ABSTRACT Dogs and cats have unique nutritional requirements that vary throughout life , highlighting the importance of feeding a diet suited to their age and physiological state . The plethora of pet foods makes it challenging for owners to decide what and how much to feed . Therefore , the veterinary healthcare team must be able to provide accurate advice regarding optimal lifestage nutrition .
Part 1 of this article introduces nutritional assessment guidelines for small animals and explores the terms commonly used to describe canine and feline life stages . It also considers the dietary adaptations required during adulthood , gestation and lactation .
Keywords companion animal nutrition , life stage , dietary requirements , canine , feline
Introduction
The majority of pet owners consider their pets as family members and strive to ensure they have a long and healthy life ( Cohen , 2002 ; Bontempo , 2005 ; Carlisle-Frank & Frank , 2006 ). As one of the most important considerations in the maintenance of health , nutrition plays a critical role in the management of many diseases – a reflection of its acknowledgement as the fifth vital assessment , after temperature , pulse , respiration and pain ( Freeman et al ., 2011 ).
Prior to domestication , dogs and cats were primarily kept as working animals , living outside and being fed raw meat or table scraps . Numerous developments in companion animal nutrition , together with the current notion of dogs and cats as pets and family members , have resulted in the development of a wide array of foods . The UK pet-food market is currently worth £ 3.2 billion ( PFMA , 2021 ).
The provision of correct nutrition is an essential component of responsible pet ownership , and owners are becoming increasingly aware that it is a key factor in optimising pet health and wellbeing . With the current availability of such a broad range of pet foods , owners can select the food they believe to be most appropriate for their pet , taking into account a number of considerations , including personal preferences and circumstances . Yet , considerable confusion and misinformation exist regarding nutritional facts and dietary choices . The appealing marketing strategies and health claims can make diet selection challenging , with many owners finding this the most difficult aspect of pet ownership ( Schleicher et al ., 2019 ).
The primary role of diet is to provide sufficient nutrients to meet metabolic requirements while giving the consumer a feeling of wellbeing ( Bontempo , 2005 ). An overall goal of veterinary nutrition is to feed for ideal health , performance and longevity . Life stages for cats and dogs are identified in Table 1 . However , cats and dogs age at varying rates . Although age designations can help identify the physical and behavioural changes associated with different life stages , these are influenced by many factors and are not absolutes .
Normative and developmental stage thresholds have recently been identified by Harvey ( 2021 ) using chronological categories . These represent normative cognitive and neurological ageing in domestic family dogs , and capture age-related developmental trajectories for the majority of dog breeds . A longer lifespan is expected in smaller breeds of dogs than larger breeds , yet individual variation increases toward the latter years , with biological age potentially differing from chronological age ( FEDIAF , 2017 ). As a result , precise age delineations are not proposed for the life stages of mature adult and senior dogs ( Creevy et al ., 2019 ).
Table 1 . Definition of life stages for cats and dogs ( Creevy et al ., 2019 ; Quimby et al ., 2021 ). Species Kitten / puppy Young adult Mature adult Senior End of life
Cats Birth to 1 year a 1 – 6 years a 7 – 10 years a > 10 years a Terminal stage
Dogs |
Birth to reproductive maturation and cessation of rapid growth . Generally , 12 – 24 months , varying with breed and size . |
Cessation of rapid growth to completion of physical and social maturation , which occurs in most dogs by 3 – 4 years old . |
Completion of physical and social maturation until the last 25 % of estimated lifespan ( breed and size dependent ). b
|
The last 25 % of estimated lifespan through to the end of life . b
|
For cats and dogs , the initiation and duration of this period is variable and dependent on specific pathologies . |
a Note that age designations are influenced by many factors and are not absolutes .
b The onset of ageing is heavily influenced by a variety of factors , including size and breed , therefore precise age delineations are not proposed by Creevy et al . ( 2019 ) for mature adult and senior dogs .
VOL 38 • July 2022
27