Oral Palatability and Owners’ Perception of the Effect of Increasing Amounts of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in the Diet of a Cohort of Healthy Dogs and Cats

Abstract

The nutraceutical supplementation of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in dogs and cats has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the dietary supplementation of increasing amounts of Spirulina for 6 weeks is palatable to pets and to assess the owner’s perception of such supplementation. The owners of the 60 dogs and 30 cats that participated in this study were instructed to daily provide Spirulina tablets starting with a daily amount of 0.4 g, 0.8 g, and 1.2 g for cats as well as small dogs, medium dogs, and large dogs, respectively, and allowing a dose escalation of 2× and 3× every 2 weeks. The daily amount (g/kg BW) of Spirulina ranged from 0.08 to 0.25 for cats, from 0.06 to 0.19 for small-sized dogs, from 0.05 to 0.15 for medium-sized dogs, and from 0.04 to 0.12 for large-sized dogs. Each owner completed a questionnaire at the time of recruitment and the end of each 2-week period. No significant effect on the fecal score, defecation frequency, vomiting, scratching, lacrimation, general health status, and behavioral attitudes was detected by the owners’ reported evaluations. Most animals accepted Spirulina tablets either administrated alone or mixed with food in the bowl. Daily supplementation of Spirulina for 6 weeks in the amounts provided in this study is therefore palatable and well tolerated by dogs and cats.

Effects of microalgae as dietary supplement on palatability, digestibility, fecal metabolites, and microbiota in healthy dogs

“…Reference and supplemented diets differentiated by shapes and color and inclusion levels by color gradient. that dietary supplementation of A. platensis (0.05-0.19 g kg −1 BW) was well tolerated and accepted by dogs (7). Conversely, low palatability of microalgae of genera Chlorella and Nannochloropsis has been reported in fish and livestock (49,50), and this lower acceptability has been associated with microalgae taste, odor, and physical structure of the dry powdery form (51).…”

“…In the pet food sector, the demand for microalgae is expected to continue growing ( 4 ), being microalgae currently used mainly as additives (generally with declared levels lower than 0.5%) in balanced food and in supplements or treats to benefit from their functional value as immunomodulatory ( 5 ), antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects ( 6 ). The current tendency of dog owners increasingly choose the food that provides increased nutrition, health and wellness to their pets and the growing numbers of senior animals contributes to the raised interest in microalgae in the pet food market in recent years ( 7 ).…”

Protective effect of Spirulina in the ovary of rats against Doxorubicin toxicity

“…Studies on microalgae species at the national and international level continue intensively, and the number of commercial enterprises serving in this field is gradually increasing [6]. Spirulina spp.…”