Feeding at Different Life Stages Flashcards
What are the factors affecting nutritional requirements?
age
medical issues
pregnancy
lactation
weight/size
activity levels
What is life stage feeding?
knowing the change in nutritional requirements for different life stages of life
What are the nutritional requirements for a newborn animal?
don’t have to provide food unless they are hand reared
mother feeds them
What are the nutritional requirements for a juvenile animal?
weaning off their mother’s milk
starting to eat solid food
more protein as they are still growing
small meals but served often
higher levels of fat, sodium, phosphorus, calcium and chloride
don’t over feed
food needs to be palatable
What are the nutritional requirements for an adolescent animal?
as their growth rate slows down they can start being fed adult food
What are the nutritional requirements for an adult animal?
working animals need higher energy requirements as they are expending energy throughout the day
working animals need smaller meals with more carbohydrates, phosphorus, calcium, protein and fat
working animals require more water
smaller meals reduce the risk of gastric torsion or bloat
pregnant animals need an increase of 10-20% of food but only at the end of pregnancy
pregnant animals need smaller and more frequent meals as their babies push on their stomachs
lactating animals use a lot of energy
lactating animals need more energy and water
pregnant and lactating animals need higher digestible food to reduce bulk
should be feeding them to maintain a healthy weight
generally fed twice a day 12 hours apart
What are the nutritional requirements for senior animals?
low energy diet
elderly animals prone to obesity
feed small meals
special diets may be required for medical conditions
What are the nutritional requirements for geriatric animals?
don’t need a lot of food
activity levels are low
feeding requirements depend on the physical condition of the animal
