the animal
• Fat has GE - 9.40 (kcal/g) and an ME of 8.70 (kcal/g)
• Carbohydrate has GE - 4.15 and ME 3.5
• Protein has GE - 5.64 and ME - 3.5
• Manufacturers provide a guaranteed analysis on pet food labels. A guaranteed analysis only states maximum or minimum amounts of each nutrient
• Basal metabolic rate (BMR)


  Minimal amount of energy required for maintenance of - respiration, circulation, peristalsis, muscle tone, body temp, glandular activity
• Thermogenesis


  Refers to an increase in metabolic rate over the basal level - digesting absorbing and utilising nutrients, muscular work or exercise, stress, maintenance of body temp
• Resting energy requirements (RER)


  Amount of energy required over a 24 hour period by a resting animal in a comfortable stress free environment
• Maintenance energy requirements (MER)


  The amount of energy required by a moderately active animal in its daily search for and utilisation of food
• Daily energy requirements (DER)


  Take into account activity levels, growth, reproductive status and environment of healthy individuals
• Amount of Diet to Feed


  Amount of food = (DER ÷ ME content) x 100 (Kcal/day)
• Resting Energy Requirements (RER) Calculation


  • Dogs <5 kg and Cats: 60 x (weight in kg)
  • Dogs >5kg: 30 x (weight in kg) + 70
  • Rabbits: 70 x (weight in kg)
• Maintenance Energy Requirements (MER) Calculation


  • Cats: 1.40 x RER
  • Dogs: 2.00 x RER
  • Rabbits: 1.25 x RER
• Daily Energy Requirements (DER) Calculation


  • Moderate activity: 1.1 x MER
  • One full day's light work: 1.5 x MER
  • Gestation post 3 weeks: 2-4 x MER
  • Peak lactation: 2-4 x MER
  • Growth from birth to 3 months: 2.0 x MER
  • Sub-freezing temperature: 1.7 x MER
  • Resting: 0.8 x MER
  • Obesity: 0.6 x MER
  • Geriatric: 0.6 x MER
• Illness Energy Requirements (IER) Calculation


  • Post-op: 1.25-1.35 x RER
  • Trauma: 1.35-1.50 x RER
  • Sepsis: 1.50-1.70 x RER
  • Burns: 1.70-2.00 x RER
• Nutrient


  • Fat
  • Carbohydrate
  • Protein
• How to calculate how much food an animal requires

  1. Calculate the animals RER, MER and DER (kcal/day)

  2. Choose a diet and determine its ME content (Kcal/ 100g)

  3. Amount of food = (DER/ME content) x 100 (Kcal/day)
• Calculation for ill animals


  1. Firstly determine the animals RER

  2. Then use this to calculate the animals illness energy requirement

  3. Times by 1.25-1.35 for post-op, 1.35-1.5 for trauma, 1.5-1.7 for sepsis and 1.7-2.0 for burns
• Basic nutritional science


  • Water
  • Carbs
  • Protein
  • Lipids
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
• Macro nutrients


  Carbs, protein, lipids - required in diet in large quantities (water also included)
• Micro nutrients


  Vitamins and minerals - make up smaller quantity of diet
• Energy provides from - carbs, proteins and lipids
• Water


  Used to help thermoregulation, lubrication, remove waste, help absorb nutrients
• An animal can survive losing almost all of its glycogen and storage of fat and half its protein. But 10% loss of total body water causes serious illness. 15% loss of total body water causes death
• Ingested water


  Water acquired by drinking or eating
• Water content of pet food

  • Dry food - 6-10% water
  • Soft, moist food - 23-40% water
  • Canned food - 68-70% water
• 25-50ml of water per kg per day
• Energy levels


  Decreases as it moves up a trophic level, producers have the most, predators have the least
• Gross energy


  Cannot be directly measured, but energy can be converted to heat. A bomb calorimeter measures the heat of combustion which represents the gross energy of food
• Available energy in food

  Animal cannot use all of gross energy in food, some energy lost in faeces, urine and combustible gases produced during fermentation
• Bulk limited diets


  If a diets energy density is inadequate, GI capacity will limit intake before energy requirements are satisfied
• Energy limited diets


  If the energy density of a diet is high enough, the limiting factor becomes the energy. The animal should stop eating once energy requirements have been met
• Carbohydrate groups


  • Monosaccharides
  • Disaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
• Fibre


  Indigestible carbohydrates - composed of plant material - cellulose. Provides bulk to faeces, regulates bowel function, therapeutic use in fibre responsive diseases
• Protein


  Found in all living cells, large number of different proteins in a single organism. Functions include cell walls, membranes, connective tissue, muscles, enzymes, hormones, blood proteins
• Amino acids


  Proteins consist of amino acids attached to each other. 22 different amino acids required by animals