Nutrition
Mrs. Kenner - Stephens
Section 1
Intro to Nutrition
• Enables us to feed for good health and a
longer lifespan.
• Commercial diets are now formulated to
help prevent nutritional deficiencies, boost
the immune system, improve cognitive
health, and help slow the aging process.
• Prevent and manage chronic diseases.
What does this mean to you?
Your roll as a Licensed Veterinary Technician
• Client education
• Nutrition related diseases
• Nutritional support
Nutritional Support
• In times of illness and injury, nutritional
support is of great importance as the animal
will be dependent upon you for it’s
nutritional intake.
• Failure to recognize or address a patient’s
metabolic needs may have negative
consequences and may adversely affect
patient outcome.
Overview of Nutritional Objectives
and Principals
• Our overall goal for companion animals is to
maximize the length and quality of the animal’s
life by reducing nutritional risk factors. We do this
by feeding the proper food for each life stage
requirement of the animal.
• Whereas in food animals, our main goal is to
encourage weight gain rapidly and not necessarily
focus on longevity.
Where do we start?
ENERGY/ATP
The main reason to eat food is to obtain
energy.
Will all animals only eat the amount of food
based on the amount of energy needed??
Explain….
Factors to consider: palatability, availability, frequency, treats, and
exercise.
What is energy?
Energy Units:
• Kilocalorie
• Kilojoule
• Calorie
• calorie: the energy needed to raise the temp.
of 1g of water from 14.5◦C to 15.5◦C
How much energy is in my food?
Measuring Energy
direct measurement
Gross Energy – fecal matter = Digestible Energy
Digestible Energy – urine and gas = Metabolizable Energy
Most common estimate of energy available from pet foods.
Metabolizable Energy – digestion = Net Energy
Atwater Factors
estimated measurement
• Protein 3.5 kcal/g, fat 8.5kcal/g, carbohy3.5kcal/g
Energy Density
• ED = kcal per unit of food
• High: animal eats less
fed to those requiring more energy
• Low:
obese animals
takes more to get required
nutrients
Energy Expenditure
• Factors to consider:
exercise
cold weather
stress
disease
body size
lactating
pregnant
Resting Energy Requirement
• RER (kg x 30) + 70 = kcal/day
• Then multiply to factor in energy
expenditure = MER
• Adult dog 1.4-1.6
• Adult cat 1.2-1.4
• Active adult 1.6-2.0
• Performance or working dog 2.0-6.0
• Other factors to consider….
These are the Six basic
classes of nutrients that
are important for life
sustenance.
Producing
components
Non-energy
producing
Nutrients p293 box 9-1
Energy Producing
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Protein
Macronutrients
Carbs, fats, and protein
Non-energy producing
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Water
Micronutrients
Vitamins and Minerals
Water
H2O
•
•
•
•
Non energy producing nutrient
Dry food contains 10% water
Can food contains 75% water
Determining how much water to give
your pet: have fresh water available at all
times.
• Dehydration
Carbohydrate
carbon-water
C + H2O
Carbohydrates
(simple sugars)
•
•
•
•
Monosaccharides
Simple sugars
Most common are glucose,
fructose, and galactose
One carbon chain
Body breaks down to
glucose
•
•
•
•
Disaccharides
Two carbon chains
Example: glucose +
galactose = lactose
Example: glucose + fructose
= sucrose (table sugar)
Body breaks down to
glucose
Carbohydrates (complex)
Polysaccharides
Starch
• Alpha bonds (able to be broken down to
glucose)
• Non-structural part of plant
• Examples: potato
• Body breaks down to glucose
• Excess stored in liver as glycogen
• Soluble
Carbohydrates
Polysaccharides
Fiber
• Bacterial fermentation of fiber breaks it
down to short chain fatty acids. Only occurs
in colon of dog and cat. (energy)
• Beta bonds (mostly indigestible except in
ruminants and herbivores)
• Structural part of plant
• Increases bulk and transit time.
• Helps with satiety and weight loss
• Insoluble
Fiber and Ruminants
• Ruminants have bacteria and protozoan
microbes that can degrade fiber in the rumen,
cecum and large intestine.
• Fiber is a major energy source for grazing
animals.
Digestion of Carbohydrates
• Carbs must be broken down to
monosaccharides for absorption from the G.I.
tract or are utilized directly by the body as
energy.
• Excess glucose travels in the blood to the liver
where it is converted to glycogen for “energy”
storage. Excess beyond this is stored as fat.
• Carb requirements for dogs and cats: none
Glycogen
• Glycogen is broken down when the blood
glucose drops below the normal range.
Glucose levels drop between meals as a
result of insulin secretion.
• Glycogen is an animal specific starch and
can quickly depolymerize into units of
glucose.
• Glycogen is mostly stored in the liver and
muscle tissue and can be rapidly turned into
glucose to supply immediate demand.
FAT (lipids)
Functions of fat:
•Provide the body’s primary source of energy
•forms compounds such as cholesterol
•Used by fat soluble vitamins
• makes things taste YUMMY
Lipids and Fatty Acids
• Lipids that are solid at room
temperature are referred to as fats
and lipids that are liquid at room
temperature are referred to as oils.
Lipids
• (fat) Molecules (triglycerides) that are broken
down into fatty acids (3 fatty acids held together
by a molecule of glycerol).
• Found in meat, fish, and plants
• Fat is digested in the stomach and the intestines to
smaller compounds. These compounds are
repacked into structures called chylomicrons.
These are transported to the bloodstream where
they are later broken down by the liver.
• Highly digestible (90% or more)
• Energy dense (8.5kcal/g)
Fat Facts
• Fats are water insoluble
• Mammals cannot synthesize essential fatty
acids; therefore fatty acids must be obtained
from food.
• Fats are stored as fat (adipose tissue) when
fed in excess of requirement
• Low requirement 5%
• Fat is catabolized when the body needs
energy
Fatty Acids
• Higher demand during growth, gestation, lactation, and
exercise
• Excess fatty acids = obesity
• Essential and Non-essential
• Long chain fatty acids are most common
• Saturated and unsaturated (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated)
Fatty Acids
Omega 6 - essential
Linoleic Acid
Omega 3 – essential
Alpha-linoleic
• Deficiency leads to poor hair
coat, skin infections, weight
loss, and decreased immunity
• Provided in pet food in the form
of fish or fish oil
• Important for retinal and
nervous system development in
young animals. cognitive
function
• Reduce inflammation
Arachidonic Acid
• Only found in animal sources
• Non-essential in dogs
• Cats must have in diet or will
lead to impaired reproduction
and growth- true carnivores
Omega 6 breaks
down into AA.
Omega 3