Nutrition & Fitness Department Resources


The Companion Animal Sciences Institute Nutrition Search Engine

 
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Fitness

Baleviciute, G. (1999). Effect of a human contact and object-oriented play exercises on the development of behaviour features, favourable for search training, of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Acta Zoologica Lituanica, 9(1), 27-34. [available athttp://www.ekoi.lt/info/azl/1999/AZL%209(1)_27-34.pdf]
  • Abstract. 15 adult German shepherd dogs were studied with a help of 7 tests on various behaviour patterns. The experimental animals were tested twice, before and after special object-oriented play exercises. The purpose of a three months’ training was to develop the dogs’ retrieval and searching abilities as well as self-confidence in various situations. The results showed that the dogs, humanisolated in the juvenile period, were incapable of playing a joint object-oriented game with the man, and a real bond between the animals and their masters could not be established in adulthood. In strange situations, besides, those dogs expressed unconfident and ‘wild-like’ behaviour, which could not be beneficially influenced by training in adulthood. A group of the dogs that had had enough human contacts in the juvenile period was studied. Their retrieval, searching abilities and confident behaviour in strange situations significantly improved after purposeful and intensive play exercises. In addition, according to the obtained results, it was concluded that infancy and capability to play object-oriented games with the man was inherited (particularly in German shepherds). An expression of that kind of behaviour and character of the play, however, was dependent on socialisation in the juvenile period and intensive retrieval play exercises in adulthood.

Bumgardner, W. (2005). Lose 14 pounds a year walking your dog.   Retrieved April 2006, from http://walking.about.com/od/weightloss/a/weightdogwalk_p.htm
  • Don't want to spend money on a diet program? Take over the family dog walking duties and you may see weight loss that rivals what you could achieve through a program. Walking the dog 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week produced an average weight loss of 14 pounds for participants in a University of Missouri-Columbia study.

Dollemore, D. (January 18, 2005). Diet, exercise, stimulating environment helps old dogs learn.   Retrieved February 2, 2005, fromhttp://www.nia.nih.gov/NewsAndEvents/PressReleases/PR20040118Dogs.htm
  • According to conventional wisdom, old dogs and new tricks aren't a good match. But a new study of beagles finds that regular physical activity, mental stimulation, and a diet rich in antioxidants can help keep aging canine—and perhaps human—brains in tip-top shape. The research, supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA ), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is among the first to examine the combined effects of these interventions and suggests that diet and mental exercise may work more effectively in combination than by themselves.

Hill, R. C. (1998). The nutritional requirements of exercising dogs. J Nutr, 128(12 Suppl), 2686S-2690S.
  • The nutrient requirements of canine athletes are unique. Dogs have a greater capacity for fat oxidation than humans both at rest and during exercise. In dogs undertaking endurance exercise, such as sled dogs, high fat (>50% of energy) diets increase stamina and maximize energy production, and high protein (>30% of energy) diets prevent training-induced anemia. Nutrient requirements differ, however, for sprint racing dogs, such as greyhounds. Greyhounds run faster when fed moderately increased dietary fat but run more slowly when dietary protein is increased. Sled dogs have similar energy requirements to other breeds at rest in a thermoneutral environment (~550W0.75 kJ/d where W is body weight in kg) but may require as much as 4200W0.75 kJ/d during a race. The energy requirement of greyhounds in training, however, is only ~600W0.75 kJ/d. There is little information, however, concerning the vitamin, mineral or other nutrient requirements of athletic dogs; most sled dogs and greyhounds are fed "homemade" recipes. These recipes usually include raw meat and represent a health risk. More studies are required to improve the health and performance of working and racing dogs.

Richardson, D. C. (2003). Nutrition for the canine athlete - a lifetime perspective.   Retrieved September 1, 2005, from http://www.iknowledgenow.com/
  • Nutrition plays a major roll in maximizing and prolonging performance in the canine athlete who is generally from the larger, faster-growing breeds. Key issues are managing developmental risk factors during growth, maintaining optimal performance in the adult and managing cognitive decline later in life. The goal of feeding the growing athletic animal is to provide appropriate levels of nutrients, with emphasis on energy, protein, minerals and vitamins, to assure optimal growth of the musculoskeletal system. Specific nutrient demands should be based on the age of the dog and the type of work or sport to be performed.

ScoutNewsLLC. (2006). Exercise goes to the dogs.   Retrieved April 2006, fromhttp://www.ajc.com/health/content+/shared-auto/healthnews/exer/530729

Smith, C. S. (2004). Keeping athletic canines off the injured reserve list.   Retrieved September 1, 2005, from http://www.iknowledgenow.com/
  • With the explosion in popularity of such canine sports as agility, lure coursing, herding and field trialing, more dogs than ever are taking part in athletic activity. But such activities unfortunately can bring problems along with the fun and titles. Dogs occasionally come up lame, suffer even more serious muscle traumas or carry on through minor maladies that develop into chronic problems. With conditioning and management of your canine athlete, you can minimize the risk of muscle injuries.

Smith, C. S. (2004). Condition is everything.   Retrieved September 1, 2005, from http://www.iknowledgenow.com/
  • “Training is only one facet of preparing for competition,” says Christine Zink, DVM, Ph.D., author of Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine Athlete. “The dog must be physically prepared in a broader sense, starting with a sound body, strengthened through exercise, proper nutrition and excellent health care. Owners, trainers and handlers, participate in canine performance events by play the role of coach. The winning coach must be a combination of talent scout, sports medicine specialist, problem preventer, physical therapist, trainer and friend.” Training is not the same thing as conditioning. Many people start training animals without first having done any conditioning.

Smith, C. S. (2000). Maximizing performance.   Retrieved September 1, 2005, from http://www.iknowledgenow.com
  • When it comes to canine athletes, the saying “You are what you eat” is like a nutritional commandment that has gone on a diet: It leaves out an essential ingredient. To receive maximum benefit from dietary components, you must first be conditioned to use those components, whether you’re a canine of a human. The expression should go on to say “and how you compete,” to account for the differing demands of short-term, burst sports and long-term endurance sports.


Nutrition

Animal Protection Institute. (2004). What's Really in Pet Food.   Retrieved January 20, 2005, from http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&more=1cat=286
  • This report explores the differences between what consumers think they are buying and what they are actually getting. It focuses in very general terms on the most visible name brands — the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and discount stores — but there are many highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses.

Belfield, W. O. (1999). Raw meat diets for companion animals?   Retrieved January 16, 2005, from http://www.belfield.com/article11.html
  • Before our present dogs and cats were domesticated, they had to forage for their food as predators or as scavengers. This means that whatever they devoured was in a raw state. As man, canines, and felines began to co-habitate, these animals became useful as , in the case of Egyptian culture, cats were used to keep the mouse population down in the grain stores. Canines, with their keen sense of hearing and smell were sentries to clans of antient humans.

Beyondveg.com. (n/d). Lesson of the Pottenger's Cats experiment: cats are not humans.   Retrieved February 27, 2005, from http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-1h.shtml
  • In the period 1932-1942, Dr. Francis Pottenger conducted a series of feeding experiments on cats investigating the effects of cooked food. The papers published from that research have been compiled and edited and released as Pottenger [1995]. Pottenger [1946] is relevant as well, and is available as a reprint from the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation.
    Dr. Pottenger observed that cats fed a cooked diet developed a number of pathologies, some of which were remarkably similar to certain diseases of civilization, whereas cats eating raw didn't suffer from these problems. It has thus been tempting to blame cooking for all the food-related evils from which we suffer; and in the raw-food movement, this study has been held up as the quintessential paradigm of proof of the perils of cooked food. However, casting Pottenger's experiment in this role suffers from some weaknesses that we shall examine, some of which are fundamental.

Brown, S. (2001). Pet food manufacturer comments on testing of raw diets. JAVMA, 219(2), 173.

Chengappa, M. M., Staats, J., Oberst, R. D., Gabbert, N. H., and McVey, S. (1993). Prevalence of Salmonella in raw meat used in diets of racing greyhounds. J Vet Diagn Invest, 5(3), 372-377.
  • One hundred twelve samples of commercial raw meat used in greyhound diets were collected and cultured for Salmonella using standard procedures. Fifty (44.64%) of these samples were positive for Salmonella. Salmonella typhimurium was the most frequently isolated serovar (48%), followed by S. newport (12.76%), S. agona (8.51%), and S. muenster (6.38%). The remaining 10 serovars recovered in this study represented 27.59% of the total Salmonella isolates. In addition, the meat samples were screened for Salmonella using a commercial DNA probe. Of the 106 samples tested, 70 (66.03%) were positive for Salmonella, which indicated that the DNA probe assay was more sensitive than the culture method for screening of Salmonella in raw meat. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that most of the Salmonella isolates were sensitive to a variety of antimicrobials, particularly amikacin and apramycin, and resistant to some others, such as clindamycin, erythromycin, penicillin, and sulfadimethoxine. The cumulative percentages of susceptibility (MIC50 and MIC90) of the Salmonella isolates were also determined. Most isolates were susceptible (MIC90) to low concentrations of gentamicin (2.0 micrograms/ml), imipenem (< or = 0.25 microgram/ml), and ciprofloxacin (< or = 0.5 microgram/ml). Marked resistance was found with the other antimicrobial agents. However, the high MIC values found for these isolates would not be achievable in vivo with the normal recommended doses of antimicrobial agents, so their use would not be beneficial. Numerous plasmid patterns were found in 17 randomly selected Salmonella isolates. Eight of the 17 isolates had 2-7 plasmids ranging from 2.4 to 15 kilobases in size. Eight isolates also exhibited large plasmids in the range of 50-60 and 95-105 kilobases.

Clapper, G. M., Grieshop, C. M., Merchen, N.R., Russett, J. C., Brent Jr J. L., and Fahey, Jr G. C. (2001). Ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities and fecal characteristics of dogs as affected by soybean protein inclusion in dry, extruded diets. Jounral of Animal Science, 79, 1523-1532.
  • Plant-based protein sources are generally less variable in chemical composition than animal-based protein sources. However, relatively few data are available on the nutrient digestibilities of plant-based protein sources by companion animals. The effects of including selected soybean protein sources in dog diets on nutrient digestion at the ileum and in the total tract, as well as on fecal characteristics, were evaluated. Six protein sources were used: soybean meal (SBM), Soyafluff 200W (soy flour), Profine F (traditional aqueous-alcohol extracted soy protein concentrate [SPC 1]), Profine E (extruded SPC [SPC 2]), Soyarich I (modified molecular weight SPC [SPC 3]), and poultry meal (PM). All diets were extruded and kibbled. Test ingredients varied in CP and fat contents; however, diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Nutrient intakes were similar, except for total dietary fiber (TDF), which was lower (P < 0.01) for dogs fed the PM diet. Apparent ileal digestibilities of DM, OM, fat, and TDF were not different among treatments; however, CP digestibility at the terminal ileum was higher (P < 0.01) for diets containing soy protein sources than for PM. Total tract CP digestibility was greater (P < 0.01) for soy protein-containing diets than for PM. Apparent total tract digestibilities of DM, OM, fat, and TDF were not different among treatments. Apparent amino acid digestibilities at the terminal ileum, excluding methionine, threonine, alanine, and glycine, were higher (P < 0.01) for soy protein-containing diets than for PM. Dogs fed SPC diets had lower (P < 0.01) fecal outputs (g asis feces/g DMI) than dogs fed the SF diet, and dogs fed SBM tended (P < 0.11) to have lower fecal outputs than dogs fed the SF diet. However, dogs fed the PM diet had lower (P < 0.03) fecal outputs than dogs fed SPC-containing diets. Fecal outputs and scores reflected the TDF and nonstructural carbohydrate contents of the soy protein fraction. Soy protein sources are well utilized by the dog prior to the terminal ileum, and SPC offers a viable alternative to PM as a protein source in dry, extruded canine diets. 

Cusick, W. D. (n/d). For most domestic dogs a raw food diet is not the answer.   Retrieved January 16, 2005, from http://home.att.net/%7Ewdcusick/raw.html

Day, W. H., James, E., and Heather, C.D. (1963). Salmonellosis in the dog. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 24, 156-158.

Delaney, S. J. (2006, January 7 - 11). Comparing over the counter and therapeutic diets by the numbers. Paper presented at the The North American Veterinary Conference, Orlando, Florida.

Delaney, S. J. (2006). Hey doc, what do you think of my home-prepared diet? Paper presented at the The North American Veterinary Conference, Orlando, Florida.

DeNapoli, J. S., Dodman, Nicholas H., Shuster, Louis, Rand, William, Gross, Kathy. (2000). Effects of dietary protein content and tryptophan supplementation on dominance aggression, territorial aggression, and hyperactivity in dogs. Journal of the American Medical Association, 217(4), 504-508.

Diez, M., Nguyen, P., Jeusette, I., Devois, C., Istasse, L., and Biourge, V. (2002). Weight loss in obese dogs: evaluation of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Journal of Nutrition, 132, 1685S-1687S.

Dodman, N. H., Reisner, I., Shuster, L., Rand, W., Luescher, U. A., Robinson, I., and Houpt, K. A. (1996). Effects of dietary protein content on behavior in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 208(3), 376-379.

Dodds, J. (2004, February 26-27). Issues in nutrition - including home-made and raw food diets. Paper presented at the Mid-West Veterinary Conference, Columbus Ohio. [available at http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/doddsnutrition.html]
  • Wholesome nutrition is the key to maintaining a healthy immune system and resistance to disease. Commercial foods ingested by animals on a regular basis may not be balanced in terms of major nutrients, minerals and vitamins, and some continue to add chemicals to the final product to enhance its stability and shelf-life. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances as well as exposures to various chemicals, drugs and toxins present a continual immunological challenge which can suppress immune function, especially in those animals genetically susceptible to immune dysfunction (immune deficiency, autoimmunity, allergies).

Dollemore, D. (January 18, 2005). Diet, exercise, stimulating environment helps old dogs learn.   Retrieved February 2, 2005, fromhttp://www.nia.nih.gov/NewsAndEvents/PressReleases/PR20040118Dogs.htm
  • According to conventional wisdom, old dogs and new tricks aren't a good match. But a new study of beagles finds that regular physical activity, mental stimulation, and a diet rich in antioxidants can help keep aging canine—and perhaps human—brains in tip-top shape. The research, supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA ), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is among the first to examine the combined effects of these interventions and suggests that diet and mental exercise may work more effectively in combination than by themselves.

Dunn, J. T. J. (n/d). Wolves and Bones.   Retrieved january 16, 2005, fromhttp://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/wolfexrep.html
  • In order to gather information about the practice of feeding bones to canines, ThePetCenter contacted experts in the care, management and feeding of wolves.  These experts were asked about the safety concerns related to bone consumption.  Their responses, exactly as ThePetCenter received them, are listed below.  All responses are included... none were left out or edited.  After reading the replies from these experts you may draw your own conclusions.

Freeman, L. M., & Michel, K. E. (2001). Evaluation of raw food diets for dogs. JAVMA, 218 (5), 705-709.

Hill, R. C. (1998). The nutritional requirements of exercising dogs. J. Nutr., 2686S-2690S.
  • The nutrient requirements of canine athletes are unique. Dogs have a greater capacity for fat oxidation than humans both at rest and during exercise. In dogs undertaking endurance exercise, such as sled dogs, high fat (>50% of energy) diets increase stamina and maximize energy production, and high protein (>30% of energy) diets prevent training-induced anemia. Nutrient requirements differ, however, for sprint racing dogs, such as greyhounds. Greyhounds run faster when fed moderately increased dietary fat but run more slowly when dietary protein is increased. Sled dogs have similar energy requirements to other breeds at rest in a thermoneutral environment (~550W0.75 kJ/d where W is body weight in kg) but may require as much as 4200W0.75 kJ/d during a race. The energy requirement of greyhounds in training, however, is only ~600W0.75 kJ/d. There is little information, however, concerning the vitamin, mineral or other nutrient requirements of athletic dogs; most sled dogs and greyhounds are fed "homemade" recipes. These recipes usually include raw meat and represent a health risk. More studies are required to improve the health and performance of working and racing dogs.

Joffe, D. (2003). In support of bones and raw food diet -- A reply. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 44(10), 783-784.

Joffe, D. (2003). Comment (with regards to to the query "how should a veterinarian respond to questions regarding the appropriateness of raw food diets"...). The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 44(6), 449.

Joffe, D. J., & Schlesinger, D. P. (2002). Preliminary assessment of the risk of Salmonella infection in dogs fed raw chicken diets. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 43(6), 441-442. [available at http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=339295&blobtype=pdf]
  • This preliminary study assessed the presence of Salmonella spp. in a bones and raw food (BARF) diet and in the stools of dogs consuming it. Salmonella was isolated from 80% of the BARF diet samples (P < 0.001) and from 30% of the stool samples from dogs fed the diet (P = 0.105). Dogs fed raw chicken may therefore be a source of environmental contamination.

Kaijala, K. J., Prigeon, R. L. Kahn, S. E., Woods, S. C., and Schwartz, M. W. (2000). Obesity induced by high-fat diet is associated with reduced brain insulin transport in dogs. Diabetes, 49, 1525-1533.

Krogdahl, A., Ahlstrom, O., & Skrede, A. (2004). Nutrient digestibility of commercial dog foods using mink as a model. J Nutr, 134(8 Suppl), 2141S-2144S. [available athttp://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/134/8/2141S]
  • Nutrient composition and digestibility are of crucial importance for health and well being of animals. Although great attention is paid to nutritional quality in the marketing of dog foods there is usually limited or no independent information on digestibilities. The most highly recognized dog food brands claim to have optimum nutritional quality and high digestibility. In Norway, these brands are usually the most expensive and they offer a set of dog food products with a specific nutrient composition intended for dogs in different life stages. These brands are often sold in pet shops and through veterinaries and they are well recognized by dog owners. Low-priced dog food brands typically have one or two products and they are sold in grocery store chains or sold locally directly from the producer.

    The objective of this study was to compare digestibility of six expensive dry dog food brands [high price (HP)3] with six low price dog food brands [low price (LP)] sold in the Norwegian market.

Larson, B. T., Lawler, D. F., Spitznagle, E. L., and Kealy, R. D. (2003). Improved glucose tolerance with lifetime diet restriction favorably affects disease and survival in dogs. Journal of Nutrition, 133, 288702892. [available at http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/133/9/2887]
  • Labrador retrievers (42 of original 48) were used to assess the effects of lifetime diet restriction on glucose tolerance at ages 9–12 y. Restricted-fed (RF) dogs were fed 75% of the same diet consumed by control-fed (CF) pair-mates. An intravenous glucose tolerance test was done annually (maximal stimulation, nonsteady-state). Diet treatment, age, and interactions were fixed effects. Statistical procedures used included mixed-model, repeated-measures ANOVA; least-squares means; Tukey’s multiple comparison; paired t tests; and Spearman rank correlations. Glucose k-value and half-life, and insulin sensitivity (total, and 9, 10, 11 y, and per lean mass) were higher (P < 0.05) in RF than in CF dogs. Late-phase insulin release [area under the curve (AUC) 30–120 min] was less (P < 0.05) in RF than in CR dogs. Early-phase insulin release (AUC 0–5 min), y 12 insulin sensitivity and insulinogenic index did not differ between RF and CF dogs. Insulin peak,  and total AUC increased (P < 0.05) with age, whereas the glucose k-value and glucose half-life were not affected by age. Insulin sensitivity was negatively, and insulin AUC 30–120 min, peak and  glucose were positively correlated with body weight, body condition score, fat mass, percentage of fat and abdominal fat/total tissue. Higher insulinogenic indices tended (P = 0.053) to be associated with greater median survival and dogs with higher insulin sensitivity were at lower (P < 0.05) risk of dying or receiving chronic disease treatment. Time to first osteoarthritis treatment or death was greater with lower basal glucose and higher insulin sensitivity (P < 0.05), but diet restriction explained most of this relationship’s variation. Glucose disposal efficiency and insulin response were associated with increased quality and length of life in diet-restricted dogs.

LeJeune, J. T., and Hancock, D. D. (2001). Public health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets to dogs. JAVMA, 219(9), 1222-1225.

Murray, S. M., Patil, A. R., Fahey, G. C., Jr., Merchen, N. R., & Hughes, D. M. (1998). Raw and rendered animal by-products as ingredients in dog diets. J Nutr, 128(12 Suppl), 2812S-2815S. [available at http://jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/75/9/2497]
  • Approximately 25 to 40% of the DM in premium dog diets is animal by-product. However, limited information is available regarding the composition and digestibility of these by-products, especially small intestinal digestibility. The effects of raw and rendered animal by-products incorporated into dog diets on nutrient digestion at the ileum and in the total tract were studied in this experiment. Diets fed contained various animal by-products including a rendered beef meat and bone meal (RMBM); fresh beef (FB); poultry by-product meal (PBPM); fresh poultry (FP); a plant-based control protein source, defatted soy flour (DS); and an animal-based control protein source, dehydrated whole egg (WE). The diets were extruded and kibbled. By-products varied widely in concentrations of OM, CP, amino acids, and fat. Nutrient intakes were numerically higher for FB than for all other treatments. All nutrient intakes were higher (P < .03) for the FB treatment than for the RMBM treatment. Digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, fat, and GE at the ileum were higher (P < .06) when dogs were fed diets containing FP than when fed diets containing PBPM. Amino acids were highly digestible at the ileum; however, digestibilities of all amino acids except cystine were higher (P < .04) for the diets incorporating FP vs PBPM. Total tract digestion was different among treatments for DM (P < .02), OM (P < .01), and GE (P < .02), and diets containing animal by-products were similar in total tract digestibility, greater than the DS control, and lower than the WE control. Rendering of poultry, but not beef, seemed to have a slight negative influence on small intestinal, but not total tract, digestibility by dogs. 

Murray, S. M., Patil, A. R., Fahey, G. C., Jr., Merchen, N. R., Wolf, B. W., Lai, C. S., et al. (1998). Apparent digestibility of a debranched amylopectin-lipid complex and resistant starch incorporated into enteral formulas fed to ileal-cannulated dogs1. J Nutr, 128(11), 2032-2035. [available at http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/128/11/2032]
  • The purpose of this study was to evaluate apparent digestibility in ileal-cannulated dogs fed enteral diets containing a debranched amylopectin-lipid complex (V-complex) or resistant starch. Six ileal-cannulated dogs were randomized into a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design for determination of digestibility of three experimental treatments. Dietary treatments were as follows: 1) control; 2) V-complex; and 3) resistant starch. Diets were similar in chemical composition. Apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and carbohydrate by dogs fed the control diet was higher (P < 0.05) than for dogs consuming the other diets. Mean apparent digestibilities of carbohydrate for the control, V-complex and resistant starch diets were 89, 76 and 43%, respectively. Both DM and carbohydrate digestibility were lower (P < 0.05) for resistant starch compared with V-complex. Fecal dry and wet weights for dogs fed the control diet were lower (P < 0.05) than for those receiving either the resistant starch or V-complex treatments. Dogs fed the V-complex diet produced ~90 g less feces per day than dogs fed resistant starch. Dietary incorporation of V-complex to replace traditional carbohydrates may be beneficial for diabetic patients because of the decreased digestibility and subsequent glucose absorption rate. Furthermore, incorporation of resistant starch into enteral formulas may improve gastrointestinal tract health status as a result of increased fecal bulk, potential dilution of toxins in the intestinal lumen and greater production of short-chain fatty acids.

Natural Life Magazine_#83. (n/d). Pet expert cautions against raw food diet for dogs.   Retrieved January 16, 2005, from http://life.ca/nl/83/pets.html
  • The current fad of feeding Fido a raw meat diet may be detrimental to his health, according to a leading expert in natural pet care.

Neirinck, K., Istasse, L., Gabriel, A., van Eenaeme, C., and Bienfait, JM. (1991). Amino acid composition and digestibility of four protein sources for dogs. The Journal of Nutrition, 121, S64-S65.

New, L. (n/d). Salmonella and the raw diet.   Retrieved January 19, 2005, from http://www.mountaindogfood.com

Newman, L. S., and Veith, L. (2002). Romancing the bone.   Retrieved January 16, 2005, from http://azmira.com/newpage1.htm

Nguyen, P., Dumon, H., Biourge, V., & Pouteau, E. (1998). Measurement of postprandial incremental glucose and insulin changes in healthy dogs: influence of food adaptation and length of time of blood sampling. J Nutr, 128(12 Suppl), 2659S-2662S. [available at http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/128/12/2659S]
  • Variations in the blood glucose and insulin responses to different foods have been studied in dogs (Holste et al. 1989, Nguyen et al. 1994), and different trends in postprandial concentrations have been observed. These differences arose in the extent of the variations (areas under the curves and maximal increments) and the time from meal to peak increases. The main purpose of these studies was to rank foods on the basis of the incremental glucose responses that they produced and to relate these responses to foods characteristics. It is known that methodologic variables can markedly modify the interpretation of the glycemic response. In particular, this concerns the length of time of blood sampling (Gannon and Nuttall 1987), short-term (Wolever and al. 1988) and long-term (Cannon and al. 1980) remnant effects of the previous meal, blood sampling (Jackson and al. 1983) and fasting blood glucose values (Nielsen and Nielsen 1989).

    In dogs, the variations of the glycemic response have been evaluated with (Holste et al. 1989) or without (Nguyen et al. 1994) an adaptation period to the tested meals. As in human beings, the plasma concentrations were measured over a period of 3 or 4 h even though the gastrointestinal transit time is shorter in dogs than in humans.

Nguyen, P., Dumon, H., Biourge, V., & Pouteau, E. (1998). Glycemic and insulinemic responses after ingestion of commercial foods in healthy dogs: influence of food composition. J Nutr, 128(12 Suppl), 2654S-2658S. [availabl;e athttp://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/128/12/2654S]
  • Great variations in the postprandial glucose concentration and insulin secretory responses to different foods have been shown in dogs (Holste and al. 1989, Nguyen and al. 1994). It has been suggested that foods yielding low glycemic responses would be recommended for diabetic or obese subjects and in the prevention of many other disorders. High carbohydrate/high fiber diets enhance peripheral glucose disposal and decrease insulin requirements in insulin-dependent diabetic subjects. In overweight patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM),4 reducing diet glycemic response improves overall blood glucose control, long-term glycemic control and lipid control. Diets with a high glycemic response that are low in fiber increase the risk of NIDDM in humans. Foods with a low glycemic response combined with a high dietary fiber content decrease free fatty acid level, which is associated with abdominal obesity and cardiovascular risk. They cause rapid intestinal absorption of glucose into the blood, leading to postprandial hyperinsulinemia, which may play a role in promoting colon carcinogenesis. A diet high in refined carbohydrates and low in water-soluble fiber causes rapid absorption of glucose with similar results.

    Because of the clinical implications of the glycemic index, notably in diabetes management or in dietary strategy to avoid or treat overweight or moderate obesity, the factors that affect it have been the subject of many studies (Wolever and al. 1991).

O'Rourke, K. (2005). Raw meat diets spark concern.   Retrieved April 3, 2005, fromhttp://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/jan05/050115ww.asp
  • In recent years, feeding dogs raw meat has become increasingly popular. The trend, however, has sparked health concerns, because of the risk of foodborne illnesses in pets as well as the public health risks of zoonotic infections. Now, a new study that identifies potentially harmful bacteria in 21 commercial raw meat diets bolsters these concerns.

ProVet. (n/d). All meat diets - dangerous to cats and dogs.   Retrieved January 16, 2005, fromhttp://www.provet.co.uk/petfacts/healthtips/meat.htm

Puotinen, C. J. (2005). What a wolf eats. Whole Dog Journal, 8(3).

Richardson, D. C. (2003). Nutrition for the canine athlete - a lifetime perspective.   Retrieved September 1, 2005, from http://www.iknowledgenow.com/
  • Nutrition plays a major roll in maximizing and prolonging performance in the canine athlete who is generally from the larger, faster-growing breeds. Key issues are managing developmental risk factors during growth, maintaining optimal performance in the adult and managing cognitive decline later in life. The goal of feeding the growing athletic animal is to provide appropriate levels of nutrients, with emphasis on energy, protein, minerals and vitamins, to assure optimal growth of the musculoskeletal system. Specific nutrient demands should be based on the age of the dog and the type of work or sport to be performed.

Society_for_the_Advancement_of_Education. (2002). Is a raw food diet dangerous for dogs?   Retrieved January 16, 2005, fromhttp://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2683_130/ai_85370059
  • The current fad of feeding Fido a raw meat diet may be detrimental to his health, according] to Lisa Newman, president of the International Natural Pet Care Association and author of eight books on natural pet care. She says that the daily consumption of raw meats and bones has resulted in many of these animals being diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, continuous digestive problems, and immuno-related weaknesses with various symptoms.

Stogdale, L., and Diehl, G. (2003). In support of bones and raw food diets. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 44(10), 783. [available athttp://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=340284]
  • I applaud Drs. Stogdale and Diehl for their commitment to nutritional continuing education. As to their comment “the majority of veterinarians do not elect to spend their continuing education time on studying this field; it's so much easier and more efficient to recommend a bag of commercial pet food,” I take offence. The reason why I will recommend a "bag of commercial pet food" from one of the science-based food companies is because those companies have proven to me (most often with the peer reviewed results of scientific study) that their products are safe, nutritionally complete, and efficacious for both maintenance and therapeutic purposes. Proponents of raw food diets have yet to provide any proof as to the safety, efficacy, or completeness of the diets they recommend.

Stone, G. G., Chengappa, M. M., Oberst, R. D., Gabbert, N. H., Mcvey, S., hennessay, K. J., Muenzenberger, M., and Staats, J. (1993). Application of polymerase chain reaction for the correlation of Salmonella serovars recovered from greyhound feces with their diet. J Vet Diagn Invest, 5(3), 378-385.
  • The polymerase chain reaction was employed to correlate Salmonella serovars isolated from fecal material of greyhounds suffering from gastroenteritis with those isolated from the diet fed to the greyhounds prior to onset of diarrhea. Kennels around the Abilene, Kansas, area were contacted and supplied with materials needed to collect a portion of the diet each day. With the onset of diarrhea, the kennels were instructed to ship the fecal material and diet from the previous 10 days to the laboratory for testing. Forty-one fecal samples and corresponding diets were screened for Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter jejuni, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus intermedius, and pathogenic (piliated) Escherichia coli by direct culture using standard procedures. The fecal material was also screened for coronavirus and parvovirus using electron microscopy. Thirty-five "normal" fecal samples were screened for all of the above mentioned microorganisms as a control. In addition, the fecal material was screened for E. coli verotoxins I and II and clostridial enterotoxins. A total of 61 Salmonella isolates were recovered from the 41 samples of feces and diet submitted for testing; 31 were recovered from the feces and 30 from the diet. Four Salmonella isolates were recovered from the normal fecal samples. Results obtained by PCR, plasmid profiles, antigenic analysis, and antibiogram profiles indicated that 16 of the 31 isolates recovered from the fecal material were the same strain as that recovered from the diet.

Streiff, E. L., Zwischenberger, B., Butterwick, R. F., Wagner, E., Iben, C., & Bauer, J. E. (2002). A comparison of the nutritional adequacy of home-prepared and commercial diets for dogs. J Nutr, 132(6 Suppl 2), 1698S-1700S. [available at http://jn.nutrition.org:80/cgi/reprint/132/6/1701S]
  • Dietary essential fatty acids (EFAs4), linoleic acid [18: 2(n-6), LA] and  -linolenic acid [18:3(n-3), ALA] are converted to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) by desaturase and chain-elongation enzyme systems (1). The LCPUFAs are important because they serve as eicosanoid precursors. In addition, several LCPUFAs have specific structural and functional roles in development or maintenance of neural tissues such as brain, retina and other tissues (2). The rate-limiting step for desaturation and elongation is controlled by  6-desaturase, which adds a double bond at the sixth carbonyl carbon. Hence, LA is converted to 18:3(n-6) and ALA is converted to 18:4(n-3) and competition between these substrates for this enzymatic step exists among the fatty acid families. Some reports indicate a higher specificity for (n-3) fatty acid desaturation compared to that for (n-6) fatty acids (3). Dogs are important to humans not only as companion animals but also serve as a model for human metabolism (4,5). This study addresses EFA metabolism in dogs using a classical enzyme kinetic approach.

Urban, J. E., and Broce, A. (1998). Flies and their bacterial loads in greyhound dog kennels in Kansas. Current Microbiology, 36(3), 164-170.
  • Abstract. Breeders of greyhound dogs traditionally feed racing animals and nursing bitches raw meat, and that meat generally is obtained frozen from commercial renderers. Previous studies have shown that the rendered meat is frequently contaminated with enteric bacteria, including Salmonella spp., and that during thawing the rendered meat is exposed to filth flies common in dog kennels. Nursing greyhound pups tend to experience a high morbidity and mortality from intestinal infections, and we attempted to determine in this study whether enterics could be spread to pups through contaminated flies. At intervals during 1995 and 1996, flies were trapped or were net-collected from 10 dog breeding kennels in the region around Abilene, KS. Trapped flies were identified and counted to determine population numbers, and netted flies were cultured in tetrathionate broth and streaked to medium selecting for Salmonella sp. and other lactose-negative Gram (m) bacteria. The relative numbers of different fly species varied with the sampling method, but traps and sweep nets produced similar proportions of the different fly species. Blow flies were twice as likely to be contaminated with enteric bacteria as any other fly. The most common enteric bacteria found were Proteus spp., followed by Providencia spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Salmonella spp. The incidence of Salmonella and Proteus spp. seemed to correlate more with accessibility of flies to dog excrement than to rendered meat. The apparent high incidence of enteric contamination of filth flies clearly implicates them as vectors of enteric diseases in kennels.

Varga, J., Mezes, B., and Fodor, L. (1990). Sergroups of Campylobacter jejuni from man and animals. Zentralbl Veterinarmed B, 37(6), 407-411.

Wander, R. C., Hall, J. A., Gradin, J. L., Du, S. H., & Jewell, D. E. (1997). The ratio of dietary (n-6) to (n-3) fatty acids influences immune system function, eicosanoid metabolism, lipid peroxidation and vitamin E status in aged dogs. J Nutr, 127(6), 1198-1205. [available athttp://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/127/6/1198]
  • We studied the effects of feeding experimental diets containing (n-6) to (n-3) fatty acid ratios of 31:1, 5.4:1, and 1.4:1 to 20 healthy female geriatric Beagles (9.5-11.5 y) for 8-12 wk on various indices of the immune response. Compared with the 31:1 diet, consumption of the 5.4:1 and 1.4:1 diets significantly increased (n-3) fatty acids in plasma (2.17 ± 0.64, 9.05 ± 0.64, 17.46 ± 0.64 g/100 g fatty acids, respectively, P < 0.0001). Although supplementation with (n-3) fatty acids did not significantly alter the humoral immune response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), it significantly suppressed the cell-mediated immune response based on results of a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin test. The DTH response after intradermal injection of KLH at 24 h was significantly lower in the group consuming the 1.4:1 diet compared with the group consuming the 5.4:1 (P = 0.02) or the 31:1 diets (P = 0.04), and remained significantly suppressed at 48 h in the group fed 1.4:1 relative to the group fed 31:1. After consumption of the 1.4:1 diet, stimulated mononuclear cells produced 52% less prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) than those from dogs fed the 31:1 diet (224 ± 74 and 451 ± 71 pmol/L, respectively, P = 0.04). Plasma concentration of -tocopherol was 20% lower in dogs fed the 1.4:1 diet compared with those fed the 31:1 diet (P = 0.04), and lipid peroxidation was greater in both plasma (P = 0.03) and urine (P = 0.002). These data suggest that although a ratio of dietary (n-6) to (n-3) fatty acids of 1.4:1 depresses the cell-mediated immune response and PGE2 production, it increases lipid peroxidation and lowers vitamin E concentration.

Wedekind, K. J., Zicker, S., Lowry, S., and Paetau-Robinson, I. (2002). Antioxidant status of adult beagles in affected by dietary antioxidant intake. Journal of Nutrition, 132, 1658S-1660S.

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