Net energy model for companion animals and methods
AssigneeMars, Incorporated
InventorsNatalie Julia Asaro, Wilfredo Daniel Mansilla Tafur, David John Seymour, John Paul Cant, Anna Katharine Shoveller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A model for predicting the net energy available to a companion animal from a pet food is provided. The model can be used to determine the appropriate amount of a food to feed a companion animal, and/or to provide feeding guidelines for any type of food, for any companion animal, and such methods are provided. Also provided are methods of packaging food for a companion animal, animal, and methods of maintaining a desired weight, or effecting weight loss, in a companion animal.
Claims3
A method of providing feeding guidelines for a food for reducing obesity in a cat comprising:
- feeding the cat a first amount of the food;
- measuring respiratory gases emitted by the cat in 30-minute intervals over a postprandial time period of 0-2 hours;
- determining an energy expenditure of the cat from the emitted respiratory gases over the postprandial time period of 0-2 hours;
- determining a heat increment of feeding the first amount of the food from the determined energy expenditure of the cat over the postprandial time period of 0-2 hours;
- generating a model consisting of the determined heat increment of feeding the first amount of the food over the postprandial time period of 0-2 hours, expressed as a proportion of metabolizable energy, and one crude protein input, wherein the model is net energy=(0.941×metabolizable energy (ME))+(0.519×crude protein (CP));
- predicting, using the model, a net energy provided by the first amount of the food;
- determining feeding guidelines for the food for reducing obesity in the cat by multiplying the predicted net energy by an energy requirement for the cat;
- providing the feeding guidelines for reducing obesity in the cat on a packaging of the food;
- and
- repeatedly feeding the cat a second amount of the food in accordance with the provided feeding guidelines for reducing obesity in the cat.
A method of packaging a food for reducing obesity in a cat comprising:
- providing a food for the cat and packaging therefor;
- feeding the cat a first amount of the food;
- measuring respiratory gases emitted by the cat in 30-minute intervals over a postprandial time period of 0-2 hours;
- determining an energy expenditure of the cat from the emitted respiratory gases over the postprandial time period of 0-2 hours;
- determining a heat increment of feeding the first amount of the food from the determined energy expenditure of the cat over the postprandial time period of 0-2 hours;
- generating a model consisting of the determined heat increment of feeding the first amount of the food over the postprandial time period of 0-2 hours, expressed as a proportion of metabolizable energy, and one crude protein input, wherein the model is net energy=(0.941×metabolizable energy (ME))+(0.519×crude protein (CP));
- predicting, using the model, a net energy provided by the first amount of the food;
- multiplying the predicted net energy by an energy requirement for the cat to provide feeding guidelines for the food for reducing obesity in the cat;
- printing the feeding guidelines for reducing obesity in the cat on the packaging;
- packaging the food in the printed packaging;
- and
- repeatedly feeding the cat a second amount of the food in accordance with the feeding guidelines for reducing obesity in the cat printed on the printed packaging.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.