Special Nutritional Needs of Pets: Considerations for Age and Health Conditions
1. Introduction
For both humans and pets, nutritional needs reflect energy demands for various stages of life. In humans, special populations such as infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, and those with health issues need diets tailored to their specific needs. Likewise, puppies, kittens, and adults that normally eat more or less generally have different nutrient needs. Puppies and kittens require diets with larger amounts of protein, mineral support, and calories than those of adults. When all essential amino acids, fatty acids, and micronutrient levels exceed the optimal nutritional balance of our pet’s normal needs, they gain weight in response to less activity, causing harm. Affected body parts are often one of the hardest-hit organs and will become sick. Specialists have TIP4Life in all aspects of life. There are also studies showing the downsides and dangers when pets over 7-9 years of age are fed for seniors. Let’s see.
The nutritional status of an animal is one of the main initial factors in energy. When parents ask if they have diagnosed a terminally ill child, it is first of all, to forget that he/she shivers and 1 kg of body mass is the most dramatic of all changes that the body will need. Living liver fatty acid disease, cholesterol, cancer levels, results, and cell immune response will have an impact. So is the famous comment "I was told that there was nothing in their minds for 7 years and I was overweight." If and when we need pet nutrition, it is best tailored to our needs when it is the primary dietary need for the dog. Dietary modification is a scientific and repeatable approach to maintaining optimal immune function, drug, weight, clan disease, liver protection, maltotriose, cholesterol, suspected food hypersensitivity, and cancer. Provide evidence that our pets suffer spoilers.
2. The Basics of Pet Nutrition
Without proper nutrition, pets may experience weight, skin, fur, and digestive tract problems. Faced with the diversity of available commercial products, pet owners can get confused. Out of caution, many guardians incorporate organic foods into the diet plan or even sometimes cook meals at home specifically for their pets. Defining an adequate diet depends very much on the age phase and the health condition of the animal. The next section brings some signature do's and don'ts that can benefit pet owners when deciding on their diet plan.
Pet nutrition, in general, needs to meet the same principles as human nutrition. The basic ingredients of a balanced diet include macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Considering the different proportions and ingredients, pet diets differ from human diets and are properly balanced to meet the specific needs of pets. Ingredients in pet diets should be readily digestible and bioavailable and serve as an energy source. Proteins fulfill additional criteria because they provide specific amino acids and are involved in the metabolism of animals. Domestic animals have dietary requirements for certain vitamins and minerals and some enzymes and fatty acids. It is expected that most of these needs will be met with a properly formulated processed diet. This digestibility refers to the extent to which nutrients are absorbed from the digestive tract. Bioavailability is the term used to describe the proportion of absorbed nutrients that are used in bodily functions rather than being excreted. Nutrients in commercial pet foods are standardized by ingredient and guaranteed by the manufacturer. It is therefore important to make sure your pet is receiving the proper amount and quality of vitamins and minerals. Factors that may interfere with the bioavailability of nutrients include the presence of something that binds to a mineral, an individual’s age or disease condition, or the manner in which a food was prepared.
2.1. Macronutrients and Micronutrients
Nutritional content is the key to the optimal health and well-being of the pet and has a significant role in different aspects of an animal's life, from reproductive performance, growth and development, to efficiency and longevity. Based on specific requirements, nutrients are mainly divided into macronutrients - those needed in large amounts, including proteins and amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids - and micronutrients, also termed "macronutrients if given in relatively large amounts", such as vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and restricting amino acids and fatty acids.
Engaging in the mechanisms of the nutrient's role in the body, especially those needed in small quantities, micronutrients can be very helpful to address several physiological responses to a specific age or health-related condition and to prevent or slow down damage at the cellular level. Macronutrients and micronutrients provoke development, which is another targeted mechanism to manage the physiological or pathological condition of an animal. It is noteworthy that in cases of diseased animals, they need more vitamins and in some diseased conditions, unit per unit per metabolic body weight.
Proteins and amino acids are the most important and optimal essential nutrients for the whole body of animals. Dietary protein is needed to support cellular maintenance, growth, and repair, and is employed in most essential bodily functions. Several amino acids, to be precise "metabolic" amino acids, are important for cats, dogs, and horses and are generally either used as direct precursors for homeostatic regulators or turned into different biologically active small molecules, which are critical for the body's adaptive and healing responses. Regulatory enzymes are vital for the health of any animal or plant, and amino acids are utilized by these enzymes, with proven defensive and healing action in animal tissues.
Other than these, nutrient management does influence the immune system of animals by either harmful or beneficial effects. Nutrients and environment working together manage the inflammation biology-related issues of the stomach, skin, and other body tissues in animals. Hormonal therapy does stimulate the healing of the pet's weak bones. The older dog's muscle decreases 0.3–0.5% per year, which induces low muscle power. Dietary protein and amino acids do not heal old-age-related and exercise-induced muscle waste in old dogs. More and more studies are still being done on protein and amino acid metabolism and their role in repairing body tissues.
2.2. Digestibility and Bioavailability
When looking at pets or any living organism in general from a nutritional perspective, it is essential to look beyond the mere amount of nutrients contained in the diets and consider the importance of the ability of the animals to absorb and utilize the nutrients for growth, maintenance, or other metabolic functions as essential aspects of the overall nutritional quality of pet diets.
Digestibility measures the fecal and urinary excretion of nutrient amounts to the nutrient consumption, while bioavailability measures the quantitative proportion of the nutrient or its metabolites that enters the systemic circulation or the target tissue for the biological functions. The micronutrients' bioavailability is a measure of how easily they can be absorbed and used by the body, while the digestibility, as well as the bioavailability of micronutrients and macronutrients, are related to multiple factors, including diet composition and factors that influence assimilation by the animal such as absorption mechanisms, phytates, tannins, antinutritional factors, prebiotics, and age.
In relation to the health status, the absorption, excretion, metabolism, and storage of a nutrient into the organism also depend on factors such as disease conditions and the consequent alterations in gastrointestinal physiology and digestive function. In the elderly, an age-related reduction in digestive function has been reported, including decreased gastrointestinal transit with longer periods of transit and an increase in both basal and stimulated gastric acid, which makes it essential to consider alterations in nutrients and stool characteristics in elderly animals prior to establishing the nutritional requirements for healthy pet animals.
3. Age-Related Nutritional Needs
As pets age, their dietary needs change. Therefore, choosing the most appropriate pet food according to age helps pets to enjoy the highest quality of life. It is also important to consider the nutritional requirements of pets for special health conditions and circumstances. Key age-related considerations when feeding your pet include:
Puppies and Kittens: Growing puppies and kittens have very different nutritional needs compared to adult dogs and cats of the same breed. For large breeds, growth diets are also different according to the size of the animal. Puppies and kittens generally need to eat at least two times a day.
Adult Pets: In adult animals, the amount of energy used generally stabilizes. This means they require less concentrated nutrients than growing pets. This diet is the most common life stage of senior pets and covers many years of life.
Senior Pets: Pets are classified as elderly according to their lifespan, and small and medium-sized dogs are generally classified as elderly after 7 years of age, while large dogs are generally classified after 6 years of age. Some pets may need to switch to a special diet because of reduced activity and tendency to gain weight, while others may need special supplements because of potential infertility problems. Aggressive pets may need more calm food to ensure they do not become ill or stressed during stressful situations such as thunderstorms. Although adult animals are occasionally fed according to the physical needs and the product type, the age-related dietary requirements of older pets are important changes to ensure a healthy life.
3.1. Puppies and Kittens
• Puppies and kittens have very different nutritional needs from adult dogs and cats. These young animals are growing fast (more rapidly than any other period in their life) and are smaller than their adult counterparts, which requires a specific balance to ensure safe and sufficient growth.
Puppies:
• Nutrient requirements of growing puppies can be up to four times those of an adult dog of the same body weight. This is because they are rapidly growing in terms of muscle mass and fat, as well as developing their internal structures, such as bones, tendons, joints, etc.
• However, the puppy's stomach is small in comparison to an adult and can only take in a limited volume of food at each meal – and puppies generally need to eat more frequently than adults (4-6 meals per day) as they can become hypoglycemic if deprived of food for up to 12 hours.
• Birth starts the process of a lifelong change in the dog's food preference from milk to solid food, leading to nutritional independence. A dam's milk provides the complete diet required for the first 3-3½ weeks of life.
Feeding will depend on a number of factors including breed and lifestyle (household pets vs. working dogs), as some dogs will be expected to grow more quickly than other breeds depending on their future requirements and way of life. There is also an increasing evidence base to suggest that the rate of bone growth can play a significant role in the future joint health of the dog.
• The best way to calculate the exact needs of a growing puppy is to chart its growth curve and recalculate the amount it needs to eat at least once a week. Once fully grown, weight gain is likely to be fat mass, so this extra food should be reduced to prevent later obesity and long-term health damage. It is also important that growing dogs are not over- or under-exercised during the growth stage.
3.2. Adult Pets
Nutrition is essential in promoting the overall health and well-being of our pets. Ideally, the diet should be formulated to provide all essential nutrients at adequate levels in order to minimize the risk of deficiency. The requirement for each nutrient can change resulting from stress, exercise, illness, biological age, or life stage. Nutrient excess can lead to health issues, including nutritional imbalances, endocrine imbalances, or obesity. A proper diet can be effectively used in supportive care for chronic diseases, but it should be considered only as a part of a multimodal approach when dealing with chronic conditions. Nutrients interact with medications, and in some cases, this needs to be considered (e.g., tyramine in food and monoamine oxidase inhibitors in drug therapy). Feeding a senior-pet-formulated diet to a healthy adult pet may result in nutrient intake exceeding the recommendation.
There are essential nutrients and dietary factors that should be available in the proper quantity and quality to support the preventative feeding approach. The label should provide apparent information about the dietary levels proving the adequacy of nutrients that are provided. Older dogs and cats often develop subclinical and clinical dysfunction of multiple organ systems, other than those related to aging. Dogs and cats of different breeds, size, and health status, either unwell or living with chronic health conditions, grow old at different paces, and nutrients can modulate this process. Even if bone mass and muscle mass diminish in older pets, engaging older cats and dogs in moderate exercise may help avoid obesity, sarcopenic obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, constipation, and dyslipidemia, and help maintain better hydration, mental and social well-being.
3.3. Senior Pets
Older age in pets is linked to several metabolic and clinical conditions that can be managed through diet. These diets have to be tailored to each individual in terms of energy requirements so as to not contribute to obesity, and to increase the vitality and support the aging pet's normal body function.
In the 2006 AAFCO Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food, "Regular senior diets" can be formulated to not consider the energy density ranging between 2900 and 3500 kcal of ME per kg of product, increased content of vitamins A, E, and Beta carotene, and the increased content of specific elements, mostly antioxidants. "Special diets" can be formulated to not just consider the energy density ranging between 3100 and 3700 kcal of ME per kg of product, increased content of vitamins A, E, and Beta carotene, and the increased content of calcium and phosphorus and zinc, selenium, and tryptophan, but also to have a higher protein value, between 25 and 32%, amino acid pattern, and percentage of fatty acids between 18 and 30%. These diets also have to have bioavailability of nutrients between 100 and 120% of the guaranteed analysis.
In older dogs, between the age of 7 and 9 years, a decrease in metabolizable energy is observed, usually about 20-25% lower than general Yorkshire. Although the decrease in energy demand is generally lower compared to younger animals, food intake may decrease due to loss of smell, anorexia, laziness, or difficulty in chewing meat pieces, etc.
Growth and reproduction are natural tactics developed by the body for managing fluctuations in resource availability. Nutrition also plays a key role; feeding style, portion control, meal regularity, and choice of food at different stages of life can affect life expectancy. Obese dogs have a decreased lifespan compared to thin dogs. Excessive weight is associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes, associated with the decrease in insulin sensitivity reported. In obese animals, a restriction of 25% in calorie intake showed a 15-75% increase in life and an improvement in health.
4. Nutritional Considerations for Common Health Conditions
Obesity is a significant concern in pets of all breeds. Reducing weight is the main therapy. Diet rations must be reduced in energy density but in nutrients that promote muscle mass. During active weight loss, intake should be 10-25% less than the pet's full-energy maintenance requirement. Most animals need around 250 kcal of energy per day, but the range from approximately 150-350 kcal per day is realistic. If overweight, the diet should be high in protein, and a portion of the protein should be lean muscle mass. Essential long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA, are also necessary, particularly for obese animals, to help protect their natural muscle mass and pave the way for better acclimatization later on. Vitamins and minerals should be given as supplements to obese animals and should make up at least 100 per cent of the National Research Council's minimal nutrient demands. Home-cooked diets with carefully chosen time and care are labor-intensive as well as calorie- and nutrient-dense. Typical recommendations for pets with obesity should also be reviewed.
Adult Dogs: Average 20-25% of calories could be from high-quality treats that are no more than 10% fat and no more than 100 calories per treat.
Adult Cats: Allow no more than 10% of total calories per day for treats. Higher protein diets that are also higher-fiber are better choices.
Diabetes is a metabolic disease needing a specific kind of intervention, but balanced nutrition and normal glucose levels are essential. Obesity and diabetes diets will be discussed. Nonetheless, while high-protein animal diets can decrease the fat content of dog and cat diets, the optimal carbohydrate content for animal diabetes has yet to be determined. Generally, dry high-fiber diets with a carbohydrate content of 20-32 percent and fiber counts of 3-6 percent are suggested. Other diabetes treatment diets also include high-fiber and low-carbohydrate, with minimum moisture content. Diabetic pets who respond well to insulin can eat calorie-dense meals when their blood sugar can be checked on a continuous basis. Inadequate control of blood sugar will render these animals susceptible to ketosis, which can be life-threatening. Weight management in diabetics is as much a concern as sugar management, and obtaining copies of insulin and glucose among all dietary modifications is necessary. A gradual loss of ideal body weight of approximately 0.5 to 2 percent per week is advised. Specialists in sports medicine should also be made available. Low glycemic index ingredients, which are less prone to induce large amounts of insulin in the body, may also help treat a pet's diabetes. Clinicians should also follow suitable Pet Care Partnership guidelines with regard to diabetics, obese pets, and other factors. Additionally, when recommending the addition of high-fiber meals to pets with diabetes, it is also significant to discuss the high number of calories eaten in this form of meal. More than 350 calories from fiber mostly exist in one cup of meal. One cat may be provided 70 grams of dry food with 280 calories a day in total. Although fiber is beneficial, the total calorie value must be considered. Fiber calories to display carbohydrate calories on the tag are often not likely. As a result, this can also be mentioned in the diet suggestions for those with diabetes and other food responsive diseases, such as chronic constipation. In any case, the food allergy diet does not work.
4.1. Obesity
The nutritional approach related to obesity (Figure 1) comprises a reduction in energy intake and an increase in the concentrations of dietary fiber and protein. Despite that, the first and main measure to prevent and treat obesity is based on appropriate feeding management from a young age, avoiding the offer of diets rich in starches and low-protein concentrations (in the case of dogs). The objective in including dietary fibers in the formulation of diets for overweight animals or in healthy animals that are at risk of developing obesity is that, when ingested, they present a great viscosity → greater dilution of the chyme → minor absorption of macronutrients (360 to 380 kcal of metabolizable energy, versus 900 kcal of diet with few fibers) → less depots of nutrients such as fat. Consequently, the increase in dietary fiber can help to manage obesity in companion animals.
This also supports the concept of a balanced diet for the long-term maintenance of the pet's ideal body weight. Preventing excessive weight gain at an earlier age can decrease the risk of obesity, but it is also possible for this diet to prevent excessive food intake from becoming overweight. Specific problems related to obesity can occur in companion animals when there are excess calories provided to young animals or those with copper accumulation. Weight gain in copper(II)-reducing animals causes tissue degeneration and fibrosis, finally resulting in cirrhosis and fatal liver failure. The incidence can be reduced by preventing excessive calorie intake in animals or impaired copper excretion.
4.2. Diabetes
Diabetes is an exceedingly complex disease to manage effectively in both cats and dogs. Nutrition is a huge component of successful disease management, and many questions remain about the best approach to this topic. Herein, we will discuss the pet owner consultation with a diet component, diabetes and overall nutrition requirements, the importance of carefully selected, proven diets, the potential to best fit these patients' diets through altered macronutrient profile diets, the possibility to feed diabetic patients dry food in some scenarios, and the potential benefits of planned, errorless treats when evaluating for remission.
Across the spectrum of nutritional disease in cats (Table 1) and dogs, 16% of all disease and 33% of endocrine disease is related to diabetes. There is a clear nutritional aspect to diabetes as the management of the disease is nutrition reliant. Most patients with diabetes will require oral diabetic therapy; some will require injectable total insulin therapy. Despite these medical interventions that have nutritional demands, the foundational beginning of diabetes management is diet therapy. Resistance to insulin is an additional burden in type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance may be improved with diet. In type 1 diabetes, wherein there is a complete lack of insulin, the exogenous hormone must be perfectly matched to food intake.
4.3. Kidney Disease
Untreated kidney disease in dogs and cats may result in secondary health problems, including weight loss and muscle mass loss (cachexia or muscle wasting), and inflammation. The objectives of feeding in kidney disease should include moderation of phosphate in the early stages of chronic kidney disease, increased energy density, increased palatability to stimulate voluntary feed intake, formulated to reduce clinical signs of uremia and minimize accumulation of metabolic waste products, formulated to support kidney function, and formulated to help maintain muscle mass. These feeding objectives can be met with a complete, balanced formulation of commercial dog food but do require that the dog eats dry kibble or eats tinned food and is supplemented with either a low-phosphate binder or an intestinal phosphate reducing product. raise concerns that, 'given the known impact of nutrition on the progression of kidney disease in both human and bat models, multi-center placebo-controlled trials to compare the effects of commencing various commercially available kidney diets to a renal prescription diet and ceasing the abnormal proteinuria are suggested'.
An overview of the nutritional management of cats and dogs with kidney disease is the role of the nutrient intake in maintaining and restoring kidney cells (whether towards kidney health, stabilizing kidney tissue, or rebuilding compensated kidney), countering disease-related inflammation, restoring or maintaining electrolyte balance, controlling fluid intake, and supporting a reduced renal workload. The 2020 recommendations of BCVH VT&WT specifically address "high-quality commercial foods that are formulated for healthy cats, homemade cat foods, special health diets intended to manage chronic kidney disease but balanced nutrition intake with supplementary or therapeutic foods" is strongly recommended for both dogs and cats with kidney damage or disease.
5. Conclusion
Healthy animals thrive on healthy diets, and it is becoming increasingly appreciated that different life stages and health states require specific nutrients for optimal health. Body condition and lean body mass are also additional factors that should be considered when formulating diets to aid in the management of particular health states, such as for pets in a lean body state and those with renal and liver impairment. Recent studies also indicate a key role of the gut in the regulation of body condition and the interaction between the skin and the microbiome in conditions such as atopic dermatitis. Addressing both the cause of disease as well as the dietary formulation in addressing the sensome through tailored nutrition is becoming a key adjunct in the overall management of atopic dermatitis and in disease predisposition that may be exacerbated by diet while improving overall health. It is, therefore, important for our veterinary clinicians to better understand the link between sensomics, the microbiome, and diet.
The clinical trials and case examples discussed before indicate a solid route to individualized health optimization through nutrition by looking at an animal's journey from the inside. By proposing to look at an animal 'inside and out', it also stresses the need for better interaction and communication between the whole veterinary team, including nutritionists, nurses, and the like, to ensure the best standard of care. Tailored recipes were shown to improve the clinical signs associated with atopic dermatitis, confirming the current trend that food can be used not only as "medicine" to manage an already developed condition but also to optimize health by supporting the dog throughout life. The studies presented in this paper and the cases observed routinely at our hospital also confirm the role of diet not only requires a disease-specific diet but also a breed-specific diet, an aging-specific diet, and a morphology-specific diet to optimize health at every life stage for all possible variables. This is currently a common mantra in the nutraceutical world, promoting supplements that can be tailored to specific conditions.