ANFS251 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Omnivore, Proline
16 Apr 2019
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Lecture 9.1 - Dogs & Cats #1
- Dogs and Cats
- Monogastric Omnivore
- Monogastric Carnivore
- GIT Diversity
- Image below shows a simplistic portrayal of comparative GIT morphology
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- Carnivore
- Short and simple because meat is highly digestible
- Omnivore
- Slightly more complex due to the addition of cellulose to the diet,
needs greater volume in GIT for the slower process of microbial
fermentation
- Dogs - Carnivores or Omnivores?
- Nutritional, behavior and physical actros that separate the omnivore and
carnivore worlds
- Have teeth (molars) with relatively flat surfaces designed to grind up
bones as well as fibrous plant material
- Can digest almost 100% of the carbohydrates they consume
- Have a small intestine that occupies about 23% of their total
gastrointestinal volume - consistent with other omnivores
- Small intestine of cat occupies only 15%
- Can create vitamin A from beta-carotene dunedin plants
- Confusion in the Conclusion
- Yes they fall under the order Carnivora
- But, a close look at the anatomy, behavior and feeding preferences of dogs shows
that they are actually omnivorous
- Sometimes called “nutritionally omnivores”
- Able to eat and remain healthy with both plant and animal foodstuffs
- Dogs and Cats
- Nutrient needs are based on the animals physiological statuses
- Maintenance diets maintain animals current body weight
- Most common physiological status for companion animals in the
US
- Major nutritional disorder in US companion animals is obesity
- Restricted calorie/weight loss diets for pets are becoming popular with
vets and the general public
- Second most common physical status is the geriatric animal
- Last 25% of animal's life span
- About ⅓ -½ of the pet population is in the geriatric stage
- Dogs
- The recommended “hourglass” figure of a dog in proper bod condition
- This corresponds to a body condition of 5
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