Nutritional Disorders in Companion Animals

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2017) | Viewed by 38302

Special Issue Editor

Animal Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
Interests: companion animal nutrition and health; canine dental health; feeding behavior and food preferences; urate urolithiasis in the dalmatian
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we are pleased to invite scholarly articles pertaining to nutritional disorders in companion animals. Most commonly, these disorders can be attributed to the dietary intake being insufficient or excessive in particular nutrients, or to the animal’s inability to absorb or utilize nutrients. Different life stages and physiological states create additional nutritional challenges, and consequently some of these nutritional disorders arise in otherwise healthy animals during growth, strenuous exercise, or gestation and lactation. In recent times, the ready availability of nutritionally complete and balanced commercial pet foods has greatly reduced the incidence of nutritional deficiencies, whereas conditions related to overconsumption, such as obesity, have become more prevalent. Topics contributed to this special issue may include any condition that is directly attributable to the diet; or any condition that is ameliorated by dietary intervention even where the diet is not the cause of the disease, such as is the case with certain inherited metabolic disorders.

We look forward to receiving your contributions,

Dr. Wendy Brown
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Diet
  • Nutrition
  • Nutritionally responsive disorders
  • Diet-related health disorders
  • Nutrient imbalance
  • Vitamin deficiencies and excesses
  • Inherited metabolic disorders
  • Bioavailability
  • Malabsorption
  • Urinary calculi
  • Diet fixation
  • Obesity
  • Food allergies and sensitivities
  • Eclampsia
  • Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism
  • Nutritional anaemias
  • Dog
  • Cat
  • Rabbit
  • Guinea pig

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 5175 KiB  
Article
DNA and Protein Analyses to Confirm the Absence of Cross-Contamination and Support the Clinical Reliability of Extensively Hydrolysed Diets for Adverse Food Reaction-Pets
by Isabelle Lesponne, Jérôme Naar, Sébastien Planchon, Tommaso Serchi and Mauricio Montano
Vet. Sci. 2018, 5(3), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci5030063 - 26 Jun 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 8561
Abstract
Adverse food reactions (AFR) are a common cause of skin diseases in cats and dogs. The correct diagnosis and management of AFR relies upon clinical nutrition. The reliability of commercial hypoallergenic diets commonly used in AFR has been questioned because studies have shown [...] Read more.
Adverse food reactions (AFR) are a common cause of skin diseases in cats and dogs. The correct diagnosis and management of AFR relies upon clinical nutrition. The reliability of commercial hypoallergenic diets commonly used in AFR has been questioned because studies have shown the presence of proteins not declared on the label ingredients. It is proposed that extensively hydrolysed protein-based diets constitute a reliable nutritional solution. Royal Canin Anallergenic™ Canine and Feline diets are formulated with very low molecular weight feather protein and purified corn starch. Protein gel electrophoresis and thin layer paper chromatography were used to characterize protein hydrolysis in these diets and their hydrolysed raw materials; protein species were identified by mass spectrometry. To detect cross-contaminating protein, species-specific DNA was measured and correlated with ancillary protein content using calibration curves. The only protein components detected in the extensively hydrolysed feather protein raw material were amino acids and small oligopeptides. GBSS-I (Granule-bound starch synthase 1) was detected in the finished diets; this has not been reported as a clinically apparent allergen in dogs or cats. The DNA threshold corresponding to the maximum acceptable level of ancillary protein was not exceeded in 99.9% of more than 2150 product batches tested and no products were released to the market with cross-contaminating proteins. These results demonstrate the extensive level of protein hydrolysis in Royal Canin Anallergenic™ Canine and Feline diets and the absence of cross-contaminating protein, both key requirements for a diet to be used during diagnosis and for management of pets with AFR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Disorders in Companion Animals)
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246 KiB  
Article
Digestibility Is Similar between Commercial Diets That Provide Ingredients with Different Perceived Glycemic Responses and the Inaccuracy of Using the Modified Atwater Calculation to Calculate Metabolizable Energy
by Natalie J. Asaro, Marcial A. Guevara, Kimberley Berendt, Ruurd Zijlstra and Anna K. Shoveller
Vet. Sci. 2017, 4(4), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci4040054 - 08 Nov 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7239
Abstract
Dietary starch is required for a dry, extruded kibble; the most common diet type for domesticated felines in North America. However, the amount and source of dietary starch may affect digestibility and metabolism of other macronutrients. The objectives of this study were to [...] Read more.
Dietary starch is required for a dry, extruded kibble; the most common diet type for domesticated felines in North America. However, the amount and source of dietary starch may affect digestibility and metabolism of other macronutrients. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of 3 commercial cat diets on in vivo and in vitro energy and macronutrient digestibility, and to analyze the accuracy of the modified Atwater equation. Dietary treatments differed in their perceived glycemic response (PGR) based on ingredient composition and carbohydrate content (34.1, 29.5, and 23.6% nitrogen-free extract for High, Medium, and LowPGR, respectively). A replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design was used, with 3 diets and 3 periods. In vivo apparent protein, fat, and organic matter digestibility differed among diets, while apparent dry matter digestibility did not. Cats were able to efficiently digest and absorb macronutrients from all diets. Furthermore, the modified Atwater equation underestimated measured metabolizable energy by approximately 12%. Thus, the modified Atwater equation does not accurately determine the metabolizable energy of high quality feline diets. Further research should focus on understanding carbohydrate metabolism in cats, and establishing an equation that accurately predicts the metabolizable energy of feline diets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Disorders in Companion Animals)
650 KiB  
Article
Inaccurate Assessment of Canine Body Condition Score, Bodyweight, and Pet Food Labels: A Potential Cause of Inaccurate Feeding
by Philippa S. Yam, Gregory Naughton, Christina F. Butowski and Amanda L. Root
Vet. Sci. 2017, 4(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci4020030 - 09 Jun 2017
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 10562
Abstract
The objectives were to investigate owners’ ability to assign the correct bodyweight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) to their dog and to interpret wet and dry pet food labels by estimating how much to feed daily. One hundred and seventy-four questionnaires were [...] Read more.
The objectives were to investigate owners’ ability to assign the correct bodyweight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) to their dog and to interpret wet and dry pet food labels by estimating how much to feed daily. One hundred and seventy-four questionnaires were completed. Owner estimated BW was compared to actual BW, correct being defined within ±10% of actual BW. Correct interpretation of the total amount of food required was determined by the number of cans (±25% of cans) required for wet food and grams (±20% of grams) for dry food, based on the dog’s actual BW, the feeding guidelines on the label, and a comparison with the owner’s estimate. Eleven percent of owners overestimated BCS and 19% overestimated BW. Only 48% of owners could correctly estimate their dog’s BW. Only 23% and 43% of owners could correctly estimate how much wet and dry food to feed, respectively. Chi-square analysis demonstrated a significant positive association for owners correctly estimating their dog’s BW and interpreting the wet pet food label. Many owners are not aware of their pet’s BCS and BW and cannot accurately interpret pet food labels. Further owner education to improve these skills is needed if dogs are to be fed correctly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Disorders in Companion Animals)
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Review

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264 KiB  
Review
The Role of Thiamine and Effects of Deficiency in Dogs and Cats
by Georgia Kritikos, Jacqueline M. Parr and Adronie Verbrugghe
Vet. Sci. 2017, 4(4), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci4040059 - 24 Nov 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 10110
Abstract
Recent pet food recalls for insufficient dietary thiamine have highlighted the importance of adequate thiamine intake in dogs and cats, as thiamine is an essential dietary nutrient with a critical role in energy metabolism. Prolonged thiamine deficiency leads to clinical signs that can [...] Read more.
Recent pet food recalls for insufficient dietary thiamine have highlighted the importance of adequate thiamine intake in dogs and cats, as thiamine is an essential dietary nutrient with a critical role in energy metabolism. Prolonged thiamine deficiency leads to clinical signs that can span several organ systems, and deficiency can be fatal if not reversed. In this review, the current knowledge of thiamine metabolism will be summarized. Dietary recommendations for dogs and cats will be discussed, and the risk factors and clinical signs associated with thiamine deficiency will be examined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Disorders in Companion Animals)
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