Question | Answer |
nutrition | The study of the food needs of the body |
malnutrition | abnormal nutrition; caused by a diet that contains too much or too little of one or more essential nutrients |
nutrient | any food component the body requires to support life; includes water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins |
glucagon | hormone produced by the pancreas that increases blood glucose level |
glycogen | main storage form of carbohydrates in animals, primarily in the liver and muscle tissue; polysaccharide readily converted to glucose as needed by the body to satisfy its energy needs |
diet | daily supply of food and water to meet an animal's nutrient and energy requirements |
ingredient | edible material that may provide nutrients and energy as part of a food |
energy | ability to do work; all body activities require energy and all needs are met by consuming food, which contains energy in chemical form; energy content of food is expressed as kilocalories (kcal) |
digestible | capable of being digested |
bioavailable | the ability of a nutrient, drug or other substance to be absorbed and used by the body |
dry matter basis | method of expressing a food's nutrient content on a moisture-free basis |
energy basis | concentration of a nutrient in food expressed per unit of energy, usually per 100 kilocalories (kcal) of metabolizable energy (e.g., g/100 kcal ME) |
kilocalorie | 1,000 calories; one calorie is the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 g water from 14.5° to 15.5° C |
metabolizable energy (ME) | amount of energy in a food available for the body's use; measured in calories or kilocalories (kcal; 1,000 calories = 1 kcal) |
solvent | iquid in which another substance is dissolved to form a solution |
hydrolysis | process by which complex materials are broken down into simpler ones by adding water; one of the most basic and prevalent life processes |
maintenance | the amount and quality of the diet required to maintain an adult animal without providing additional nutrients for production, reproduction or weight gain |
metabolic water | water in the body that is produced during metabolism of nutrients |
calorie | amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water from 14.5° Celsius (C) to 15.5° C |
digestibility | proportion of nutrients in food available for absorption from the gastrointestinal tract |
gross energy | total amount of potential energy in food; not completely used by an animal because some energy losses occur during digestion and are expelled in urine and feces |
body condition score (BCS) | determination of an animal's relative proportion of muscle to fat using visual assessment and palpation |
lean body mass | fat-free mass of the body; that part of the body including all its components except fat (stored lipids) |
energy density | number of calories provided by a given weight or volume of pet food; expressed as kilocalories of metabolizable energy per kilogram or pound of diet (e.g., kcal ME/kg) |
enzymes | any protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body by acting as a catalyst |
monosaccharides | simple sugars; carbohydrates that cannot be broken down into simpler compounds by the addition of water; e.g., glucose, fructose and galactose |
nonessential amino acids | amino acids synthesized in the body in sufficient amounts so that they do not need to be obtained from food |
amino acids | the basic building blocks of protein; any of several organic compounds containing amino (–NH2) and carboxyl (–COOH) groups and occurring naturally in plants and animals |
short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) | fatty acids containing two to six carbon atoms that are produced by microbial metabolism in the large intestine; e.g., acetic acid, butyric acid and propionic acid |
AAFCO | Association of American Feed Control Officials |
satiety | condition of feeling full to the point of satisfaction and unable to ingest more food |
crude fiber | laboratory estimate of the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content of a food ingredient or feed |
essential amino acids | amino acids that cannot be produced in sufficient quantity in the body and must be obtained from food |
antibodies | proteins produced by transformed B lymphocytes (plasma cells) in response to the presence of an antigen |
catabolism | any destructive process by which cells convert complex substances (e.g., dipeptides, disaccharides, amino acids) into simpler compounds, resulting in release of energy |
encephalopathy | any degenerative disease of the brain |
cholesterol | complex organic molecule found in animal fats and oils, bile, blood, milk, myelin sheaths of nerve fibers, liver, kidneys and adrenal glands; necessary component of all cell membranes; can be synthesized in the body or obtained from the diet |
phospholipids | triglycerides in which phosphorus replaces one fatty acid; major lipids in cell membranes |
palatability | acceptable to the taste; describes willingness of animals to eat the food in preference to others, based on factors including taste, smell, appearance and texture |
eukotrienes | substances formed from arachidonic acid that participate in inflammation |
adipose | fat |
pruritic | extremely itchy |
epidermal | referring to the outermost layer of skin |
pyoderma | any pus-producing skin condition |
inorganic | referring to compounds that do not contain hydrogen and carbon |
incombustible | incapable of being burned |
feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) | a group of diseases that involves irritation of the lower urinary tract (ureters, urinary bladder and urethra); signs include frequent urination, straining or inability to urinate, bloody urine and, at times, depression, vomiting, dehydration or death |
organic | generally refers to substances produced by metabolism of a living organism, especially carbon-containing compounds |
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) | genetic material of a living organism found within cell nuclei |
Epithelial | pertaining to or composed of epithelium, the cellular covering of internal and external body surfaces, including the lining of vessels and other small cavities |
carotenoid | family of natural pigments (red, orange, purple and yellow) found in plants and animals; many act as precursors of vitamin A and as antioxidants |
hormone | chemical messenger that is produced and excreted by specific body cells to regulate specific organs, cells or substances |
cholecalciferol | vitamin D3; one of several naturally occurring forms of vitamin D, which is required for normal development of teeth and bones; commonly found in fish liver oil and produced in skin after exposure to ultraviolet light |
rickets | disease of young growing animals caused by a nutritional deficiency of phosphorus or vitamin D; characterized by failure of bone calcification |
osteomalacia | abnormal softening of the bones as a result of a nutritional deficiency of vitamin D, phosphorus or calcium; clinical signs include stiff gait, lameness, restlessness while standing, cracking sounds in the joints while walking and abnormal posture |
warfarin | a compound used as rat poison and an anticoagulant in humans; interferes with vitamin K activity, which is needed for blood-clotting |
collagen | structural protein commonly found in skin, tendon, bone cartilage and other connective tissues |
carnitine | a water-soluble, vitamin-like substance present at high levels in heart and skeletal muscles; functions as a coenzyme in fatty acid oxidation |
tyrosine | nonessential amino acid synthesized from phenylalanine; a precursor of thyroid hormones, catecholamines (e.g., epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine) and melanin |
ingredient | edible material that may provide nutrients and energy as part of a food |
intestinal mucosa | mucous membrane lining the intestines |
energy density | number of calories provided by a given weight or volume of pet food; expressed as kilocalories of metabolizable energy per kilogram or pound of diet (e.g., kcal ME/kg) |
bioavailable | the ability of a nutrient, drug or other substance to be absorbed and used by the body |
USDA | United States Department of Agriculture |
preservatives | substances added to foods to destroy or inhibit microbial growth and slow decay, discoloration or spoilage under normal conditions of use or storage |
meat | clean flesh derived from slaughtered mammals (e.g., cattle, sheep, pigs) and limited to striated muscle associated with the skeleton, tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus |
viscera | all organs in the thoracic and abdominal cavities (e.g., lungs, kidneys, intestines) |
striated muscle | muscle that looks striped because of alternating light and dark bands (e.g., skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle) |
hydrolysis | process by which complex materials are broken down into simpler ones by adding water; one of the most basic and prevalent life processes |
meat by-products | non-rendered clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals; includes meat trimmings, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, stomach and intestines (without their contents) |
non-rendered | pet food ingredients that have not been processed or separated into fat, bone and protein components |
poultry by-products | non-rendered clean parts of slaughtered poultry carcasses such as heads, feet and viscera, must be free of fecal content and foreign matter; does not include feathers |
poultry by-product meal | ground, rendered, clean parts of slaughtered poultry carcasses such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines; does not include digestive tract contents, feces or feathers, except for what cannot be avoided when using good manufacturing practices |
rendered | processed using low heat to separate fat from bone and protein while simultaneously drying the material |
beef tallow | solid fat made by rendering fat from cattle; consists primarily of triglycerides of long-chain fatty acids |
chicken by-products | non-rendered clean parts of chicken carcasses such as heads, feet and viscera that are free from fecal content; does not include feathers |
hydrolyzed | result of being split into smaller compounds by the addition of water |
fiber | the portion of ingested foods that resists digestion in the gastrointestinal tract; composed of carbohydrates (e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose, gums, pectin) and lignin |
animal digest | a material produced by chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean, undecomposed animal tissues excluding hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers; sometimes used as a flavor coating for pet foods |
brewers dried yeast | dried Saccharomyces yeast that no longer causes fermentation and results from brewing beer and ale; must contain a minimum of 35% crude protein |
digesta | gastrointestinal tract contents undergoing digestion |
ad libitum (ad lib) | free-choice feeding; food available at all times throughout the day |
nutrient density | concentration of nutrients per fixed portion of food; also, proportion of nutrients provided in relationship to the calories contained in a specific food |
maintenance | the amount and quality of the diet required to maintain an adult animal without providing additional nutrients for production, reproduction or weight gain |
FTC | Federal Trade Commission |
rendering | process used to make meat and poultry meals |