Page 375 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

384 Small Animal Clinical Nutrition

broader ratios of calcium to phosphorus have been fed success- foods. The manufacturer should be contacted if the food in
VetBooks.ir fully, ratios near 1:1 calcium to phosphorus optimize the avail- question cannot be found in this table. Manufacturers’ address-
es, websites and toll-free customer service numbers are listed on
ability of phosphorus (Kienzle et al, 1998). When the calcium-
phosphorus ratio is increased to 2:1, phosphorus availability
pet food labels. If the manufacturer cannot provide the neces-
declines by 41%. Calcium-phosphorus ratios between 0.9:1 to sary information, consider switching to a food for which this
1.5:1 appear optimal for most cat foods. information is available. Because of the propensity for develop-
ing food fixations, feeding a combination of food forms (dry
Potassium and moist) is sometimes recommended. It is unnecessary to
The potassium requirement of cats varies with the dietary pro- change foods if the food currently fed supplies the correct
tein concentration and the effect of the food on urinary pH. amounts of the key nutritional factors and the food has a nutri-
High-protein foods and foods that result in an acidic urinary tional adequacy statement appropriate for adult cats. However,
pH increase the potassium requirement (Hills et al, 1982; a new food should be selected if discrepancies were determined.
Ching et al, 1989, 1990; Dow et al, 1990; DiBartola et al, The new food should, as closely as possible, provide the recom-
1993). Previously recommended levels of 0.4% DM potassium mended levels of the key nutritional factors.
(NRC, 1986) resulted in hypokalemia in adult cats and kittens Snacks are either human foods (table foods) or commercial
when combined with dietary acidification. Dietary potassium treats and are offered to cats for a variety of reasons. Small
levels in foods for adult cats should be at least 0.52% DM amounts of snacks will not have an important effect on the
(NRC, 2006) and ideally between 0.6 to 1.0% DM to prevent overall food regimen. Excessive feeding of treats, however, can
hypokalemia. The current AAFCO allowance for potassium is markedly affect the cumulative nutritional profile. Therefore, it
0.6% DM (2007). Therefore, foods that have AAFCO label is important to assess the impact of treats with respect to the
statements acknowledging that a food is appropriate for adult dietary needs of individual cats. The impact of treats on daily
maintenance should provide adequate amounts of potassium. nutrient intake depends on three factors: 1) the nutrient profile
Negative potassium balance may occur in cats with certain of the treat, 2) the number of treats provided daily and 3) the
metabolic abnormalities (e.g., renal insufficiency, renal tubular nutrient composition of the cat’s regular food. Meeting nutri-
acidosis, diabetes mellitus and enteritis). Supplementation may ent requirements is not the primary goal of feeding treats; con-
be necessary to maintain normal potassium balance in cats with sequently, many commercial treats are not complete and bal-
these conditions, even when they are fed a food containing anced. Similarly, most table foods are not nutritionally com-
0.6% DM potassium. plete and balanced and may contain high levels of fat or miner-
als. If snacks are fed, it is simplest to recommend commercial
treats that best match the nutritional profile recommended for
FEEDING PLAN young adult cats. Generally, snacks should not be fed in exces-
sive amounts (<10% of the total dietary regimen on a volume,
Assess and Select the Food weight or calorie basis). Otherwise, the nutritional composition
After the nutritional status of the cat has been assessed and the of the snack and food should be combined and assessed as the
key nutritional factors and their target levels have been deter- total food regimen.
mined, the adequacy of the food being fed can be assessed.The
steps to assessing foods include: 1) determining if the nutrition- Assess and Determine the Feeding Method
al adequacy of the food has been assured by a credible regulato- Veterinarians should evaluate the feeding method, including
ry agency such as AAFCO and 2) comparing the food’s key how the food is fed, the feeding frequency and the amount of
nutritional factors with recommended levels. food offered. It is also useful to know how the food is prepared
In the U.S., commercial foods approved by AAFCO will (e.g., heated, water added, etc.) and by whom and where the cat
usually have a nutritional adequacy statement on the label is fed.This information may help explain any apparent discrep-
(Chapter 9). Commercial cat foods that have received AAFCO ancies between the dietary history and the physical findings
or other credible regulatory approval provide reasonable assur- and help identify risk factors associated with various feeding
ance of nutritional adequacy. Few homemade recipes have been methods. For example, a thorough evaluation of an obese cat
formulated according to such protocols. Even foods bearing includes verification that an appropriate feeding method is
nutritional adequacy statements, however, are not infallible. being used (Chapters 1 and 27).
Nutritional adequacy statements do not assure the food will be No single feeding method is optimal for all cats. The pre-
effective in preventing certain important long-term health ferred method of feeding an individual cat is often determined
problems (Table 20-1).Therefore, in addition to having passed by non-nutritional factors (i.e., food type, owner preference,
nutritional adequacy protocols, the food should be evaluated to owner schedule and feeding environment including whether
ensure that the key nutritional factors are at levels appropriate there are other pets [cats, dogs] in the household). Nutritional
for delivering the feeding goal of promoting long-term health considerations for selecting an appropriate feeding regimen
through disease prevention. Besides providing recommended include the cat’s body condition, health status/disease risk fac-
levels of key nutritional factors for young adult cats, Table 20- tors and the food’s energy density and palatability.
4 lists key nutritional factor profiles for selected commercial There are basically two ways to feed cats: 1) free choice in