Page 133 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

Chapter 7 Feeds and Feeding 117

Learning Exercise

Utilize the internet to go to the Hill’s Pet Nutrition,
Inc website at this URL: https://www.hillspet.com/
dog‐food/ib‐canine‐natural‐chicken‐and‐brown‐
rice‐recipe‐mature‐adult‐dry
Scroll down and select Average Nutrient and
Calorie Content. You will see a table listing the
ingredients and calories/cup. Figure out the BER
for a 40 lb, 7‐year‐old, English Springer Spaniel
and the amount in cups of food the dog should
be fed daily. Then scroll up and click on Feeding
Guide and check your work.

Prescription Diets

There are many specialty diets referred to as prescription
diets produced by various manufacturers. As the name
implies, these are only available through veterinary FIGURE 7.3 W/D dry dog food label.
prescription. These diets meet the special needs of
individuals with different diseases or conditions. For Feeding the Hospitalized
example, low sodium diets to reduce fluid retention in
patients with cardiac failure, low protein diets for Patient
kidney failure, urinary diets to reduce crystal produc-
tion, and hypoallergenic diets for pets with skin or food There are five factors influencing patient feeding and
allergies. There are diets for obese pets to lose weight, appetite in the veterinary hospital that work against
one for gastric upsets, and one for anorexic animals, maintaining the patient’s well‐being:
and so on. These diets are usually available in dry or
canned food options. They have the same information 1. Age of the patient
on the labels as discussed earlier and must ensure their 2. Additional nutritional requirements brought on by
claims of helping with these various diseases. Let’s look illness or injury: BER + calories
at Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s W/D or Weight Management 3. Patient’s potential decreased appetite due to the
Diet. Utilize the internet to look at this diet (https:// illness, injury, or condition
www.hillspet.com/dog‐food/pd‐wd‐canine‐dry) or see 4. Specific challenges an illness imposes on a patient
Figure 7.3. 5. Unfamiliarity of the food and the environment in
Note that the label includes an amount for weight which it is offered
management meaning to lose weight, and weight con- No one formulation meets the needs of all age groups.
trol for maintenance of weight, or this diet can also be The nutritional requirements are not the same for a
used for management of diabetes in dogs. The crude kitten as they are for a geriatric cat. Kittens and puppy
fiber, or indigestible fiber, makes the dog feel full and food are fed for up to 1 year of age for most breeds.
the protein and higher fat contents maintain a more Some of the larger breed cats and large breed dogs
stable blood glucose level throughout the day. mature later, with some taking up to 2 years to fully
mature and so require kitten or puppy food for longer.
From puppy and kitten food they should be transitioned
to adult formulas. For dogs, the switch from adult to
Learning Exercise senior diets depends on the size of the dog. Little dogs
tend to live into their teens and some make it into their
Figure out the amount of food to feed a diabetic twenties. Switching them to a senior diet usually takes
American Cocker Spaniel that is 21 lb. Look at the place at 10–12 years of age. Medium‐sized breeds it is
recommended feeding chart and then figure out usually around 7–8 years old and for large breeds 5–6
the caloric needs based upon his BER. years of age. Cats should be switched from an adult to a
senior food at the age of 7.