Feeding Management - A Guide

Feeding management Feeding dogs - Wolf - Hunt as a pack, - Big meals, gorge immediately - Food consumed in predetermined order within pack - Dog - Some still gorge - Risk of taking in air or choking - Food bloat - Dominance - Min...

Feeding management Feeding dogs - Wolf - Hunt as a pack, - Big meals, gorge immediately - Food consumed in predetermined order within pack - Dog - Some still gorge - Risk of taking in air or choking - Food bloat - Dominance - Minimize risk of feeding dogs in isolation - Way to slow down feeding - Puzzle or slow feeder - Change type of food - Way to speed up eating - Feed with other dogs - Change food type Feeding cats - Wild cats - Hunt alone - Many rodents many times a day - Decedents of Felic Libyca - Feeding requirements differ from large cats - Domestic cat - Same as above - 9-16 meals a day with each meal having about 23 kcal - Ad lib feeders What to feed - Needs to fit life stage of the pet - Must meet energy and nutrient requirements which differs between age, activity level, reproductive status and health status Feeding regimes - Free choice or ad lib - Food always available - Relies on animals ability to self-regulate - Dry food is best as it does not go bad sitting out - Requires least amount fo work and knowledge from the owner - Good for dogs with high energy levels - Hard to monitor intake and most likely to lead to obesity - Feeding time controlled - Controlling the time an animal has access to food (ex. 15 min to et then take food away) - Relies on animal to self-regulate - Some animals cannot adapt and wont eat enough - Others may gorge and overeat - Portion controlled - Preferred method - Pre-determined amount 1-3 times daily - Greatest control - Easy to monitor intake and behavior - Can be easily adjusted - Most knowledge and effort needed by owner BCS - Visual and physical assessment - Considered a subjective assessment - Used in conjunction with weight - Variation exists with breeds - 5 point scale DOGS - Change I body fat is about 10-15% per level - Level 1 - Emaciated - Muscle loss - No fat - Bones easily seen - Level 2 - Thin - Waist and ribs seen - No fat - Bones easily seen - Level 3 - Ideal or moderate - Waist present - Ribs felt but not seen - Level 4 - Overweight/ stout - No waist - Ribs not easily felt - Fat pad at base of tail - Level 5 - Obese - Bulges - ribs not felt - Thick fat deposits - 5 point scale Cats - Level 1 - Emaciated - No fat cover - Ribs easily een - Pronounced waist and tuck - Level 2 - Thin - Waist and tuck seen - Ribs easily felt - Level 3 - Ideal or moderate - Waist present - Ribs felt but not seen - Abdominal pad just detectable - Level 4 - Overweight - No waist - Ribs not easily felt - Abdominal fat pad enlarging - Level 5 - Obese - Body rounded - Ribs not felt - Thick fat pad hanging - 9 point scale - 1 = emaciated - 2 = VERY THIN - 3 = thin - 4-5 = ideal weight - 6 = overweight - 7= heavy - 8 = obese - 9 = severely obese Measuring patients - Snugly around body just cranial to back legs - Be sure to measure same area each time - Cats do not like this Feeding For pregnancy - 63 day gestation for both dogs and cats - Three 21 day trimesters - Appropriate nutrition should take place prior to breeding - Dogs - Underweight - Can lead to poor conception rates - Low birth weights - Increased neonatal death - Poor lactation - Overweight - Lower ovulation rates - Smaller litters - Bigger puppies - Dystocia - Poor lactation - Complete and balanced highly digestible diet - Gestational weight gain 15-25% - Energy requirements increases 30-60% - Energy levels continue to increase after whelping. - Highest levels 3-5 weeks post whelping - Increase food by 15% weekly from 5^th^ week of gestation until parturition - As pregnancy progresses- smaller meals more frequently - Reduce calories as weaning progresses Feeding for lactation - Biggest test of nutritional adequacy - Must have enough nutrients/ energy to produce milk - Milk demands increase as puppies grow - DER = 2-4 times higher than non-lactating dogs - Energy levels return to normal 8 weeks post-partum Recommended nutrient levels for pregnancy and lactation DOGS - Protein - 25-35% ME - Increases 40-70% during 3^rd^ trimester - Aim for 4 grams of digestible protein/ 100kcal of ME - Fat - 20% ME - Increased fat intake had been shown to improve food efficiency during lactation - Could increase fat in milk which means more energy for puppies. - Omega 3 and 6 should be supplemented as they are essential for neurological and retinal development - Carbs - 23% ME - More then 50% of energy required for fetal development is given by glucose - Calcium - 1-1.7% ME - Phosphorus - 0.7 -1.3% ME - Cal: Phos - 1.1:1 -- 2:1 - Due to rapid fetal skeletal growth during final weeks of pregnancy increase by 60% Recommended nutrient levels for pregnancy and lactation CATS - Underweight - Failure to conceive, abortion, small kittens, poor lactation - Overweight - Large kittens (dystocia) - Generally have first heat between 6- 9 months of age, but ideal breeding age is 1.5- 7 years - Weight gain increases linearly from conception to partuition - Not associated with fetal growth but as stored energy to support during lactation - Independent of \# of fetuses being carried - Weight gain =40% of premating weight - Energy requirements increase to 90-100 kcal/kg of BW/ day - Gradually increase amount beginning 2^nd^ week of gestation - By end of gestation should be eating 25-50% than normal - Ad lib is recommended - Protein - 32% ME - Essential for optimal growth during gestation and onto lactation - ENSURE taurine in the diet - Fat - Minimum 20% ME - Litters can be positively influenced by the fat levels - Omega 3 and 6 should be supplemented as they are essential - Omega 3:6 - 5:1 -- 10:1 - Water most important during lactation - Inadequate water= decreased milk production - Required for thermoregulation as well - Water requirements are roughly equal to the energy requirements in Kcals - Clean, fresh, and cool water should be readily available - Lactation - Most draining as with dogs - 1.5 x DER 1^st^ week - 2 x DER 2^nd^ week - 2.5 -- 3 x DER 4^th^ week Neonatal puppies and Kittens - First 2 weeks of life - First week is most critical for survival - Low body fat 1-2% - Altricial (totally dependent on mother) - Colostrum 24-72 - Nutrients, water, growth factors, digestive enzymes and antibodies - Feed 4-6 times per day after that - Orphans - Foster mother would be best - Hand raised - Fed - Stimulate urination and defecation - Until 16-21 days old - Other species milk = inadequate - Milk replacers - Supply or supplement - Modified cow or goat milk - Homemade or commercial - 13-18 ml/ 100g of body weight, using formula with 1 cal/ ml - Growing babies - Kittens should gain 18-20 grams/ day - Puppies 1 gram of weight for every 2-5 grams of milk consumed during the first 5 weeks of life - Weaning - Phase 1 - Begin eating solid food between 3-4 weeks - Mix mothers (all life stages )food with warm water - No cows milk - Shallow dish, free access several times/ day - Removed after 20-30 minutes - Phase 2 - By 6 weeks should be off mother - Behavioral weaning may take to 7-8 weeks Growth dogs - Wider range of normal adult body weight - Most reach 50% of adult weight by 5-6 month - Initial gain should be 2-4 gram/day/kg of anticipated adult weight for first 5 months of life - Easy with purebreds, not so for mixed - Most growth in first \^ months - Energy and calcium being of special concer - Calcium requirement for puppies is low - Reaching adult size - Small breeds 8-12 months - Medium breeds 12-18 months - Large and giant breeds 18-24 months - By maturity most dogs weigh 40-50 times more than their birth weight - What to feed - Protein requirments in a puppy are higher than in an adult - Should be high quality and highly digestable - Minimum level = 22% ME - Optimal level = 25-29% - Energy density should be at a level that allows the puppy to eat enough to meet their needs - How to feed - Feed diet that breeder was feeding - New diet introduced over 2-3 days - Portion controlled feeding recommended - Adjust accordingly - Puppies should be lean - Large breed considerations - Skeletal disorders due to nutrient excesses, rapid growth rates and excessive weight gain - More than 20% of disorders due to dietary origin - Slower growth rate is beneficial - Measured feeding (2-4 meals/ day) - Slight under feeding of energy will slow growth but will not negatively impact adult size Growth Cats - Not the variance in size as dogs but still need to be fed to achieve normal growth and development - Rapid growth between 3-6 months of age - Small capacity for food - Energy dense food - Frequent feedings - Energy requirements highest at about 10 weeks of age - Most reach sexual maturity at 10 months - Excess fat cells during growth phase ca predispose adult to obesity - Neutering doesn't alter rate of growth but energy requirments decrease by 24-33% - What to feed - Protein requirments are higher in kitten then adult by 10% - 26-29% ME - Fat must contain essential fatty acids - Antioxidants help support immune system - Carbs are not required if gluconeogenic amino acids are included - Digestibility = at least 80% - No supplementation needed if fed good quality diet - Kitten food can be fed until 10-12 months - How to feed - Ad lib works best for kittens (prevents under feeding and reduces risk of gastric distension) -