1. Feeding Dogs & Cats Chris Ludlow DVM, MS Diplomate, ACVIM (Internal Medicine)

2. Feeding Dogs & Cats • Dietary goals • Feeding methods • Food dosage • Food recommendations • Feeding dogs • Feeding cats

3. Dietary Goals • Good quality of life • Maximum longevity • Disease prevention • Optimized performance • Incorporate dietary management into “wellness” programs

4. Dietary Goals • Conditions with dietary risk factors -- Obesity • FLUTD (cat) • Progression of renal failure • Developmental orthopedic disease (dog) • Dental disease

5. Feeding Methods • Free-choice feeding • Time-restricted meal feeding • Food-restricted meal feeding

6. Free-Choice Feeding • “Ad libitum” • Automatic • Dry/semi-moist/soft-dry • Increased risk for overnutrition(obesity and skeletal disease)

7. Time-Restricted Meal Feeding • “Free choice” feed for 5-10 min. • Dry/semi-moist/soft-dry best • Reduced risk for overnutrition?(obesity and skeletal disease) • House training easier

8. Food-Restricted Meal Feeding • Feed a measured amount of food • Dry/semi-moist/soft-dry or canned • Reduced risk for overnutrition(obesity and skeletal disease)

9. Food Dosage Determinations • Basis for nutritional management • Diagnostic tool • Basic skill in nutritional therapy

10. Complete and balanced dietFeed to meet animal’s energy requirementRequirements for non-energy nutrients are automatically met Food Dosage Determinations

11. Food Dosage Determination • Resting energy requirement (RER) • E used by adult at rest • Thermoneutral environment • Does not support activity, growth, or reproduction

12. Food Dosage Determination RER (kcal/day) 70 Wt kg0.75 30 Wt kg + 70* *(> 2 kg and < 45 kg)

13. Food Dosage Determination • Daily energy requirement (DER) • RER • Temperature regulation • Digestion & elimination of nutrients • Activity level • Lifestage • Neuter status

14. Effects of Gender on Canine Obesity 50 % of Dogs Overweight 30 10 Intact Neutered Intact Neutered Male Female Source: Edney & Smith, Vet Rec 118:391 (1986) Food Dosage Determination

15. Effect of Ambient Temperature 20 90 10 80 Mean Monthly Temp(ºC) Caloric IntakeKcal/kg/d 0 70 -10 60 -20 50 -30 40 Nov Feb May Aug Nov Durer & Hannon Am J Physiol 1962 Food Dosage Determinations

16. Energy needs (dog) Elite Athletes Lactation Activity 8X Multiples of RER 6X Birth Athletes 4X Weaning Gestation Active Pets 2X House Pets 1X 1.2-1.6 1.6-2 2-4 4-8 Growth Adult Food Dosage Determinations

17. Food Dosage Determination • Calculation steps: • Estimate RER (Wt kg) • Factor RER to get estimated DER • Select specific food & determineenergy density • Energy requirement energy density

18. Food Dosage Determinations • Diet energy density • Estimate • Manufacturers’ literature • Pet food label (voluntary) • SACN Appendix L • Calculate lab analysis label guarantee

19. Food Dosage Determinations Example: 20 kg neutered adult Bulldog, inactive house pet • Calculate RERRER = (30 Wt kg + 70) = [30 (20) + 70) = 670 kcal/day

20. Food Dosage Determinations • Multiply RER by appropriate factor RER (670 kcal) X 1.4 = 940 kcal/day • Select food & determine energy density Adult “light” maintenance food, 295 kcal/cup

21. Food Dosage Determinations Energy requirement energy density940 kcal/day 295 kcal/cup= 3.2 cups/day

22. Variation in Energy Requirement for Body Weight Maintenance of Dogs 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 • Number of Dogs 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 • % of average metabolizable energy intake per kg metabolic body weight Food Dosage Determinations

23. Food Recommendations • Criteria for normal animals • Complete and balanced for intended species • Specific-purpose food • Meets optimal nutrient profile range • Nutrients are digestible and bioavailable • Passed a feeding trial for appropriate life stage • Marketed by research-oriented, value-added company • Personal experience with diet

24. Reduced intake Function\performance High intake Optimal range Deficiency Toxicity Minimum requirement Nutrient Intake Food Recommendations

25. All-purpose vs Specific- purpose foods

26. Food Recommendations • All-purpose foods: • One product satisfies all nutritional needs in all situations • Owner feeds and animal eats more or less of the food according to caloric needs • Valid concept?

27. Life Stages Body Condition/Use • Growth • Adult • Geriatric • Obese-prone adult • Athletic/working adult • Gestation • Lactation Food Recommendations • Specific-purpose foods:

28. Feeding Dogs • Dogs as omnivores • Feeding adult dogs • Feeding puppies

29. Dogs as Omnivores • Taxonomy • Oral anatomy • Feeding behavior • Nutritional/metabolic issues

30. Dogs as Omnivores

31. Energy Metabolism 4 2 0 Hepatic Glucokinase Activity (U/g liver) Rat Pig Dog Cat Soling & Kleineke (1976) Dogs as Omnivores

32. Dogs as Omnivores • Starch Digestibility in Dogs 99.4 99.5 98.8 98.5 100 75 % Digestibility 50 25 0 Corn Rice Barley Oats Walker, et.al., 1993. J. Animal Sci.

33. Young Adult Rat Dog Fox Cat Mink 12 4 12 4 24 17 26 17 31 20 % Protein calories from ideal protein Dogs as Omnivores • Protein Requirement (minimum)

34. Feeding Adult Dogs • Young to middle age • Obese - prone • Older • Work / athlete • Reproductive status

35. Adult Dogs

36. Energy density Protein Fat Fiber Calcium & phosphorus Sodium & chloride Antioxidants Food texture Key Nutritional Factors Adult Dogs

37. Obese-prone • adult dogs

38. Energy density Protein Fat Fiber Calcium & phosphorus Sodium & chloride Antioxidants Key Nutritional Factors Obese prone dogs

39. Energy density Protein Fat Fiber Calcium & phosphorus Sodium & chloride Antioxidants Food texture Key Nutritional Factors Older dogs

40. Older Dogs • More attentive to individual needs • Nutrient excesses often occur • Antioxidant nutrients

41. Effects of age on obesity 50 % of Dogs Overweight 30 10 1 - 4 5 - 7 8 - 11 > 12 Age (years) Source: Mason, Vet Rec 86:612 (1970) Key Nutritional Factors – Older dogs

42. Dry Matter 78.0 81.5 85.6 3.9 5.3 5.3 22.9 30.5 48.7 Digestibility (%) Dig. Energy (kcal/g) Protein (%) Performance Fatigue Time (Min.) Distance (Miles) 103.7 137.6 136.1 15.5 20.6 20.4 Downey et al: JAAHA (1980) Work/Athlete • Food Effects on Canine Performance

43. Reproducing dogs

44. Energy density Protein Fat Soluble carbohydrate Fiber Calcium & phosphorus Sodium & chloride Antioxidants Digestibility Key Nutritional Factors Reproducing dogs

45. Body Weight and Food IntakeDuring Gestation and Lactation Body Weight (kg) Dry Food Intake (g) 1 3 5 7 9 1 3 5 7 Weeks of Gestation Weeks of Lactation Reproducing Dogs 12 800 10 600 11 400 9 200 8

46. Reproducing Dogs • Feeding bitch or queen during weaning: • Day prior = little/no food • Weaning day = 1/4 DER • Day after = 1/2 DER • 2nd day after = 3/4 DER • 3rd day after = full DER

47. Feeding Puppies • Key nutritional factors • Feeding recommendations • Feeding errors

48. Key Nutritional Factors Puppies • Energy density • Protein • Fat • Calcium • Phosphorus • Antioxidants • Digestibility

49. Feeding puppies

50. Feeding Recommendations • Pups should gain 2-4 g/kg adult wt/day • Feed growth/lactation food • Wean at 6-7 weeks • Free-choice feeding not recommended until 80-90% adult size