Lecture 1: Nutritional Assessment

Question 1

Describe technique for nutritional assessment of an animal: Bodyweight

Answer 1

scales, weight tape or estimation

Question 2

Describe technique for nutritional assessment of an animal: BCS

Answer 2

Subjective assessment of external fat cover of animal and reasonable estimate of an animal’s body composition (fat, muscle, bone)

Question 3

Describe technique for nutritional assessment of an animal: Visual Appraisals

Answer 3

hair coat, fecal quality/quantity, urine quality/quantity

Question 4

Describe technique for nutritional assessment of an animal: Laboratory Techniques

Answer 4

Specific: Blood Ca++ for hypocalcemia; liver biopsy looking for Cu++ for copper deficiency/toxicosis

Question 5

Describe technique for nutritional assessment of an animal: Characteristics of the animal

Answer 5

maintenance or other metabolic state (working, competition, etc.)

Question 6

Describe technique for nutritional assessment of an animal: Characteristics of the environment

Answer 6

temperature, competition, etc.

Question 7

Describe technique for nutritional assessment of an animal: Estimate energy requirements

Answer 7

there is extreme variation in a population; need adjustments for each individual

Question 8

Energy requirement measurement of DOGS/CATS

Answer 8

Maintenance Energy (ME)

Question 9

Energy requirement measurement of HORSES

Answer 9

Digestible Energy (DE)

Question 10

Energy requirement measurement of FOOD ANIMALS

Answer 10

Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN)

Question 11

Energy Requirement measurement of DAIRY CATTLE

Answer 11

Net Energy for Lactation (NEL)

Question 12

Factors that affect the physiological state of an animal: INTERNAL Factors

Answer 12

Gender

Function: maintenance, lactation, gestation, growth, work or disease

Question 13

Factors that affect the physiological state of an animal: EXTERNAL Factors

Answer 13

Temperature: heat stress (panting) or cold stress (shivering) or thermoneutral zone for maintenance animals

Question 14

Factors that affect the physiological state of an animal: Species

Answer 14

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) varies for each species

Question 15

BMR = equals what?

Answer 15

BMR = 70 * (body weight in kg)^0.75

Question 16

Describe the three-step iterative process used in the nutritional assessment of an animal.

Answer 16

Who am I feeding?
What should I feed?
How often and how much?

Question 17

Define DEFICIENT concentration of nutrients

Answer 17

Deficient: daily intake that renders animal in poor health; below adequate

Question 18

Define MARGINAL concentration of nutrients

Answer 18

Marginal: adequate or safe upper limits; within decline in health

Question 19

Define OPTIMAL concentration of nutrients

Answer 19

Optimal - optimal concentration that renders animal in peak health; very hard to measure

Question 20

Define SAFE UPPER LIMITS concentration of nutrients

Answer 20

nutrient consumption exceeds that of peak health and approaches toxicosis

Question 21

Define TOXIC concentrations of nutrients

Answer 21

above safe upper limit; animal’s health declines into toxicosis

Question 22

List common techniques to assess food: What is it?

Answer 22

Commercially produced or homemade? Treats?

Question 23

List common techniques to assess food: Nutrient content evaluation

Answer 23

Book or label values: grain
Laboratory assessment: homemade diet or forage
Visual/physical appraisal: pasture

Question 24

List common techniques to assess food: Storage issues

Answer 24

Contaminants: rocks, weeds, rats (C. botulinum!), bugs

Food safety: raw diets, toxins, melamine

Question 25

List common techniques to assess food: Feeding management

Answer 25

Route of feeding: voluntary or assisted | How is food offered: free choice or meal fed?

Question 26

List common techniques to assess food: Competition

Answer 26

eating more or less in the presence or absence of other animals

Question 27

List common techniques to assess food: Reassessment after change in diet

Answer 27

Involve the client in the plan; assess diet change effects