nutrition learning outcome 3

pregnancy

neonates

hand rearing

growth

maintenance

geriatric

as an animal develops and begins to age, the nutritional requirements will change

throughout different life stages quantity and frequency of meals

heath, allergies and diseases also have an impact on what’s fed to the animal

birth to weaning ( 4 - 10 weeks)

weaning to a point where growth ceases

Time after growth ceases and before ageing signs begin

maturity to death

the last 3 weeks - foetus has a growth spurt

for dogs this should be a 10 - 15% increase per week so by brith the dog is eating 50% more then normal

for cats it should be a 10% increase per week, by birth cat should be eating 30% more them normal

mothers should not be overfed as fat babies cause complications

small meals often

special pregnancy and lactation diets can be fed

have poor thermoregulation abilities

weak immune systems

poorly developed nervous system - slow to develop

eye lids and ear canals are not open - open 10 - 14 days

best diet is mothers milk as it is. nutritionally balanced and contains antibodies, proteins, hormones, enzymes, and growth factors - nutrients change throughout lactation

supplement milk can be fed that is nutritionally balanced but doens’t provide the extras

very time consuming

requires dedication - 24 feeding

initially feed every 2 hours

use specialists milk replacer

special feeding bottles and teats can be brought - must be correct size

larger breeds remain in the growth stage much longer then smaller breeds

referred to all puppies and kittens - can walk and express new behaviours

teeth begin to grow

rapid growth spurt

higher requirements for protein, energy and calcium

overfeeding could lead to skeletal problems in larger dogs and obesity in all animals

underfeeding can be stop animal from reaching full size and cause malnutrition and deformities

too rapid growth is a major factor in the development of bone and joint diseases

small breeds will mature earlier then large breeds

cats are adults from 1 - 7

nutritional demands are met by good quality food at correct levels

overfeeding will cause obesity

a balanced diet should be provided

weight should be ideal and not fluctuate too dramatically

the diet needs to reflect any additional needs and way of life, such as working

growth stops and adult features are present (teeth)

mature = 1 - 7

senior = 11 - 14

geriatric = 15+ years

depends on breed, size and average life span

considered senior in the last 25% of their expected lifespan

teeth loss and gum disease can occur

kidneys can have decreased function - avoid too much protein as kidney cant break down

taste decrease

smell decreases

vision decrease

metabolic rate decreases

reduced immunity

increased body fat

osteoarthritis

reduced muscle mass

heart function can worsen

working animals

preparing animal for surgery or procedures

recovery

working animals

diet has big impact of healthy skin and coat

food allergies are usually triggered by a hypersensitivity to a protien - body sees as a threat

dry skin and coat can be improved with diets and supplements such as omega 3

animals (not rabbits) should be fasted for 12 hours to control the condition

animal should be kept hydrated

animal should be offered bland diet

protien, phosphorus and slat should be reduced, no dry food should be fed

eggs and poultry should be fed

pets body doesn’t produce insulin - most common form in dogs

body produces insulin but body doesn’t respond to it - issuing restsinacfe and most common in cats

best way to control blood sugar is to feed at set times of the day, times for insulin injections

meat based, high in protien

moderatley fat and carbohydrate restricted

no carbs or dry food

starvation of animal should happen 8pm night before surgery

water can be given till first thing in the morning

rabbits only started until na hour before surgery

small bland meal should be offered in recovery

intensity of work

duration of work

environmental conditions

species age and heath

high fat for energy and endurance

chicken as its easily broken down

moisture content

dry matter

100 - moisture content

100 - 50 moisture content = 50% dry matter

% of nutrient divided by dry matter x 100 = nutrient based dry matter

10% protein divided by 10% dry matter content x 100 = 100% dry matter protein

gross energy is the energy in a feed before accounting for losses due to normal digestive and metabolic functions

not all of this energy is available to the animal

it is determined by the amount of heat produced when the food is completely oxidised in a bomb calorimeter

digestible energy is how much energy doesn’t end up in faeces

therefore it is absorbed

it is not always all used by the animal and some of it is lost

an indication of the actual amount of energy from a feed that can be available for use by the animal

subtracting energy lost in the faeces (FE) from the gross intake energy

(DE = GE - FE)

metabolisable energy

ME = 10(3.5 x CP) + (8.5 x CF) + (3.5 x NFE)

crude protien

crude fats

nitrogen free extract (carbohydrates)