Royal Canin Nutritional Information

8. Royal Canin Nutritional Information

Key Points to Remember: The Benefits of Nutritional Support in Critically Ill Cats

Factors predisposing to malnutrition Four risk factors are cited, although there may be more. - Spontaneous consumption of the cat tends to fall or be interrupted during pathological episodes.
- Some traumas or lesions of the oral cavity may disrupt ingestion.
- Additional examinations or surgical interventions sometimes entail protracted fasting.
- Nutritional requirements increase in the event of acute and/or febrile diseases.

Nutritional support is an integral part of treating hospitalized animals in a critical situation. (© Renner).

Expected Benefits of Nutritional Support

There is medical consensus on the importance of early nutritional support whatever the cause of the reduced appetite. Whenever possible, oral feeding is preferred ("If the gut is working, use it"). This per os feeding helps preserve the intestinal barrier. In the absence of spontaneous consumption, nutritional support may be provided by nasophageal tube.

Generally speaking, when instigated early nutritional support can:
- Achieve clinical improvement and accelerate rehabilitation
- Reduce hospitalization time
- Reduce complications in the event of surgery
- Improve the survival rate in critically ill cats

Figure 13. Indications of convalescence diets for dogs and cats in veterinary clinics. Source: Royal Canin survey (June-September 2006).

Select Practical Criteria for Choosing Food for Critically Ill Cats

The use of food specially formulated to nourish animals in intensive care facilitates the work of clinicians and care teams.

Maximum Palatability

Sick cats generally display a reduced appetite and weight loss. The food must help overcome this by being as palatable as possible.

Formulation Adapted to Increased Nutritional Requirements

High-energy Concentration

High energy density is important for providing the highest quantity of calories in a low volume. This compensates for a reduced appetite in cats that feed themselves and facilitates administration in the event of enteral-feeding.

To increase the energy density, food for critically ill patients must be high in fat (>40% of total calories). Highfat diets may present contraindications only in the event of acute pancreatitis and hyperlipidemia.

High Protein Content

Pathological conditions activate metabolism: tissue catabolism increases and must be compensated for by more intense tissue synthesis. Intake of 30-50% of total energy in the form of protein helps combat loss of lean body mass. This protein must have the following characteristics:
- High biological value to cover the requirement of essential amino acids
- High digestibility to minimize nitrogenous waste and so avoid overloading the liver and kidney functions.

High-protein diets may not be tolerated in hepatic encephalopathy or stage III/IV chronic kidney disease.

Rich in Antioxidants

Hypovolemia and reperfusion injury increases the production of free radicals. A complex synergy of antioxidants (vitamins E and C, taurine, carotenoid pigments etc) help combat oxidative stress and facilitate optimal immune defenses.

Wet foods are suited to different types of distribution: in a bowl, from the hand or through enteral feeding tubes.

Convenience

Wet foods are generally more acceptable to cats in the intensive care setting or convalescent cats with a reduced appetite. They can also be warmed to body temperature before feeding.

Wet foods are also better suited to different types of distribution: in a bowl, from the hand or through enteral feeding tubes. The texture must enable administration by syringe, in diluted or undiluted form. The food must be both easy to manipulate, regardless of how it is administered, and easy to split into precise rations.