The customary amount and kind of food and drink taken by an animal from day to day; more narrowly, a diet planned to meet specific requirements of the animal, including or excluding certain foods. See also winter diet.
- acid d. — diets of low alkalinity which are fed to cows to prevent milk fever. The diet in the 4 weeks preceding parturition, which is ordinarily highly alkaline, is supplemented with calcium chloride, and aluminum and magnesium sulfates, to reduce this alkalinity.
- bland d. — one that is free from any irritating or stimulating foods.
- calcium homeostatic d. — a diet aimed at maintaining normal blood levels of calcium in recently calved cows.
- calculolytic d. — formulated to aid in the dissolution of struvite uroliths. Usually provides a low intake of protein, restricts phosphorus and magnesium, and acidifies the urine. Additional salt may also be included. These have been used successfully in dogs and cats.
- deficient d. — see
nutritional deficiency disease . - drought feeding d. — see drought feeding.
- elemental d. — contains nutrients as small molecular weight compounds, i.e. proteins as amino acids or peptides, carbohydrates as oligosaccharides or monosaccharides, and fats as medium-chain triglycerides. Used in the treatment of gastrointestinal disease. Called also monomeric diet.
- elimination d. — one for diagnosing food allergy, based on the sequential omission of foods which might cause the clinical signs in the patient.
- geriatric d. — may vary in composition; generally, they are formulated to provide lower energy intake and increased digestibility.
- gluten-free d. — one without wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat, or oats or related products.
- high-calorie d., high-energy d. — one that furnishes more calories than needed for maintenance; used to increase body condition, in recovery from illness and for maintenance under stressful conditions.
- high-fiber d. — one relatively high in dietary fiber; in dogs and cats, used in the management of large and small bowel diarrhea, diabetes mellitus, constipation and obesity.
- high-protein d. — one containing large amounts of protein; used in the management of dogs and cats recovering from illness.
- home-prepared d. — one prepared in the home kitchen, in contrast with commercially prepared pet foods.
- hypoallergenic d. — one formulated to avoid suspected allergens; usually used in the management of allergic skin or bowel disease.
- liquid d. — a diet limited to liquids or to foods that can be changed to a liquid state.
- low-calorie d. — one containing fewer calories than needed to maintain weight; normally used in management of obesity in dogs and cats.
- low-fat d. — one containing limited amounts of fat; used in the management of pancreatic disease, bowel disease, and obesity in dogs and cats.
- low-fiber d. — see low-residue diet (below).
- low purine d. — in dogs and cats, generally a low-meat diet.
- low-residue d. — one with a minimum of cellulose and fiber and restriction of connective tissue found in certain cuts of meat. It is prescribed for irritations of the intestinal tract, after surgery of the large intestine, in partial intestinal obstruction, or when limited bowel movements are desirable. Called also low-fiber diet.
- low vitamin A d. — one containing low levels of vitamin A; in dog and cat diets, this would mean little or no organ meats. The only probable indication for such a diet is in the treatment of hypervitaminosis A.
- lower urinary tract disease d. — one that promotes acidification of the urine and containing restricted magnesium and phosphorus, and sometimes increased salt.
- monomeric d. — see elemental diet (above).
- phosphate-restricted d. — one containing restricted amounts of phosphorus; used in the management of chronic renal disease.
- polymeric d. — meal replacement diets; fed to animals with almost normal gastrointestinal function. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are present in high molecular weight forms.
- sodium-restricted d. — used in management of congestive heart failure and systemic hypertension in dogs and cats.
