Page 104 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

104 Small Animal Clinical Nutrition

Lipid Sources 80% oleic (18:1n9), acid depending on the individual variety.
Fish oils have recently garnered the attention of nutritionists
VetBooks.ir An array of animal and vegetable fats and oils in many combi- and veterinarians for their positive effects in managing a variety
nations are currently used in commercial pet food production.
of disease processes. The oils most commonly associated with
Consumption of a specific fat results in a specific fatty acid pro-
file that influences subsequent storage and metabolism. Because fish are those of the omega-3 and omega-6 families. The pri-
fatty acid intake strongly influences what type of fat is stored and mary fish oil supplement is derived from menhaden and is very
which end products of fatty acid metabolism will occur,“you are high in the omega-3/omega-6 families, compared with animal
what you eat” applies to fat more than any other macronutrient. fat.The omega-3 family usually predominates over the omega-
Table 5-21 shows the fatty acid compositions of different fat 6 family in fish and shellfish, whereas polyunsaturated fatty
sources. Fatty acid composition of dietary fat within a single acids from vegetable sources are usually higher in the omega-6
source varies for a number of reasons; therefore, the information family. Threefold differences in fatty acid composition may
in Table 5-21 should be considered indicative of the fatty acid occur in fish depending on season and geographic locale of the
profiles possible within these specific types of fats and oils. catch. Fish oil composition depends on dietary intake, type of
Fatty acid profiles in body fat change because of changes in fish (carnivore vs. plankton eater), warm vs. fresh water and sea-
fat consumption. For example, pigs consuming soybean oil had son of catch. Unfortunately, data about specific variations based
a 70% increase in linoleic (18:2n6) acid in depot lipid when on the above factors are unavailable (Stansby et al, 1990).
compared with pigs fed diets containing tallow (Leszczynski et
al, 1992). An equally large change in fatty acid composition can REFERENCES
be found in plants due to changes in varieties within a species.
An extreme example of this is safflower oil, which can vary The References for Chapter 5 can be found at
from approximately 80% linoleic (18:2n6) to approximately www.markmorris.org.

CASE 5-1

Soft Feces in a Young Giant Schnauzer

Patient Assessment
A 10-month-old giant schnauzer weighing 44 kg was examined for persistently soft, mushy feces. An extensive diagnostic evalua-
tion, including multiple fecal cultures, did not reveal a cause for the poor stool quality. The dog’s body condition score was 3/5.
Assess the Food and Feeding Method
The owners had been feeding the dog a homemade food recommended by the breeder who sold them the dog. The food consist-
ed of unspecified quantities of raw meat, liver, eggs, cooked brown rice, a few vegetables and approximately 100 g of various sup-
plements.
a
The food was changed to a highly digestible commercial veterinary therapeutic food (Prescription Diet i/d Canine ). The dog
was fed a mixture of moist and dry food that provided approximately 1,440 kcal (6.02 MJ) per day.

Feeding Plan
The dog’s stool quality improved somewhat with the change from the homemade food to the veterinary therapeutic food, but its
feces were still not formed. The owners continued to feed the dry form of the veterinary therapeutic food supplemented with a
b
high-fiber cereal (Post All Bran cereal [33% fiber]) to yield approximately a 10% fiber intake. (See Pearson square calculations in
Chapter 1.) The final feeding recommendation was one cup of the cereal with 2.5 cups of dry Prescription Diet i/d Canine.
Two weeks later, the owner reported the dog’s feces were normal. The food was subsequently changed to a veterinary therapeutic
a
food that contained moderate levels of dietary fiber (Prescription Diet w/d Canine ).
Endnotes
a. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., Topeka, KS, USA.
b. Kraft Foods, Inc., Rye Brook, NY, USA.