Feeding During Growth

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Feeding During Growth
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Requirements

• Weaned at 7-9 weeks
• Primary socialization 5-12 weeks of age
• Most rapid period of growth first 6 months
• Reach mature BW
• Toy breeds 8-12 months
• Medium breeds 12-18 months
• Large/Giant breeds 18-24 months

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Requirements

• At maturity, dogs have increased their birth
  weight 40- to 50-fold
• Growth represents period of rapid tissue
  accretion and development
• Reflected primarily by ? needs for energy and
  essential nutrients

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Energy Requirements

• Needs during growth exceed those of any other
  stage of life except lactation
• Twice the requirement of adult dog
• After 6 months of age, needs begin to decline as
  growth rate decreases

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Calculating Energy Requirements
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Protein Requirements

• Higher than adult animals
• Needs maintenance tissue/skeletal/organ
  development
• Foods should contain higher CP
• High quality and highly digestible
• More importantlythe balance between protein and
  energy
• 25-29 of ME should be supplied as protein

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Calcium and Phosphorus

• 1 Ca and 0.8 P (DMB)
• Commercial pet foods may be higher (margin of
  safety)
• Never added on top of commercial diet
• Imbalances negatively affect bone development

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Pet Food Digestibility

• Growing dogs have higher requirements for energy
  and essential nutrients than adults
• Less capacity in stomach
• Smaller mouths
• Fewer teeth
• Foods should have high digestibility and energy
  density so these factors dont limit essential
  nutrient intake and limit/alter growth and
  development

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Feeding Procedures

• Change diets gradually
• Proper feeding rate to support normal muscle and
  skeletal development and a growth rate typical
  for that particular breed
• Overfeeding very problematic
• Studies show mild restriction of calories during
  growth increases longevity
• Will slow growth rate, but not affect final body
  weight
• Reach maturity at later age

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Overfeedingwhat is the problem?

• Future Obesity
• In young animals increase in both size and
  NUMBER of fat cells
• This increase in number is impossible to change,
  size can be changed
• Negative impact on skeletal development
• Accelerated growth rates
• Osteochondrosis, hip dysplasia
• Genetics account for 40 of problem, rest is
  environmental

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Feeding Procedures

• Growing dogs have a very steep growth curve
• Requirements change daily
• Important to adjust food intake weekly
• By assessment of body condition
• Too fat cant feel ribs
• Too thin easily feel ribs, not fat cover
• Just right ribs easy to find, but some fat cover

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Feeding Procedures

• Portion-controlled feeding best method
• 2-3 meals/d from 4-6 months of age
• 2 meals/d 6-12 months of age
• Should be portion-controlled fed until dog has
  attained 80-90 of mature BW

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Exercise and Growth

• Aids in achievement of proper energy balance and
  supports muscle development
• Daily running, swimming, or retrieving (20-40
  min/d) adequate
• Avoid rough exercise predispose dog to skeletal
  abnormalities (OCD)

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Breed Specific Nutrition??
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Breed Specific Nutrition??

• Time to attain maximal weight similar, but rate
  of growth vastly different
• Selection for large mature BW ? potential for
  rapid growth rates
• Overfeeding VERY detrimental

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Large Breed Dogs

• Overfeeding leads to rapid growth rate
• Not compatible with optimal skeletal development
  and maturation
• Excessive Ca negatively affects skeletal
  development
• Since these breeds are predisposed to rapid
  growth ratesfeed lower energy density foods
• Still need balanced, high quality protein
• 30 less Ca and P compared to puppy foods

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Small or Toy Breeds

• Higher energy requirements
• Requirements based on MBW and that is related to
  body surface area
• Small dogs have higher surface area to BW
  compared to larger dogs
• Alsomuch smaller stomachs and mouths!
• Food should be formulated to be higher in energy,
  more nutrient dense, and highly digestible
  ingredients
• Small kibbles to facilitate easy chewing and
  consumption