On successful completion of this module students should be able to:Evaluate dietary adequacy in relation to the health of the animal.Describe the role played by organic and inorganic nutrients in animal health.Evaluate diets for farm and companion animals that are specific to physiological stage or level of athletic performance.Explain the difference between common feedstuffs for farm and companion animals.Interpret feed analysis and feed labels.Explain how appropriate nutrition contributes to the health status of an animal.

Practical and Applied Animal Nutrition (VET30350)

Introduction:
This module is designed to integrate the fundamental aspects of digestion and metabolism with up to date nutritional recommendations for farm and companion animals. The module describes the basic dietary nutrients, common dietary characteristics and a range of feeds. The nutrient requirements of several animal species are considered. Emphasis is placed on dietary evaluation and nutrient requirements for production or performance and prevention of disease.
Learning objectives:
On successful completion of these modules students should be able to:
• Evaluate dietary adequacy in relation to animal requirements.
• Describe the role played by organic and inorganic nutrients in animal health.
• Understand how animal requirements are influenced by physiological stage or level of athletic performance.
• Explain the difference between common feedstuffs for both farm and companion animals.
• Interpret feed analysis and feed labels.
• Explain how appropriate nutrition contributes to the health status of an animal.



Lecture shcedule:
Lecture 1. Module outline; farmed versus companion animals; nutrient requirements i) water and ii) carbohydrates iii) Lipids and iii) Protein
Lecture 2. Common methods of analysis for animal feeds. Diet and nutrient digestibility, total tract and compartmental digestibility indirect measurement of digestibility
Lecture 3: Concentrate ingredients used in farm animal diets. Grassland and conserved forages, root crops and tubers.
Lecture 4: Energy in animal nutrition, why energy is used in nutrition, dietary energy utilisation and animal requirements. Protein in animal nutrition, monogastric and ruminant protein digestion and metaboilism, animal requirements for protein
Lecture 5: Minerals and vitamins: Voluntary feed intake and appetite
Lecture 6: Applied ruminant nutrition (dairy model): pattern of nutrient requirement and supply in dairy cows; designing diets and feeding systems; feeding low yielding dairy cows
Lecture 7: Applied ruminant nutrition (dairy model) the rumen and nutrient requirements for a healthy rumen, manipulating milk composition, feeding high yielding dairy cows
Lecture 8: Applied ruminant nutrition: Nutrition and fertility in dairy cows. Metabolic diseases of ruminant animals.
Lecture 9: Applied equine nutrition, nutrient requirements, concentrate and roughage feeds
Lecture 10: Applied equine nutrition: Grassland management nutrient requirements for different physiological stages.
Lecture 11: Applied canine nutrition; nutrient requirements home-made diet, commercial feeds, feed management, nutrition problems of dogs
Lecture 12: Applied feline nutrition: nutrient requirements and practical feeding of cats and kittens; nutrition problems of cats

All Lectures Tuesday Morning 8am to 9:50am.

**Students should consult the Thursday and Friday Timetable within module information for the practical and tutorial schedule.**

Practical 1 NP1 1 FM VG: Body condition scoring in dairy, equine, dogs. Lyons Farm
Practical NP2 FM VG: Dry concentrate feedstuffs, forage analysis and feed label interpretation. Belfield
Problem Solving NT1 FM: Sheep nutrition
Problem Solving NT2 VG: Equine nutrition
Problem Solving NT3 FM: Dairy nutrition
Problem Solving NT4 VG: Dog/Cat nutrition
Revision Tutorial NT5 FM
Revision Tutorial NT6 VG

For MVB (5 year Veterinary Medicine programme students) the following modules are pre-requisites:

VET 10140 – The Physiology and Biochemistry of Digestion of Domestic Animals
and
VET 10080 - Cell and Whole Body Metabolism.

For graduate entry MVB students (4 year grad entry programme)
VET 30400 Digestive physiology and integrated metabolism is a co-requisite.

Students require a strong grounding in biological sciences.

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

Feedback will be delivered in lectures as to the performance of the group in the mid semester MCQ