Effect of crude fiber and total dietary fiber on the calculated nitrogen-free extract and metabolizable energy content of various dog foods fed to client-owned dogs with osteoarthritis

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To compare measurements of crude fiber (CF) and total dietary fiber (TDF) for various dog foods and their effect on the calculated nitrogen-free extract and metabolizable energy (ME) content, and to compare label-guaranteed and laboratory-analyzed macronutrient values. SAMPLE 51 dog foods fed to client-owned dogs with osteoarthritis. PROCEDURES Foods were analyzed for dry matter, ash, crude protein, acid-hydrolyzed fat, CF, and TDF. Metabolizable energy was calculated by use of a formula with modified Atwater factors and formulas recommended by the National Research Council that included both CF and TDF values. Linear regression analysis was performed to determine the correlation between CF and TDF values. RESULTS Only a few foods failed to conform to the guaranteed analysis for all macronutrients except for CF, in which approximately 40% of the foods exceeded the guaranteed maximum values. The CF and TDF values were moderately correlated (r = 0.843). Correlations among CF- and TDF-based ME estimations were moderate with use of the modified Atwater formula and strong with use of the National Research Council formulas (r = 0.86 and r = 0.91, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Values for CF were the most variable of the macronutrients of the evaluated dog foods and results suggested that CF is an incomplete and inaccurate measurement of dietary fiber content and, thus, its inaccuracy may lead to inaccurate and variable ME values.

Evaluation of the Influence of Coprophagic Behavior on the Digestibility of Dietary Nutrients and Fecal Fermentation Products in Adult Dogs

“…However, this result should be interpreted with caution as although NFE is frequently used in dogs' nutrition, this variable was estimated by an equation [24]. In addition, it was determined after obtaining the results for MM, CP, FHA, and CF, so it incorporates errors from the previous analysis [24,25].…”

“…This method provides values that can change due to the use of drastic digestion, which leads to the loss of some components [26], and, therefore, the values and digestibilities obtained in our study, which included crude fiber in their estimations, may not be substantially reliable. Thus, the estimated NFEs may not be just starch and sugars but the sum of these with alkali-soluble hemicellulose and lignin and pectin, which are part of the fiber group [25,29].…”

The feasibility of Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) fodder as poultry feed ingredients seen from growth performance, nutrient content and fiber profile of Sorghum fodder

“…Parameters of nutrient content were tested by proximate analysis according to AOAC [ 11 ], including moisture by oven at 110°C, ash content by ashing, protein content by Kjeldahl method, extract ether content by Soxhlet method, and fiber content by gravimetric method. The content of the NFE was calculated using the formula, according to the method of Traughber et al [ 12 ], namely, NFE = 100—crude protein—extract ether—ash—crude fiber. Metabolic energy is calculated using Balton’s formula, namely, EM (kcal/kg) = 40.81 [0.87 (crude protein + 2.25 × extract ether + NFE) + 2.5] [ 13 ].…”

Proximate analysis of selected agricultural waste for their nutritional potential

“…Nitrogen free extract (NFE) was determined by mathematical calculation. It was obtained by subtracting the sum of all the other constituents that was obtained in the proximate analysis from 100 20 , using the formula:…”