Page 345 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

352 Small Animal Clinical Nutrition

tions occur. The GI adjustments usually happen in a few days and sporting dogs. Generally, what is good for exercise per-
VetBooks.ir provided the transition to the new food is gradual. The meta- formance is good for olfaction.
bolic changes generally take more time. Muscle glycogen
responds to feeding a high-carbohydrate food in a few days to
a few weeks (Reynolds et al,1995).Changes in muscle enzymes ACKNOWLEDGMENT
and oxidative capacity occur in response to high-fat rations in
six to eight weeks. Allowing appropriate time for these adapta- The authors and editors thank Dr. Arleigh J. Reynolds for his
tions to occur is especially important for seasonal athletes that contribution to this chapter in the previous edition.
may be fed a high-fat performance food only part of the year
and a maintenance food the remainder of the year (Reynolds et ENDNOTES
al, 1994). Both training and dietary change should occur six
weeks before exercise season (e.g., hunting season). a. Publisher. Gun Dog Magazine, Stover Publishing Co, Des
Moines, IA, USA. Personal communication. Summer 1997.
b. National Greyhound Association. Abilene, KS, USA.
REASSESSMENT Personal communication. Summer 2007.
c. Burrows C. University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. Personal
After the feeding plan has been implemented, the dog should communication. Summer 1991.
be monitored to evaluate the appropriateness of the feeding d. Runyan J. Fairbanks, AK, USA. Alaska Dog Racing
plan. This process is identical to the original assessment of the Association Annual Meeting. Personal communication.
dog. Frequent physical examinations are important for early October 1994.
detection of injuries or illnesses. Daily monitoring of food con- e. Steger W. International Arctic Project, Minneapolis, MN,
sumption is an early indicator of problems. Frequent evaluation USA. Personal communication. Summer 1994.
of stool quality may indicate how well the dog is tolerating the f. Gillette RL, Director, Veterinary Sports Medicine Program,
food. Weekly measurements of body condition and weight College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn
allow assessment of energy balance (i.e., whether food intake AL, USA. Personal clinical and field work.
matches energy expenditure). Appropriate body condition is g. Champaigne C, Champaigne-Wright R. Fairbanks, AK,
also important for optimal performance. Excess fat represents USA. Personal communication. October 1994.
an unneeded handicap, whereas excessively lean dogs may not h. Kronfeld D. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
have sufficient energy stores. Personal communication. Spring 1991.
Hydration status should be monitored frequently. Water
plays a vital role in supporting cardiovascular function, trans-
port of metabolic substrates and wastes and thermoregulation. REFERENCES
Respiratory water losses can be large, particularly during
lengthy exercise or under hot or cold environmental conditions. The references for Chapter 18 can be found at
Ultimately, assessing both exercise and olfactory performance www.markmorris.org.
is the best means of monitoring the feeding plan for working

CASE 18-1

Poor Performance in Racing Greyhounds
Philip W. Toll, DVM, MS
Hill’s Science and Technology Center
Topeka, Kansas, USA

Patient Assessment
A litter of 14-month-old greyhound dogs (four males, two females) was examined for poor performance.The dogs were owned by
a rural mail carrier who recently started a small greyhound farm. This litter of dogs was currently in training and was to begin rac-
ing within 60 days. The dogs were being schooled by racing 3/16 mile twice a week at a local training track; however, their per-
formance was not up to the owner’s expectations.
The physical examination of all dogs was normal except for a profound overbite (brachygnathia) in two males and one female.
All dogs had body condition scores (BCS) of 1/5 and weighed approximately 30 kg each. Fecal examination (composite sample)
was negative for parasites. Results of complete blood counts and serum biochemistry profiles from samples obtained from two of
the dogs were normal.