Pet Population Research Articles

Toxoplasma gondii in domiciled dogs and cats in urban areas of Brazil: risk factors and spatial distribution.

Toxoplasma gondii is a highly prevalent zoonotic parasite in Brazil capable of infecting mammals and birds. The increase in the urban populations of pets and the narrowing of the human–animal relationship can facilitate the transmission of important public health zoonoses, such as toxoplasmosis. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and spatial distribution of T. gondii infection and its risk factors in domiciled dogs and cats attended at the Jorge Vaitsman Institute, Rio de Janeiro. Serum samples from 400 dogs and 272 cats were evaluated by an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies. Epidemiological questionnaires were used to interview the animals’ owners to identify risk factors for infection. Of the total, 34% (136/400) of dogs and 8.1% (22/272) of cats had anti-T. gondii antibodies. Breed (OR: 2.10–95%, CI 1.27–3.46) was a risk factor for dogs, while sex (OR: 3.40–95%, CI 1.10–10.52) and homemade food consumption (OR: 8.49–95%, CI 2.48–29.05) were risk factors for cats. Offal consumption was considered a risk factor for both species evaluated (OR: 2.74–95%, CI 1.38–5.43 for dogs; OR: 7.66–95%, CI 1.24–47.29 for cats). The spatial analysis showed that T. gondii seropositive animals were widely distributed in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro state, with a concentration observed mainly in the west and north zones of Rio de Janeiro city. The results emphasize the importance of adopting prophylactic measures to control T. gondii transmission in domiciled dogs and cats in Rio de Janeiro, contributing positively to public health.

Demography and determinants of dog and cat ownership in three towns of West Shoa zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

BackgroundThe dog and cat population data is generally scarce in developing countries due to absence of surveys. The demography of owned dogs and cats, and the associated ownership characteristics, are essential for the control of pet population and zoonosis. This study was conducted in three towns of West Shoa Zone of Ethiopia with the objectives of assessing demographic characteristics of owned dogs and cats and determinants of ownership.ResultsAbout 65.1% (95% CI: 62.1–69.8%) of the householders own dogs, 39.2% (95% CI: 35.8–43.8%) own cats, and 30.6% (95% CI: 27.4–35.0%) own both. The majority of the dog-owning households own a single dog (74.8%) and cat (74.9%). There were significantly higher proportion of dog and cat-owning households in Bako than Ambo and Gojo towns. The human to owned-dog ratio was 6:1, and that of cat ratio was 10:1. There were more male dogs (72.1%) and more female cats (59.7%). The male to female sex ratio was estimated at 3:1 for the dog while nearly 1:1 for cats. About 37.5% of the owned dogs were indoor, and 62.5% have free access to outside. Dogs and cats were acquired as a gift from families, neighbors, and friends. The identified reason for not owning dogs/cats were fear of zoonosis, dislike, no time to devote, benefit not realized, and shortage of finance. Logistic regression analysis identified study town, community type, gender of head of household, ownership of other animals as determinants for dog/cat ownership. Besides, possessing dogs was significantly associated with cat ownership.ConclusionThe current study provide insights into the determinants of dogs/cats ownership and their demographic characteristics in Ethiopia. Dogs are more commonly owned, but the household determinants for dog and cat ownership were comparable. Means of obtaining and reason of owning or abandoning dogs/cats is partly different from those reported in the developed countries. The results of this study could be used for the provision of veterinary services, quantifying health risks and benefits associated with dog/cat ownership, and control of pet population and related zoonosis.

PSVI-26 Insect meals as novel protein sources in wet pet foods for adult cats

Abstract As the human and pet populations increase, the human and pet food industries will experience a greater demand for animal-based protein sources. Finding alternative proteins that are nutritional adequate and safe for companion animals may contribute to diversification of protein sources and lower the demand for animal-based protein in pet food products. However, limited information is available on the nutritional value of insects for pet animals. Thus, the object of this study was to evaluate three different insect meals, Speckled cockroach (SC; Nauphoeta cinerea), Madagascar hissing cockroach (MC; Gromphadorhina portentosa) and superworm (SW; Zophobas morio larvae), added at the expense of chicken meal (control diet), as protein sources in retorted feline diets. This study was a complete randomized design, with a total of 28 cats (mean age = 2.1 ± 0.03 yr; mean BW= 4.9 ± 0.8 kg) randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 dietary treatments. All animal procedures were approved by the University of Illinois Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. All diet formulated meet or exceed the AAFCO (2018) nutrient profile. The experimental period was 28 d in length, with 7 d of diet adaptation (control diet) followed by 21 of feeding the assigned experimental diets. Fecal samples were collected at the last 4 d of experiment. All diets were well digested by the cats, and apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter (86.5–88.1%), organic matter (88.9–90.6%), fat (90.1–92.3%), crude protein (86.3–89.4%) did not differ among treatments (P > 0.05). Fecal scores were not affected by dietary treatment, ranging from 1.8 to 2.2 (5–point scale). Similarly, fecal branched-chain fatty acids, indole and phenol concentrations did not differ among treatments. Overall, the selected insect meals tested herein had no negative effects on macronutrient digestibility, fecal characteristics and metabolites, or overall health of adult cats.

Size, demography, ownership profiles, and identification rate of the owned dog population in central Italy.

The One Health paradigm recognizes that information on infectious diseases, zoonosis and related predictors in animal populations is essential. Pets live in close contact with humans and interact with wild animals, but the lack of reliable information on pet population size, demography and ownership profiles is a constant worldwide. Reliable data must be made available in order to address proper public health policies regarding the design of surveillance plans, the management of canine welfare and stray dog phenomenon, the control of dog behaviour-related problems, and the livestock/wildlife endangerment. Dog identification & registration (I&R) have become mandatory in most European countries in recent years, but the process is far from being widely accomplished, thus resulting in an underestimation of the real canine population. To date, data on the completeness of Dog Registries is very limited. A cross-sectional survey through 630 face-to-face questionnaires was performed with the aim of investigating the dog population size, demography, ownership profiles, and the I&R rate in central Italy. Logistic regression models investigated risk factors with the following outcome variables: dog presence into the Dog Registry, veterinary care frequency, and dog ownership. The present study identified that the dog population is higher than previously reported in Italy and in Europe, whilst lower compared to countries with a poor Human Development Index (a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators used by United Nation). Almost half of the interviewed people (47%) owned at least one dog, totalling 315 dogs. The mean number of dogs per household was 0.7 and 1.5 per dog-owning household. The Bayesian model estimated 481,294 (95% CI: 470,860-491,978) dogs (90 dogs/km2; human:dog ratio 9.0, 95% CI: 8.8-9.2) suggesting that a high density of people does not limit the dog ownership. Dogs resulted predominant among pets. The majority of dogs were males, crossbred, acquires as a gift, lived in rural areas, outdoors and attended a veterinary visit 1-2 times per year. The percentage of neutered dogs were higher in females (55%) than in males (8%). Only 75.3% (95% CI: 73.6-76.9) of the dogs were correctly identified and registered. The Dog Registry completeness increased during the first decades after its establishment, but no improvement has been made afterwards. The dogs correctly identified and registered were more likely to be purebred, neutered, lived in urban areas and visited a veterinarian frequently. Several strategies are recommended to encourage I&R, including promoting responsible dog ownership, engaging private veterinarians and dog breeders, and establishing an effective control system. The present study identified also that the dog source and the kind of feeding were variables associated with the veterinary care frequency. Owning a dog was associated with living in rural areas and the presence of children. The present study reported the poor presence of reliable predictors for the dog ownership. This is the first study to provide an estimate of the canine population abundance, characteristics, and ownership profiles in a European large metropolitan area.

104 Poster - Genetically characterizing spontaneously-occurring cancer in canines to serve as a model for human studies

Background: One of the root-causes of late-stage clinical failures is non-predictive animal models, which inadequately identify shortcomings in safety and efficacy. While induced-disease models are necessary for research and discovery it is hubris to believe that our understanding of cancer is comprehensive enough to accurately and precisely induce disease in otherwise healthy animals. The next logical fallacy, demonstrated by decades of data, is that artificial ailments in animals are predictive of actual disease in humans. Conversely, naturally-sick animals in the pet population provide a fascinating opportunity to investigate cancer therapies. Specifically, pet dogs share many of the cancer histologies and underlying mutations as their owners and present an interesting opportunity to evaluate novel therapies and combinations of therapies. Outcomes assessed can include safety and tolerability as well as efficacy. The spontaneously sick dog presents a unique learning space for the biopharma space.

First molecular detection of Tritrichomonas foetus in domestic cats in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Tritrichomonas foetus is known to cause chronic diarrhea in the feline species in many different regions of the world. However, there is a paucity of information on T. foetus among cats in Malaysia. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Tritrichomonas foetus in the pet and stray cat population in Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 201 pet and stray cats' fecal samples were collected in Klang Valley. 24 samples were cultured in the InPouch® TF Feline to observe for motile trophozoites. A nested PCR protocol was used to screen for T. foetus in the collected samples. The prevalence of T. foetus in the cat population in Klang Valley was 33%. There was no association between Tritrichomonas infection and age, sex, breed or management of the cats. However, statistical analysis revealed that stray cats were more likely to be infected with T. foetus compared to pet cats. This study confirmed for the first time the presence of T. foetus among the cat population in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

The Impact of Pet Health Insurance on Dog Owners' Spending for Veterinary Services.

Simple SummaryAffordability to pay for veterinary services is a challenge for some pet owners. The presence of pet health insurance is one tool that can help alleviate this burden. This study surveyed dog owners, seeking out whether the presence of pet health insurance was a factor in dog owners spending more at the veterinarian, as well as having increased visits to the veterinarian. Results show the presence of pet health insurance had a positive association with spending at the veterinarian, but not with veterinarian visits. The U.S. pet population is increasing, but access to veterinary care continues to be a concern. One method of alleviating barriers that prevent access to care is the presence of pet health insurance for a pet. Dog owners were surveyed to see the impact of pet health insurance on dog owners’ visits and expenditures at the veterinarian. Using several models, it was found that pet health insurance had a significant and positive impact on the amount spent at the veterinarian. Other dog and dog owner characteristics were found significant in impacting expenditures and visits at the veterinarian. Findings from this study can help address the accessibility issue facing Americans across the country in obtaining affordable pet care. This research is the first which seeks to identify the driving factors behind dog owners’ choices regarding health care for their dogs.

COVID-19: implications of self-isolation and social distancing for the emotional and behavioural health of cats

As the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic proves slow to respond to control measures, the ongoing advice for humans to maintain social isolation and social distancing continues. The media has paid considerable attention to the potential cost of such restrictions in terms of human mental and behavioural health but less attention has been paid to the potential welfare cost of ‘lock-down’ and ‘self-isolation’ to the pet population. This article considers the immediate consequences of reduced access to environmental and social stimulation outside the home and increased social exposure within the home to cats, as well as considering some of the potential long-term effects of such measures.

Impact of the Timing of Spay-Neuter Related to Transport on Disease Rates in Relocated Dogs

Simple SummaryCompanion animal relocation programs transport animals from shelters in areas with a large homeless pet population (source shelters) to shelters in areas in which there is a large demand for adoptable animals (destination shelters). These programs reduce the need for euthanasia caused by shelter overcrowding and resource disparity. However, there is a risk of disease in transported animals due to increased potential for infectious disease exposure and the impact of transport stressors on disease susceptibility. This study evaluated whether the timing of spay-neuter surgery relative to transport impacted the rate of disease in relocated dogs. We found no increase in disease rates in dogs spayed or neutered within two weeks of arrival at the destination shelter as compared to dogs spayed or neutered within the two weeks prior to transport at the source shelter.Companion animal relocation programs are an important method to address geographic and resource disparities in pet overpopulation through transport from areas with high homeless pet populations to areas with high adopter demand. Despite mitigation by following best practices, a potential risk of animal relocation is increased disease incidence related to infectious disease spread and the effects of stress during transport. Surgical sterilization may compound disease risk due to the impact of surgical stress on disease susceptibility and the potential for disease exposure from other patients. Our study aimed to provide information about disease and surgical complication incidence as relates to the timing of surgical sterilization in relocated dogs. A population of 431 dogs relocated to a shelter in Washington State was monitored for disease while at the destination shelter and immediately post-adoption. No increased disease incidence was identified for dogs altered within two weeks of transport at the destination shelter compared with those altered within two weeks prior to transport at the source shelter. Because of disparities addressed by relocation programs, surgical sterilization of relocated companion animals is typically best performed at the destination shelter. Our study indicates that disease incidence is not increased by spay-neuter at the destination shelter.

Large Animal Models of Inherited Retinal Degenerations: A Review.

Studies utilizing large animal models of inherited retinal degeneration (IRD) have proven important in not only the development of translational therapeutic approaches, but also in improving our understanding of disease mechanisms. The dog is the predominant species utilized because spontaneous IRD is common in the canine pet population. Cats are also a source of spontaneous IRDs. Other large animal models with spontaneous IRDs include sheep, horses and non-human primates (NHP). The pig has also proven valuable due to the ease in which transgenic animals can be generated and work is ongoing to produce engineered models of other large animal species including NHP. These large animal models offer important advantages over the widely used laboratory rodent models. The globe size and dimensions more closely parallel those of humans and, most importantly, they have a retinal region of high cone density and denser photoreceptor packing for high acuity vision. Laboratory rodents lack such a retinal region and, as macular disease is a critical cause for vision loss in humans, having a comparable retinal region in model species is particularly important. This review will discuss several large animal models which have been used to study disease mechanisms relevant for the equivalent human IRD.

Recovery of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus species from pet-grooming salons.

Meticillin-resistant (MR) staphylococcal species have been cultured from veterinary hospital environments and veterinary instruments. Pet-grooming salon environments and grooming tools may pose a risk for dissemination of MR staphylococcal bacteria into the pet population. The objectives of this study were to investigate the frequency of MR staphylococcal colonization of pet-grooming salons and to collect information regarding cleaning procedures in grooming salons. A nonrandomized, observational study was performed in 2018. Locations inside 19 grooming salons near Tacoma, WA, USA, were sampled and selectively cultured for MR, coagulase-positive staphylococci. Sampled sites included clipper blades and handles, leashes, rims of bathtub drains, insides of shampoo caps, and bathtub spray hoses or faucet handles. Grooming salons were asked to complete surveys regarding their cleaning practices. Meticillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated from 12 of 19 grooming salons and 25 of 112 total samples. Meticillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius, S. aureus and S. schleiferi were isolated from multiple salons, most commonly from electric clipper blades, clipper handles and grooming leashes. No statistically significant correlations were identified between cleaning practices and the isolation of MR coagulase-positive staphylococci. Clipper blades, clipper handles and leashes are potential fomites for MR staphylococci in a grooming salon; increased disinfection practices for these items are indicated. A prospective, controlled, large-scale study is warranted to examine the effect of grooming salon hygiene practices on the isolation of MR staphylococci in salons.

PSIII-40 Dietary effects on food intake, body weight, body composition and metabolism of adult female cats after spay surgery

Abstract Spay and neuter surgeries are common procedures to control the pet population, but have been associated with increased risk for obesity due to changes in appetite, decreased metabolic rate, and decreased energy expenditure. Dietary management post-spay could help decrease obesity risk, but few research studies have been conducted on cats following spay surgery. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a high-protein, high-fiber diet (HPHF) vs. a moderate-protein, moderate-fiber diet (MPMF) in female cats following spay surgery. Twenty healthy female cats (9.5±0.1 months old) were used. After a 5-wk baseline phase with cats fed MPMF to maintain BW, 16 cats were spayed and randomly allotted to MPMF (n = 8) or HPHF (n = 8), with the remaining cats being sham-operated and fed MPMF (n = 4). Cats were fed to maintain BW for 12 wk, then fed up to twice that amount during the subsequent 12 wk of study. Daily food intake, twice weekly BW and twice weekly BCS were assessed. Body composition using DEXA, serum metabolite concentrations, and voluntary physical activity levels were measured prior to spay (wk 0) and every 6 wk post-spay. A treatment*time effect was observed for food intake (g/d), but not caloric intake (kcal ME/d). Caloric intake was affected by time and treatment effects, being reduced over the first 12 wk and reduced at higher amounts in HPHF and MPMF cats vs. sham cats. BW, BCS and body fat percentage were affected over time. A treatment*time effect was observed for blood urea nitrogen, ALP, and fructosamine, while blood triglycerides, total cholesterol, creatinine, total protein, phosphorus, and bicarbonate were affected by time. Physical activity was also reduced over time. Our results demonstrate that spay surgery affects food intake, BW, metabolism, and physical activity in cats. Dietary intervention in this study, however, led to minor changes.

A Review of the Impact of Neuter Status on Expression of Inherited Conditions in Dogs.

Gonadectomy is an important reproductive management tool employed in many countries, and is highly prevalent in the US with an estimated 85% of dogs being neutered. Despite the societal benefits in pet population control, negative associations between neuter status, and health conditions have been reported in recent years. Most particularly observed are the consequences of early age neutering. Knowing that different physiological systems rely upon gonadal steroids during development and physiological maintenance, studies have been undertaken to assess the impact of neuter status on multiple body and organ systems. For some inherited conditions, neutering is associated with an increased risk of expression. Neutering has also been associated with altered metabolism and a predisposition for weight gain in dogs, which may confound the detected risk association between neutering and disease expression. This review summarizes the effects of neutering on cancer, orthopedic, and immune disorders in the dog and also explores the potentially exacerbating factor of body weight.

Esclarecimento da população de Dourados-MS sobre maus-tratos em cães e gatos

A população de animais de estimação vem aumentando paralelamente ao crescimento populacional humano, assumindo proporções quase igualitárias, sendo muitas das vezes negligenciadas as necessidades básicas para a sobrevivência destes. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi de avaliar o grau de esclarecimento da população de Dourados-MS sobre a posse responsável de seus animais de estimação. Para tanto, foi aplicado questionário contendo questões relacionadas à temática de maus-tratos aplicados aos animais, cujo preenchimento ocorreu de maneira manual ou eletrônica por 653 entrevistados escolhidos aleatoriamente. Verificou-se que ainda há uma falta de esclarecimento sobre a posse responsável de animais independentemente da posição social, já que grande parte das entrevistas realizadas consistiu de indivíduos que possuem algum grau de instrução (99,8%), renda familiar (95,2%) e idade superior a 20 anos (84,3%). Constatou-se que 39,8% dos entrevistados alegou não realizar passeios com seu animal de estimação; 5,5% admitiram nunca ter realizado uma consulta veterinária; 3,7% não realiza os procedimentos para limpeza normal de seus animais; 1,10% aprisionam por todo o período do dia através de correntes seus animais e 3,9% dos guardiões aplicam agressão física aos seus animais quando algo os desagrada. Desta maneira, conclui-se que existe a necessidade de um número maior de campanhas com formas mais esclarecedoras das modalidades de maus-tratos sofridos pelos animais.

Pet travel disease risks

An ever-increasing number of pets, particularly dogs, are travelling from and back to the UK with their owners, in addition to new pets being brought in having been acquired outside the UK (often as ‘rescues’), and puppies bred outside the UK and imported legally or illegally. Such pet travel risks the importation of a variety of diseases that generally have not been present in the UK. Veterinary surgeons need to be aware of the risks associated with pet travel, and have a good understanding of these diseases. ESCCAP is an excellent source of information on parasites. To protect animal health, it is necessary to go well beyond the Pet Travel Scheme requirements. It is important to be able to provide owners with the best advice and preventative treatments to minimise the risks of pets acquiring parasitic, vector-borne and other diseases while travelling — for their benefit and for the longer-term health and welfare of the UK pet population, as well as the health of the human population. For any disease prevention or control programme to be effective, awareness and motivation must be raised, and for this, communication is key. It is vital to tailor the language used to match the audience in order for any message to be heard and accepted, and it is essential to remember the emotional attachment that people develop for animals they are ‘rescuing’.

TINGKAH LAKU SOSIAL RUSA TIMOR (Cervus timorensis) DI PENANGKARAN BUMI MARINA, MANOKWARI

Deer is a wild animal that has economi value and can be utilized by the commnity as a source of protein of animal origin so that the deer can be breed by the communty. In papua deer have been cultivated or breed in a relativery large scare. The purpose of cultivation or captivity is to know the daily behavior or deer timor (Cervus timorensis) in brooder breeding condtion with large numbers of pet populations. The time of study for ±one month is from the beginning of september to the and of september 2017. Using 10 sample from 24 deer in breeding, 3 aduit males, 2 young males, 3 adult females and 1 young females and 1 culf. Using time observation method with observation technique. Analyze data using exel to find the percen tage of social activity from each time period. Each time period was divided into I 06:00-08:00(6,48%); II 08:00-10:00(25,93%); III 10:00-12:00(19,44%); IV 12:00-14:00(7,41%); V 14:00-16:00(6,48) and VI 16:00-18:00(34,26). Our findings showed that social activity/interaction in group much more observed in the afternoon.

IMPLEMENTATION TECHNIQUE METHOD FOR ORDER PREFERENCE BY SIMILARITY TO IDEAL SOLUTION (TOPSIS) IN ASSESMENT OF DOG CHARACTERISTICS SYSTEM

Dogs are the most populated animals in 2016 according to a survey of pet populations by the UK's association of animal food makers (PFMA). With so many types of dogs and different characteristics, not all humans can choose the type of dog that suits their situation and condition. These non-conformities cause dogs to be dumped on the streets or abandoned without proper care.
 Therefore the dog characteristics assessment system is made which aims to facilitate the user in choosing the type of dog that is suitable for the user's situation and condition. This system is made using the TOPSIS method (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution). This system is based on the data of dogs registered with the AKC (American Kennel Club). This system uses eight criteria, three criteria for the filter process and five criteria for the weighting process. Of the five weighting criteria, there are three cost attributes and two benefit attributes. In the TOPSIS method (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) uses the principle that the chosen alternative must have the closest distance from the positive ideal solution and the longest (farthest) distance from the negative ideal solution.
 The results obtained from this assessment system are by theory-based testing 50 times with a 78% suitability match percentage.
 The conclusion obtained from this research is the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method is quite efficient to be applied in a dog characteristic assessment system

IMPLEMENTATION TECHNIQUE METHOD FOR ORDER PREFERENCE BY SIMILARITY TO IDEAL SOLUTION (TOPSIS) IN ASSESMENT OF DOG CHARACTERISTICS SYSTEM

Dogs are the most populated animals in 2016 according to a survey of pet populations by the UK's association of animal food makers (PFMA). With so many types of dogs and different characteristics, not all humans can choose the type of dog that suits their situation and condition. These non-conformities cause dogs to be dumped on the streets or abandoned without proper care.
 Therefore the dog characteristics assessment system is made which aims to facilitate the user in choosing the type of dog that is suitable for the user's situation and condition. This system is made using the TOPSIS method (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution). This system is based on the data of dogs registered with the AKC (American Kennel Club). This system uses eight criteria, three criteria for the filter process and five criteria for the weighting process. Of the five weighting criteria, there are three cost attributes and two benefit attributes. In the TOPSIS method (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) uses the principle that the chosen alternative must have the closest distance from the positive ideal solution and the longest (farthest) distance from the negative ideal solution.
 The results obtained from this assessment system are by theory-based testing 50 times with a 78% suitability match percentage.
 The conclusion obtained from this research is the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method is quite efficient to be applied in a dog characteristic assessment system

Smart Cat Home With Control System using Telegram Application

Survey data by the World Society for the Protection of an Animal(WSPA) in 2007 recorded that total pet population in Indonesia was 23,000,000 individuals (Batson,2008). The majority of Indonesian choose to keep purebred cats. Care of this breed is'nt easy and requires special attention from the owner. With Smart Cat Home, cat owners can monitor and control feeding schedule, temperature, and drinking conditions in cat cage via their telegraphic social media. The Smart Cat Home is designed using Raspberry Pi3 microcontroller. This system functions to monitor feeding schedule according to cat habits, determine weight of cat feed detected by Loadcell, monitor availability of drinking water by water level sensor, capture cat's condition by webcam, and temperature monitoring using DHT11 sensor. All conditions on system will be displayed on Telegram Bot. From test results can be concluded that the whole system works well. In temperature system, the warmer will be active when <22°C, and the fan will be active at temperature >26°C. In feeding system, the weight sensor is able to read feed weight accurately. From 5 data on feed weight, the average feed weight is 78 grams. In drinking system, the drinking water reservoir will fill drinking container when water level sensor have voltage value <1600 mv with water level of 2.5cm from the surface. From the calculation of delay value in sending data, there's delay of 33.8ms. Packet loss or the amount of data lost during transmission process is 0.3%. Througput of data transmission in system is 84,139,041 Kbytes/sec.

Nutrition in senior cats and dogs: how does the diet need to change, when and why?

With an ever-growing senior pet population, it is vital that clinicians take a proactive approach to nutritionally assessing these pets and providing optimal recommendations for their life stage, taking into account both the physiological and metabolic changes seen with ageing, and the patient as an individual. The nutritional needs of senior patients can differ significantly compared to other life stages, and an increasing body of research is starting to help us as veterinary surgeons to instigate appropriate dietary changes to maximise longevity and quality of life. Factors requiring consideration include changes in the metabolic energy requirement, protein levels and fat levels in the food. There is a specific focus on minimising sarcopenia — delaying its onset, reducing its progression and minimising its clinical and functional consequences. Other nutrients with varying degrees of evidence for benefits in senior patients include omega-3 fatty acids, medium-chain triglycerides and antioxidants. This article explores some of the latest knowledge on key nutrient requirements of older pets, to assist the clinician to provide more confident advice to owners. It also looks at some of the challenges that can be faced in the senior life stage, as well as how best to approach the nutritional assessment and achieve long-term compliance in order to maximise the chances of a successful outcome.