Nutrition
Core concepts
Nutrition questions blend physiology, calculation, and evidence appraisal. Know energy requirements (resting energy requirement, RER = 70 × BWkg^0.75; illness factor application is debated-avoid overfeeding), protein requirements, and the distinction between maintenance and therapeutic diets. Understand the role of diet in managing chronic kidney disease (protein restriction, phosphate restriction, omega-3s), obesity management (caloric restriction, weight-loss programs), food allergies (hydrolyzed or novel protein diets, elimination trials), and urolithiasis (dissolution vs. prevention). Recognize that DCM and grain-free diets have been an evolving area-avoid overstating causation; acknowledge the FDA investigation and the importance of taurine and balanced diets. For large animals, understand forage-based nutrition, body condition scoring, and the risks of abrupt diet changes.
Common traps
- Applying illness factors indiscriminately, leading to overfeeding and refeeding syndrome.
- Assuming all protein restriction is beneficial-restriction is for CKD, not healthy animals.
- Forgetting that elimination diet trials require strict compliance and adequate duration (often 8 weeks).
- Mixing up struvite (dissolution possible) and calcium oxalate (prevention only) management.
- Overstating diet-disease causation without evidence.
Worked rule of thumb
A 10-kg dog: RER = 70 × 10^0.75 ≈ 70 × 5.62 ≈ 394 kcal/day. For weight loss, feed ~80% of RER for target weight, and recheck body condition every 2–4 weeks.