23 Feb 2021
A study supported by pet food company JustFoodForDogs analysed faecal output from beagles receiving four different diets.
John Bonner
Job Title
Image © chalabala / Fotolia
Feeding dogs a diet that makes them produce less faecal matter will not necessarily safeguard the health of the animal or the environment, UK veterinary nutritionists have warned.
A study supported by the Irvine, California-based pet food company JustFoodForDogs analysed faecal output from beagles receiving four different diets. These included two fresh food brands made by the company that are classified under US rules as “human grade”.
The findings of the study, conducted by independent researchers at the University of Illinois and published in the Journal of Animal Science, appear to show advantages in feeding dogs fresh food diets rather than standard dry kibble products.
The former were more easily processed in the canine gut, according to measurements of apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and resulted in up to 66% less faecal waste.
Kelly Swanson, head of the Illinois team, said he believed dog owners would appreciate their dogs producing smaller or fewer stools, and would see this an advantage of switching to the fresh food diets.
He said: “The digestibility of a pet food and consequent faecal output provides a measure of its quality and is important to pet owners from a waste disposal perspective.”
Prof Swanson pointed out that US dog owners had become more concerned about the quality of commercial dog foods as a result of a series of highly publicised food safety issues.
Between 2009-17, several dog and cat food products were recalled by manufacturers due to safety concerns related to deficient or high concentrations of vitamins and minerals, plastic contamination, toxins such as aflatoxin, and contamination with pathogens such as Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes.
Those incidents have motivated many US dog owners to search out alternative food products for their pets with higher real or perceived safety and quality. This has resulted in a rapid growth in the market for products labelled as “natural”, “organic”, or “human grade”, as well as owners creating home made recipes, he said.
While UK and European pet food companies have also had to recall their products on occasions over the past two decades, such events are less likely due to the stricter regulations on dealing with animal products introduced after the emergence of BSE in the UK.
Marge Chandler, a US veterinary nutritionist who has been based in Scotland for many years, said it would be unwise for UK pet owners to read too much into the results of a North American study due to differences in the legal framework and industry practices.
Dr Chandler also challenged the presumption a highly digestible diet producing less faeces would offer health benefits to dogs that are regularly given the product.
She added: “Highly digestible diets are generally lower in fibre and have a higher calorie density, which, with the percentage of overweight pets that we have today, might not be a positive thing. You must also remember that fibre has some benefits for colonic health.”
