Book of Proceedings I PetFeeding
Book of Proceedings I PetFeeding
Book of Proceedings I PetFeeding
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
15<br />
Where to find information about nutritional requirements <strong>of</strong> Cats and Dogs<br />
Ana Luísa Lourenço<br />
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal<br />
E-mail: analou@utad.pt<br />
Introduction<br />
Information on nutritional requirements and on how to feed a cat or a dog can literally be found<br />
everywhere, from the neighbour next door, till the self-proclaimed expert on theinternet, there<br />
is a never ending spring <strong>of</strong> “information”. At the end the difficult part is where and how to find<br />
scientifically sound information and how to make sure the information you are presented with<br />
is indeed trustworthy.<br />
Nutritional goals <strong>of</strong> feeding healthy companion animals are to maintain optimal physiological<br />
functions, enhance quality <strong>of</strong> life, prevent disease and, if possible, increase life expectancy<br />
while maintaining high performance standards, if applicable. Although the “ideal” diet cannot<br />
be identified and probably differs from animal to animal, much was already researched and<br />
known for each species and life stage. It is thus, essential to base nutritional decisions on the<br />
most solid scientific knowledge to be able to achieve your nutritional goals.<br />
This document is constructed to give a compact overview on where to find scientifically<br />
substantiated and sound information on nutritional requirements for cats and dogs, for practical<br />
reference.<br />
Resources available on Nutritional Requirements <strong>of</strong> Cats and Dogs<br />
National Research Council (NRC)<br />
In 2006, the Ad Hoc Committee on Dog and Cat Nutrition <strong>of</strong> the National Research Council<br />
published, after extensive review <strong>of</strong> all the scientific literature on dog and cats nutrition, the<br />
document:<br />
National Research Council (NRC). 2006. Nutrient Requirements <strong>of</strong> Dogs. Washington, D.C.:<br />
National Academy Press.<br />
This document is an extensive compilation <strong>of</strong> relevant information on nutrient physiology and<br />
requirements <strong>of</strong> cats and dogs and related issues, critically reviewed by the council throughout<br />
the publication. The summary on the daily provision <strong>of</strong> energy and nutrients to dogs and cats,<br />
based on their energy and nutrient requirements are summarized and presented in tabular form<br />
in the last chapter <strong>of</strong> the book (chapter 15).<br />
The energy and nutrient requirements are presented in separate tables, per species and life<br />
stage. First, formula’s on the daily metabolizable energy requirements are presented followed<br />
by data on the:
Change language