The effects of diets varying in fibre sources on nutrient utilization, stool quality and hairball management in cats

Abstract

Pet food companies use fibrous ingredients in cat foods to aid weight and hairball management. Miscanthus grass could be an alternative novel fibre source for cat foods. The objectives of this work were to determine the effects of Miscanthus grass as a fibre source on nutrient utilization, stool quality and hairball management in cats. Dry extruded cat foods (average chemical composition; digestibility trial: 94.54% dry matter—DM, 34.47% crude protein—CP, 11.67% crude fat, 7.06% ash and 13.04% total dietary fibre—TDF; and hairball trial: 94.88% DM, 34.60% CP, 11.30% crude fat, 7.02% ash and 9.77% TDF) were fed to 12 cats for a 9‐day (digestibility trial) or 16‐day (hairball trial) adaptation period followed by a 5‐day total faecal collection period. Digestibility trial was performed as a replicated Latin square design, and the hairball trial was performed as a switchback design. In general, the cats fed the beet pulp diet (BPD) had higher DM, organic matter, gross energy and TDF digestibility than cats fed Miscanthus grass (MGD) or cellulose (CED) diet (p < .05). However, CP digestibility was lower for cats fed BPD (82.1 vs. 84.7 and 85.1%, respectively, for BPD, MGD and CED). These differences could be due to the differences in dietary fibre content and(or) composition. Faecal scores were lower for cats fed BPD (2.84) compared with MGD (3.32) and CED (3.21; p < .05). No effects due to fibre were reported on the faecal hairball variables, with the exception of less total hair weight and hair clumps per gram of dry faeces for cats fed Miscanthus grass (MGH) compared with control diet (COH; p < .05). In conclusion, Miscanthus grass could be used as an alternative ingredient to cellulose in cat diets.

The effects of fiber source on extrusion processing parameters and kibble characteristics of dry cat foods

“…The main difference between the present study and the Donadelli et al (2020) work with dogs is that those diets contained more starch and less protein and fat. In the present study, brewers rice, corn, and wheat were added at 14.07% each; Donadelli et al (2020) added brewers rice and corn at 17.12% and wheat at 14.55%, which accounted for the increased starch content and, therefore, the functionality of the formula. Additionally, the die dimension was different between these studies [3.3 vs. 5.5 mm diameter, respectively, for this study and Donadelli et al (2020) ].…”

“…Miscanthus grass has been previously tested by other industries (cellulosic ethanol— Adams et al, 2018 ; construction, paper pulping, and absorbent— Visser and Pignatelli, 2001 ). However, little was known about its effects on companion animal nutrition until recently ( Donadelli and Aldrich, 2019 , 2020 ; Donadelli et al, 2019 ). Therefore, the hypothesis of this study was that Miscanthus grass would be a viable alternative fiber source to cellulose.…”

Evaluation of dried apple pomace on digestibility and palatability of diets for cats

“…In the present study, however, fecal output decreased as dietary TDF increased. This result may be attributed to the fermentation of the high SF content of the evaluated dried apple pomace in the gut, because this fiber is better utilized by bacteria in the colon and fermented to various end-products (lactate, acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, H 2 , CO 2 , and methane) (Donadelli and Aldrich, 2020).…”

“…Fiber intake may also reduce fat utilization, as soluble fibers create a viscous barrier, preventing the action of the digestive enzymes and reducing the resorption of bile and bile salts in the ileum (Sabchuk et al, 2017). Besides that, this fiber source has between 6.4 to 19.0% lignin (Sato et al, 2010), a compound with high affinity for binding bile acids, which may reduce bile acid reabsorption and fat absorption in cats (Loureiro et al, 2017;Donadelli and Aldrich et al, 2020).…”

“…The benefits include hairball control, maintenance of intestinal peristalsis, good functionality of the immunological system, and modulation of intestinal microbiota. Dieyary fiber may also regulate glycemia, reducing the incidence of diseases, such as obesity and diabetes mellitus (Rochus et al, 2014;Loureiro et al, 2017;Detweiler et al, 2019;Donadelli and Aldrich et al, 2020). Therefore, the physiological importance of fiber for cats is documented, attracting the interest of the pet food industry about dietary fiber sources.…”