Pet Nutrition Miss Tonnessen

 Historically, dogs used to be the most popular pet in the US  Explains why we have always paid greater attention to their health needs  Times are changing  More cats than dogs live in US households, currently  Awareness of the dietary requirements of cats hasn’t kept pace with their changing status Background

 Members of the Order Carnivora  22 amino acids  Amino acids—building blocks of protein  Essential—body does not produce or does not produce enough; must be supplied in the diet  Non-essential—body produces enough Dogs & Cats

Cats are not just small dogs!  Amino Acid requirement  Cats—12 essential amino acids  Dogs—11 essential amino acids  Taurine  Deficiency—blind, deaf, heart failure  Exclusively diagnosed

 Vitamins  Vitamin A—health of the eyes, skin, and other tissues  Dogs—convert beta carotene into vitamin A  Cats—require an additional source  Liver  Supplement Cats are not just small dogs!

 Minerals  Cats require 5 times more thiamine than dogs  Thiamine deficiency—poor quality coat, loss of appetite, a hunched posture, neurologic problems (seizure or death)  Uncooked freshwater fish Cats are not just small dogs!

Rabbits