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. 2021 May 12;11(5):1380.
doi: 10.3390/ani11051380.

Energy Requirements for Growth in the Norfolk Terrier

Sophie Bradley  1 , Janet Alexander  1 , Richard Haydock  1 , Anne Marie Bakke  1 , Phillip Watson  1
Affiliations

Energy Requirements for Growth in the Norfolk Terrier

Sophie Bradley et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

An appropriate energy intake for healthy growth can reduce the risk of obesity and co-morbidities, such as orthopaedic diseases. The 2006 National Research Council (NRC) universal equation calculates the energy requirement of growing dogs based on predicted adult body weight, but evidence suggests a revision may be required. This study investigates the energy requirements of seventeen Norfolk terrier puppies over their first year (10 to 52 weeks). Puppies were individually fed complete and balanced diets in amounts to maintain an optimal body condition score (BCS), recording intake daily and body weight and BCS weekly. To monitor health a veterinary examination, haematology and plasma biochemistry and serum measures of bone turnover were undertaken every 12 weeks. Skeletal development was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (26 and 52 weeks). Puppies were clinically healthy with normal skeletal development and healthy growth throughout. The energy intake to achieve this was significantly lower than that predicted by the NRC (2006) equation at all time points, with largest mean difference of 285 kJ/kg0.75 per day at 10 weeks. If fed according to the NRC 2006 equation, dogs would have been in positive energy balance, possibly leading to obesity. These data support a revision to the NRC (2006) equation.

Keywords: BCS; National Research Council; growth; puppies; small dog.

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Conflict of interest statement

S.B., J.A., R.H., A.M.B. and P.W. were employees of Mars Petcare during the study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Body weight (kg) development with age for all Norfolk Terriers through the duration of the trial. (A–Q) designate the data for each of the 17 dogs. Dotted line depicts time of neutering which occurred in all male Norfolk Terriers around 26 weeks of age.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Weekly body condition scores of all Norfolk Terriers on the trial using the 9-point body composition scoring system. (A–Q) designate the data for each of the 17 dogs. Dotted line depicts the timing of neutering in all male Norfolk terriers.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The growth trajectory for each dog was plotted throughout the study using WALTHAM Puppy Growth Charts. (A–Q) designate the data for each of the 17 dogs. Two different size charts were used based on the predicted adult bodyweight of each puppy. Charts (A–E), (G–I), (K–L) and (N–Q) were charts for <6.5 kg and charts (F,J,M) were charts for 6.5–9 kg. All but one dog (E) remained within two centile lines.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The energy intake of seventeen Norfolk Terriers (●) in comparison with the energy requirements predicted by the National Research Council (2006) equation (◦). Data are means, with 95 % confidence intervals represented by vertical bars. * Significant difference (p < 0.05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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