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Many problems with nutritional adequacy were detected, and use of the recipes could result in highly variable and often inappropriate diets. Many recipes would not meet nutritional and clinical needs of individual patients and should be used cautiously for long-term feeding.

The objective of this study was to describe the dietary and medication patterns of cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this prospective, cross-sectional descriptive study, owners of cats with CKD were asked to complete a web-based survey. The study was advertised on CKD-, pet-, veterinary- and breed-associated websites and list serves. Owners of 1089 cats with CKD participated in the study. The mean reported age of the cats with CKD was 13.7 ± 4.2 years. Forty percent (430/1089) of cats had concurrent diseases, with hyperthyroidism, heart disease and inflammatory bowel disease being the most common. Veterinarian recommendation was the most common reason reported (684/1032; 66%) for diet selection, and 51% (556/1089) of owners fed a veterinary therapeutic diet formulated for kidney disease as some component of the diet. Many owners (466/1079; 43%) reported that their cats had an abnormal appetite; of these owners, 52% responded that their cats had a poor appetite or required coaxing to eat 5-7 days per week. Forty-seven percent and 51% of cats were receiving subcutaneous fluids and oral medications, respectively; however, most cats (811/1036; 78%) were not receiving phosphorus-binding medications. Fifty-six percent and 38% of cats received commercial cat treats and dietary supplements, respectively. Anorexia or hyporexia is a common problem in cats with CKD and may lead to cats being fed suboptimal diets for their disease. This information may be useful for treating or designing nutritional studies for cats with CKD.

BackgroundIn humans and rodents obesity appears to promote some cancers by increasing incidence, tumor aggressiveness, recurrence, and fatality. However, the relationship between obesity and cancer in dogs has not been thoroughly evaluated.Hypothesis/ObjectivesWhether body condition score (BCS) at the time of lymphoma (LSA) or osteosarcoma (OSA) diagnosis in dogs is predictive of survival time (ST) or progression‐free interval (PFI). We hypothesized that an overweight body state at the time of cancer diagnosis would be associated with negative outcomes.AnimalsDogs with LSA (n = 270) and OSA (n = 54) diagnosed and treated between 2000 and 2010.MethodsRetrospective case review. Signalment, body weight, BCS, cancer diagnosis and treatment, relevant clinicopathologic values, and survival data were collected. Dogs were grouped by BCS (underweight, ideal, and overweight) and ST and PFI were compared.ResultsOverall, 5.5% of dogs were underweight, 54.0% were ideal weight, and 40.4% were overweight at diagnosis. Underweight dogs with LSA had shorter ST (P = .017) than ideal or overweight dogs. BCS was not associated with ST for OSA (P = .474). Progression‐free interval did not differ among BCS categories for either cancer.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceObesity was not associated with adverse outcomes among dogs with LSA or OSA in this retrospective study; however, being underweight at the time of diagnosis of LSA was associated with shorter survival. More research is needed to elucidate the relationship between excessive body weight and cancer development and progression in dogs.

Veterinarians should consider taking a more proactive role in directing dog breeders and other pet owners toward scientifically substantiated sources of diet information and in explaining the importance of current nutritional standards for reproduction and early development of dogs.

Background: Risk of nutrient deficiency in dogs during caloric restriction is not currently known, while obesity is a growing concern. Objectives: To determine nutrients that might require further evaluation for the risk of deficiency during caloric restriction. Animals and methods: Five commercially available canine diets, representing a range of caloric density (2900-4240 kcal/kg metabolizable energy), were assessed for potential nutrient inadequacy if fed to a hypothetical overweight dog. Caloric density and typical nutrient analysis for protein, amino acids, fat, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins were obtained from the manufacturer. Nutrient intake was calculated using ideal body weight for caloric intakes including 87, 79, 70, 61 and 52 kcal/kg 0.75 and compared with National Research Council recommended nutrient allowances (NRC-RA) for ideal weight. Results: No diets were less than NRC-RA when compared to NRC-RA (/1000 kcal). The five evaluated diets varied in terms of which nutrients were less than NRC-RA and the degree of restriction required for this to occur. All diets had at least one essential nutrient less than NRC-RA at 79 kcal/kg 0.75 /day and multiple nutrients less than NRC-RA at 70 kcal/kg 0.75 /day. Choline and selenium were the nutrients most often affected by caloric restriction but others were less than the NRC-RA with caloric restriction. Conclusions: Further research is needed to determine actual nutrient requirements in overweight dogs, and whether clinical nutrient deficiencies actually arise in vivo. Clinical importance: Weight loss plans for overweight dogs (particularly those with very low-energy requirements) should include consideration for nutrient adequacy.

This study did not identify a difference in complication rate between NE and NG feeding tubes in dogs. Additional studies are required to determine the optimal terminal location of feeding tubes in dogs.

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