December 2023 41 Feeding a quality puppy diet is the widely accepted gold standard amongst the veterinary profession, but the reasoning behind this statement is often not conveyed to the layperson, often getting overlooked in the rush of backed-up consults. Puppies (and kittens) are more affected by what they ingest than their adult counterparts, and this knowledge can be used to lay the foundation for healthier, more long-lived adults. Dietary requirements for super-premium products have moved away from solely focusing on growth, and now incorporate brain function and trainability, future health requirements, and even behavioural manipulations. Thorough knowledge of the products you have available for recommendation will ensure your patient receives the diet best suited to their needs, for both the short- and long-term. Immune boosting factors: It is well known that an immunity gap exists between the decline in maternal antibodies and the completion of the vaccine protocol. This period is critical to growth and development, and puppies and kittens are incredibly susceptible to a multitude of diseases during this trough. Incorporating immune stimulating factors into their diet ensures all avenues are explored to ensure a healthy, well-protected puppy or kitten survives since more than 65% of the body’s immune cells are located within the gastrointestinal tract. Beta-Glucans: Beta-Glucans significantly raise IgG concentrations following the second vaccine, efficiently increasing the humoral immune response. MOS: the prebiotic and simple sugar Manno-Oligosaccharide occupies pathogenic bacteria receptor sites, prohibiting adherence to the gastrointestinal lining. FOS: Fructo-Oligosaccharides promote the development of a good bacterial population, producing short-chain fatty acids through their fermentation in the gut, which nourishes the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. CELT complex: Royal Canin’s patented antioxidant complex, comprising of vitamin C, vitamin E, Lutein and Taurine. Antioxidants help maintain barrier integrity, the very first step of immunity. Faecal quality: The nutrients added, the grinding process, and the owner factor all contribute to good faecal scoring. Nutrients: the balance between insoluble and fermentable fibres, prebiotics, digestible proteins and starches all contribute towards optimal stool quality and owner satisfaction. Psyllium and insoluble fibres especially play a role in maintaining optimal stool quality. The addition of Yucca schidigera extract also aids in reducing stool odour and flatulence in still house-training puppies. Processing impact: the finer the particles are ground during processing, the more digestible the diet. The cooking process will also influence the digestibility of the diet- even a high-quality starch if badly cooked, will lead to poor digestibility. Owner impact: overloading the digestive tract by overfeeding may also lead to diarrhoea- weighing out daily feeds cannot be stressed enough. Precise feeding guidelines are available on every pack, and Royal Canin’s vet services platform (www.vet.royalcanin.com) hosts a daily allowance calculator, allowing you to easily email your recommendation to the pet owner to prevent such incidents. Kibble size: Adapted kibble size becomes even more important with the disparity of breed sizes that are becoming increasingly evident. Extra small breeds with an expected adult weight of less than 4kg cannot be treated as equal to the 65kg+ Giant breeds that are sought after. Kittens: Royal Canin’s kitten diets have similar additions to their formulas: the CELT complex, MOS and FOS prebiotics and Beta-glucans are also added to aid the growing kitten. Royal Canin also has the addition of a sterilized kitten diet- which shows a 6% reduction in fat content compared to the regular kitten diet. This is to aid the maintenance of appropriate weight in kittens post-sterilisation, knowing that weight gain in male cats in particular can have significant side effects on their health, ranging from joint issues to diabetes and even to urinary calculi and crystals. Studies have shown a 30% increase in appetite within the first 48 hours post-sterilisation! In conclusion, recommending the correct diet for your patients can have long-lasting consequences and benefits. The ability to adequately communicate the reasons for a particular diet will aid in your recommendation to your client, affecting your patient not only during their growth phase but also into their senior years. v Start of Life: laying the foundation for healthy adults Dr Tilana Botha
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