Impact of diets with a high content of greaves-meal protein or carbohydrates on faecal characteristics, volatile fatty acids and faecal calprotectin concentrations in healthy dogs

Abstract

BackgroundResearch suggests that dietary composition influences gastrointestinal function and bacteria-derived metabolic products in the dog colon. We previously reported that dietary composition impacts upon the faecal microbiota of healthy dogs. This study aims at evaluating the dietary influences on bacteria-derived metabolic products associated with the changes in faecal microbiota that we had previously reported. We fed high-carbohydrate starch based (HCS), [crude protein: 194 g/kg, starch: 438 g/kg], high-protein greaves-meal (HPGM), [crude protein: 609 g/kg, starch: 54 g/kg] and dry commercial (DC), [crude protein: 264 g/kg, starch: 277 g/kg] diets, and studied their effects on the metabolism of the colonic microbiota and faecal calprotectin concentrations in five Beagle dogs, allocated according to the Graeco-Latin square design. Each dietary period lasted for three weeks and was crossed-over with washout periods. Food intake, body weight, and faecal consistency scores, dry matter, pH, ammonia, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and faecal canine calprotectin concentrations were determined.ResultsFaecal ammonia concentrations decreased with the HCS diet. All dogs fed the HPGM diet developed diarrhoea, which led to differences in faecal consistency scores between the diets. Faecal pH was higher with the HPGM diet. Moreover, decreases in propionic and acetic acids coupled with increases in branched-chain fatty acids and valeric acid caused changes in faecal total VFAs in dogs on the HPGM diet. Faecal canine calprotectin concentration was higher with the HPGM diet and correlated positively with valeric acid concentration.ConclusionsThe HPGM diet led to diarrhoea in all dogs, and there were differences in faecal VFA profiles and faecal canine calprotectin concentrations.

Fecal short‐chain fatty acid concentrations and dysbiosis in dogs with chronic enteropathy

“…In that study, the high protein diet group was fed about a 2.3 times higher protein content than the commercial diet group. 47 In contrast, in our current study, we observed higher fecal concentrations of acetate and propionate in the healthy dogs that were fed a higher protein content in their diet. Moreover, the difference in the amount of protein content in our study was much less (1.3 times higher in the healthy dogs) than that study.…”

A diet change from dry food to beef induces reversible changes on the faecal microbiota in healthy, adult client-owned dogs

“…Diarrhoea was also observed in dogs fed high level animal-derived protein (greaves meal; >50 g protein/100 g diet DM) according to previous studies [26, 61]. Diet-induced effect on faecal consistency has been associated with an increase in Clostridium perfringens in faecal samples [27] as well as ileal chyme [26] in laboratory dogs.…”

“…However, butyrate levels and Roseburia abundance did not significantly differ between CD1 and HMB samples. The content of dietary fibre has been associated with increased concentrations of dogs’ faecal SCFAs, including butyrate in one study [11], although a similar association has not been observed in other studies [61, 62]. An in-vitro study using faecal samples from cheetahs demonstrated that cartilage entering the large intestine may have a similar effect on the SCFA profile as plant fibre [63].…”

Microbiota and probiotics in canine and feline welfare

“…pigs), commonly thought as low-grade meat meal, lead to higher pH, decrease in propionic and acetic acids and increase in branched-chain fatty acids and valeric acid and changes in faecal total volatile fatty acids, higher faecal canine calprotectin concentration which was associated with increased valeric acid concentration. In addition, all studied dogs fed high-protein greaves-meals developed diarrhoea [36].…”