Department of Applied Sciences and Social Practice
VNAB502 Animal Behaviour, Handling and Nutrition
Written Assessment: Nutritional
requirements for companion animals
Figure 1 "Bailey" - Picture taken and supplied by Ara Tutor Fiona Richardson
Project: 50% weighting
Programme: NZ Certificate in Animal Technology (L5)
Learning Outcome 4: Identify nutritional requirements for companion animals
Student Name: Brooklyn McCabe
Due Date:
Sunday May 29th, 2022, 11.59 pm
VNAB502 Learning Outcome 4: Identify nutritional requirements for companion
animals (50%) Assessment:
An assignment on the identification of the nutritional requirements of companion animals
according to species.
Instructions

You are to provide information for clients on the three scenarios provided.

Aim for 1000 - 1500 words per scenario as a guide.

Your assignment must include sufficient clearly presented evidence to show the
answers to all the questions asked, features of the life stage choice for food,
supporting information to justify why you are recommending these foods and any
calculations when requested.

The choices of foods you select must be readily available to a client in New Zealand.

Please use APA referencing in text and as a reference list. Follow guidelines provided
in Learning Services and if you need a reference generator, see the one I put on
Moodle: https://moodle.ara.ac.nz/mod/url/view.php?id=974674

The content and presentation are marked according to the rubric provided at the end.
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022
1. Cats
A client has inherited a six-year-old neutered female cat from their elderly mother who has
entered a rest home. The cat currently weights 5 kg in weight with a body score of 4/5
according to the Hill’s Scale.
The client would like to know how best to feed the cat this year to help with weight
management. They would also like advice on what changes they will need to make to alter the
cat’s diet when it turns seven.
a. Discuss why it is strongly recommended to reduce this cat’s weight.
Overweight cats have a lower life expectancy than cats at an ideal weight (Williams &
Downing, n.d). Overweight cats are also more likely to develop diseases such as
diabetes, many types of cancer, and heart disease. Extra weight also places
unnecessary stress on joints which can lead to osteoarthritis. Along with the health
problems caused by excess weight, the cat’s quality of life is also affected as they are
less mobile so less able to play, jump, run, and display normal behaviour patterns
freely.
b. Select a premium food and a budget food option you could recommend they feed for
assisting with weight control, with reasons for your specific food choices.
Premium food –Royal Canin Satiety Weight Management. This is a complete and
balanced food specifically formulated to help with feline weight loss. It works by
providing high levels of natural fibre to help the cat feel fuller for longer and has fat
and calories appropriate for weight loss, as well being nutrient rich to compensate for
the calorie restriction. This food also has high levels of protein which supports healthy
weight loss while not compromising muscle mass (Royal Canin, n.d).
Budget food – Whiskas Weight Control. This is a complete and balanced food including
L-carnitine which aids in metabolism and breaking down fats in the body. It also has
lower fat levels and calories than their normal adult dry food range which helps
promote weight loss, as well as high levels of protein to maintain muscle mass and all
essential vitamins and nutrients (Woolworths New Zealand, n.d).
c. The vet has recommended they reduce the cat’s weight by 10% initially.
Calculate the MER levels required for this cat if it is to reach 4.5 kg.
RER kcal/day = (30 x 5kg) + 70 = 220kcal/day
MER = 220 x 0.8 = 176kcal/day
From this, calculate the amount of each of your two selected foods that you would
then recommend they will feed daily for the next four weeks (until it is reweighed).
Discuss a comparison of the daily costs of the two foods. Comment on whether this
affects your final recommendation of which food they should use?
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022
Royal Canin Satiety Weight Management
Metabolizable energy = 3040 kcal/kg (Royal Canin, n.d).
3040 ÷ 1000 = 3.04kcal/g
176 ÷ 3.04 = 57.9g of food per day
Whiskas Weight Control
Metabolizable energy = 3350kcal/kg (Woolworths New Zealand, n.d)
3350 ÷ 1000 = 3.35kcal/g
176 ÷ 3.35 = 52.54g of food per day
The Royal Canin Satiety Weight Management food is $44.15 for a 1.5kg bag (Pet Direct,
n.da). This makes it $0.03 per gram, multiplying this by 57.9g per day makes the food
cost around $1.70 per day
The Whiskas Weight Control is currently $12 for a 1.5kg bag at Countdown
(Woolworths New Zealand, n.d). This makes it only $0.008 per day which is
significantly cheaper than the Royal Canin option.
While the budget food is much cheaper than the premium choice, I would still
recommend the Royal Canin as it has higher quality ingredients, the Whiskas option
has corn gluten meal as its second ingredient which is a low cost protein used in
animal food. It is also less nutritionally complete than meat proteins and feeding this
to cats for long periods of time can lead to severe corn allergies (Remillard, 2014). The
Royal Canin is definitely more expensive than the Whiskas however, at only $1.70 per
day it is still less than a cup of coffee daily for a much higher quality food for your pet.
d. Describe the reasons why a cat’s diet should change when they turn seven.
Include the possible health risks (other than obesity), that are often associated with
the aging process in cats and how changing to a Senior diet might address these.
A cat’s diet should change when they turn seven as they move into the senior or
geriatric stage in their life. As a geriatric animal, they are likely to be less active so
require less energy in their diet to maintain a healthy body weight. Senior animals
require higher quality protein which is more digestible to maintain their muscle mass
and keep up their immunity. Although they need higher quality protein, they should
be fed this in lower levels than younger cats as excess protein is broken down in the
kidneys into urea, excess urea in the bloodstream can lead to health problems such as
convulsions, stomach bleeding, and bad breath. It is also important to ensure that
while preventing obesity in older cats by restricting their energy intake you are
supplementing their vitamin and minerals which are essential nutrients. It is a good
idea to feed senior cats smaller amounts of food in regular intervals that have higher
fat levels and are highly palatable as cats tend to become fussier in their eating habits
with old age (Ara Companion Animal Nutrition Handout, 2022).
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022
2. Dogs
Your client has bred Cocker Spaniels for a few years but has now decided to get a Great Dane
puppy. They will be bringing it home as soon as it reaches eight weeks of age.
They want you to advise them on how to feed this type of puppy as they are only used to
rearing a smaller breed of dog.
a. Discuss what type of food you would recommend they start the puppy on.
You must include an explanation of WHY this choice of food is so important, including
the risks that can be associated with incorrect feeding of this breed.
Great Danes are considered a giant breed, therefore, they require a very different and
specific diet compared to smaller breeds, this is due to their accelerated and immense
growth during their younger years. Overfeeding this breed with regular food does not
increase their skeleton or muscle size. Instead, it increases their chances of developing
obesity and its associated complications, and skeletal problems like increased bone
growth rate and developmental orthopaedic diseases. I would recommend feeding it a
Great Dane or large/giant breed specific puppy food. For a premium option, the Black
Hawk Original Puppy Large Breed dry food is a good option as it has a highly palatable,
complete and balanced formula tailored for puppies who require controlled growth
with an appropriate calcium and phosphorus ratio to support slow and proper bone
development. There is also no wheat, corn, artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or
fillers in any of their range, so the food is packed full of beneficial ingredients as well
as glucosamine and chondroitin to aid in joint health, emu oil which has omega 3, 6
and 9 for healthy skin coat and joints, and digestible proteins and fibre for gut health
(PetDirect, n.db). There are limited quality budget options for large and giant breeds
with most including corn gluten meal high on their ingredient lists which, like cats, can
cause severe corn allergies over time. An average option is IAMS Proactive Health
Smart Large Breed Puppy food. It contains some good ingredients like chicken and
chicken by product meal but contains a lot of fillers, artificial colours and flavours. One
of their main claims as to why this particular food is so good is that ‘real farm-raised
chicken is the first ingredient’ (IAMS, n.d) which can be misleading for a few reasons,
because the ingredients list is in order of weight before cooking, chicken can easily be
bumped up the list because of its water content and including multiple carbohydrate
and fibre sources in the food instead of just one, this means they can be listed
individually instead of a combined weight, giving the illusion of a lower overall
percentage. The first ingredient in animal food also does not mean it is the most
nutritionally dense (Ara Selecting Food and Reading Labels handout, n.d). As for a raw
food diet, because this requires a lot of DIY for lack of a better term, it requires a lot
more time and consideration. It is also extremely unregulated and unless the owner
has a real understanding of dog nutrition, food handling, and sanitization, it is difficult
to do correctly. For these main reasons my final recommendation would be the Black
Hawk Original Puppy Large Breed dry food. Investing more money in proper food for
this breed could actually save you thousands in vet bills due to complications as a
result of incorrect feeding.
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022
b. Explain what advice you will recommended for the clients on how they will have to
alter the daily amounts being fed according to the age and condition of this Great
Dane over the next 18 -24 months.
Great Dane puppies grow very quickly, so the amount of food they have to be fed
daily changes often. It is important to weigh them regularly to ensure they are being
fed the correct amounts during this crucial developmental stage. All pet foods should
have a feeding guide on the packaging with the recommended daily amount for their
weight, the clients should use this but keep in mind that this is only a guide, and they
should monitor the puppies body score, seek veterinarian advice, and adjust their
feeding quantities as needed. Great Danes eat more in their adolescent years
(between the ages of 1-2) than they do any other time in their lives (Meggitt, 2021). A
Great Danes skeleton will usually be finished growing at 18-24 months so up until this
point the primary focus of feeding them should be on supplying correct amounts of
calcium, phosphorus, and protein to aid in good joints and mobility and healthy strong
bones, preventing debilitating bone diseases later in life. After their skeleton is full
size, this breed will develop serious muscle mass so monitoring their body score is
important to ensure that they are in fact gaining muscle and not fat. Owners should
also be mindful of their Great Danes gastric health as bloat can cause serious and
often fatal complications in this breed. Although it is not always predictable, as a
general rule to try and prevent this, owners should feed Great Danes small amounts at
regular intervals throughout the day to ensure the dog is not eating too quickly, and
limit extreme exercise within an hour either side of their meals (Diamond, n.d).
3. Rabbits and Guinea Pigs
Clients often believe that you can feed Guinea Pigs and Rabbits with the same food.
Create a poster or brochure information sheet for clients that clearly demonstrates /
summarises the similarities and differences when feeding these two species so that they will
both get the balanced diet they require.
Include pictures and examples of what you recommend as the best sources of fresh foods, hay,
and brands of pelleted material available.
Include in your answer the risks associated with food contamination, toxicity, excesses of
some foods, and some deficiencies that can be seen when feeding these two species.
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022
References
Diamond, A. (n.d) Great Dane Growth & Weight Chart: Everything You Need To Know.
Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.pawlicy.com/blog/great-dane-growthand-weight/
IAMS (n.d) IAMS Proactive Health Smart Large Breed Puppy. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from
https://www.iams.co.nz/products/for-dogs/puppy/smart-puppy-large-breed-drypuppy-food-with-real-chicken-68kg-bag/
Meggitt, J. (2021) How Much and Often to Feed a Great Dane. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from
https://www.cuteness.com/blog/content/how-much-and-often-to-feed-a-great-dane
Pet Direct (n.da) Royal Canin Vet Satiety Weight Management Dry Cat Food. Retrieved May 18,
2022, from https://petdirect.co.nz/p/satiety-weight-management-dry-catfood/?sku=Sku-3333.5kg&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhLKUBhDiARIsAMaTLnHeejqa3dVgxLcRfoeGdEuql4kfQngSDfqS5
zgif1m2f0YxUkTQDxcaAhX3EALw_wcB
Pet Direct (n.db) Black Hawk Original Puppy Large Breed Chicken Dry Dog Food. Retrieved May
22, 2022, from https://petdirect.co.nz/p/chicken-large-breed-puppy-dryfood/?gclid=CjwKCAjw7cGUBhA9EiwArBAvoiyiRHF8IlHxtyZkNh0ycowDpMlHAPnglgxP
4g_bXzQ16BVm_zZHRRoCR80QAvD_BwE
Remillard, T. Corn Gluten Meal in Your Pet’s Food. Retrieved May 20, 2022, from
http://acupetvetcare.com/nutrition/corn-gluten-meal-petsfood/#:~:text=Corn%20gluten%20meal%20is%20a,gluten%2C%20but%20simply%20co
rn%20proteins.
Royal Canin (n.d) Satiety Weight Management. Retrieved May 18, 2022, from
https://www.royalcanin.com/nz/cats/products/vet-products/satiety-weightmanagement-dry
Williams, K. & Downing, R. (n.d) Obesity in Cats. Retrieved May 17, 2022, from
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/obesity-in-cats
Woolworths New Zealand. (n.d) Whiskas Adult Dry Cat Food Weight Management. Retrieved
May 18, 2022, from
https://www.countdown.co.nz/shop/productdetails?stockcode=325975&name=whisk
as-adult-dry-cat-food-weight-management
Rabbit and Guinea Pig brochure references
Axleson, R. & Hess, L. (n.da) Feeding Your Rabbit. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-yourrabbit#:~:text=Hay%20is%20the%20most%20important,a%20rabbit's%20healthy%20
digestive%20tract.
Axleson, R. & Hess, L. (n.db) Feeding Guinea Pigs. Retrieved May 28, 2022, from
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/guinea-pigsfeeding#:~:text=Guinea%20pigs%20and%20primates%2C%20including,in%20the%20h
ealing%20of%20wounds.
Bergstrøm, C. Toxic Plants. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/Toxic_plants_en.pdf
Merriam-Webster (n.d) Lagomorph. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/lagomorph
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022
Oxbow Animal Health (2021) Foods Rabbits Should Never Eat. Retrieved from
https://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/blog/foods-rabbits-should-never-eat
Roeder, M. Alfalfa Versus Timothy Hay for Rabbits. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from
https://www.purinamills.com/rabbit-food/education/detail/alfalfa-versus-timothyhay-for-rabbits
RSPCA A healthy diet for guinea pigs. Retrieved May 28, 2022, from
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/guineapigs/diet?utm_sour
ce=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=PiggyDiet&utm_campaign=AdvicePet
s
SPCA (n.d) What to feed your rabbits. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from
https://www.spca.nz/advice-and-welfare/article/what-to-feed-your-rabbits
All pictures used on the brochure were sourced directly from Canva who reserve all rights to
them.
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022
Department of Applied Sciences and Social Practice
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
VNAB502: Nutritional Requirements for Companion Animals (Learning Outcome 3)
Assessment: Assignment (Weighting 50%)
35 - 29
Feeding cats
35%
Knowledge of cat feeding is
comprehensively and accurately
applied to the scenario with
comparison of food options and all
food amount calculations provided.
Risks associated with excessive
weight and incorrect feeding are
accurately identified.
Future needs of the aging cat are
comprehensively and accurately
identified.
28-22
21-15
14-8
Knowledge of cat feeding is
mostly accurately applied
to the scenario with
comparison of food options
and all food amount
calculations provided.
Risk associated with weight
gain and incorrect feeding
are correctly identified.
Knowledge of cat feeding is
covered adequately but lacks
detail and gaps are evident/
material not covered.
Risks associated with weight gain
and incorrect feeding are
identified but lack detail.
Future needs of the aging cat are
identified but lack some detail.
Limited knowledge of cat
feeding is described but not all
areas are covered sufficiently
or at all.
Risk associated with weight
gain and incorrect feeding are
either not included or
inaccurate or not covered in
sufficient depth.
Limited future needs of the
aging cat are identified but
gaps are evident and lacks
details.
Future needs of the aging
cat are mostly accurately
identified,
0-7
Knowledge of cat feeding is
inadequately applied.
Risks associated with weight
gain and incorrect feeding are
not identified or lack details or
are inaccurate.
Future needs of the aging cat
are not identified or inaccurate.
.
Feeding dogs
35%
35 - 29
28-22
21-15
14-8
0-7
Knowledge of dog feeding for growth
of a giant breed is comprehensively
and accurately applied and
arguments for and against use of
budget, premium and raw foods are
comprehensively discussed.
Future feeding needs of the growing
puppy are comprehensively and
accurately identified.
Risks associated with incorrect
feeding are accurately identified.
Knowledge of dog feeding
for growth of giant breeds
is mostly accurately applied
and arguments for and
against using budget,
premium and raw foods are
discussed with some depth.
Future feeding needs of the
growing puppy are well
identified.
Risks associated with
incorrect feeding are
mostly accurately
identified.
Knowledge of dog feeding for
growth of giant breeds is covered
adequately but lacks detail or
gaps are evident.
Some options for budget,
premium and raw foods are
discussed but lack depth and
detail
Future feeding needs of the
growing puppy and options are
identified but lack some detail or
gaps are evident.
A risk associated with incorrect
feeding is identified but lacks
detail.
Limited knowledge of dog
feeding is described but lacks
details and not all areas are
covered sufficiently.
Limited future needs of the
puppy are identified but are
inaccurate and/or not covered
in sufficient depth.
Budget, premium, and raw
foods are not mentioned or
lack detail.
A risk associated with incorrect
feeding is either not included
or inaccurate or not covered in
sufficient depth.
Knowledge of dog feeding is
inadequately applied.
Future needs of the puppy are
not identified, or insufficient
information is provided.
Budget, premium, and raw
foods are discussed but
inaccurate or are not included.
Risks associated with incorrect
feeding are inaccurate or not
identified
Feeding rabbits
and rodents
25%
25-21
20-16
15-11
10-6
Knowledge of rabbit and
guinea pig feeding is
comprehensively and
accurately applied with
excellent suggested foods and
clear pictorial information.
Knowledge of rabbit
and guinea pig feeding
is accurately identified
with appropriate foods
recommended and
clear pictorial
information.
Knowledge of rabbit and
guinea pig feeding is covered
adequately but some gaps
are evident and pictorial
information is lacking.
Limited knowledge of
appropriate feeding of rabbits
and guinea pigs is demonstrated
but not all areas covered
sufficiently or lacks detail,
pictures etc.
Risks and deficiencies
associated with incorrect
feeding of these species are
comprehensively and
accurately identified.
5
Presentation and
Structure
5%
Excellent writing: Sentence
structure is always accurate
and appropriate. Spelling is
always accurate. Work is
presented to an extremely
high standard and accurate
APA referencing included.
Pictures are also referenced.
Risks ad deficiencies
associated with
incorrect feeding are
identified for each
species.
Risk and deficiencies
associated with incorrect
feeding of these species is
accurately identified but lacks
detail.
4
3
Writing is above
average: Sentence
structure is usually
accurate and
appropriate and
spelling usually
accurate.
Work is presented to a
high standard and clear
APA referencing
included and generally
accurate.
Writing is acceptable:
Sentence structure, grammar,
spelling is generally accurate.
Work is presented according
to required standards and
format, with accurate APA
referencing provided.
There may be occasional
errors present in all or any
these areas.
Risks and deficiencies associated
with incorrect feeding is either
not identified or inaccurate or
not covered in sufficient depth.
2
Writing is below average:
Sentence structure is often
inaccurate and inappropriate or
spelling is often inaccurate.
Work is not presented according
to required standards and format
References are either not
provided or are incorrectly
presented.
Recommend referral of student to
Learning Services.
5-0
Knowledge of rabbit and guinea
pig feeding is inadequately
applied.
Risks and deficiencies associated
with incorrect feeding is not
identified or is inaccurate lacks
details.
.
1
Sentence structure is rarely
accurate or appropriate.
Numerous and consistent errors
of spelling, usage, and
punctuation hinders
communication.
Work is not presented according
to required standards
Referencing is not included.
Recommend referral of student to
Learning Services.
The final grade and e-feedback will be provided on your marked assignment on Moodle. This feedback will be released for view when assignments are all marked.
This rubric is used by the marker to assess final score for each section and the total overall grade.
If there is a need for a resubmission it will be indicated in the feedback.
VNAB502 Nutrition Assignment
@Ara
March 2022