Misncanthus grass utilization as a dietary fiber source for dogs

Abstract Text:

Pet foods formulated to aid weight loss by energy reduction may include high levels of fiber (8 to 10%). This fiber may be added as beet pulp (BP), cellulose (CE), or other crop residues. Miscanthus giganteus (MG) is a purpose grown C4 grass that produces large quantities of fiber. However, there is no published data supporting the use of MG in dogs. The hypothesis of this study was that MG would be utilized as a fiber source similar to CE and BP in dog diets. Each experimental diet contained 10% test fiber and 90% basal ration (chicken byproduct meal, brewers rice, corn, wheat, corn protein concentrate, minerals, and vitamins) to meet the recommended allowance according to NRC (2006). The experimental protocol was approved by Institutional Animal Care and use Committee at Kansas State University. Twelve Beagle dogs (average weight 10.6kg) were housed individually in metabolism cages in environmentally controlled rooms and fed experimental diets for 14d (9d adaptation and 5d collection) in a replicated Latin square design. Diets and all feces (TFC) were analyzed for proximate analysis and acid insoluble ash (AIA) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATD) was computed. Data were analyzed with statistical software using the GLM procedure (SAS v9.4). Food was readily accepted by all dog and each maintained weight throughout the study. There were no differences in defecation frequency, but fecal scores (1 = soft, 5 = hard and firm) were lower (softer; P<0.05) for BP (3.15) than MG (3.63) or CE (3.68). Dry fecal excretion was estimated at 46.9 and 63.1g*d^-1 for TFC and AIA, respectively. The DM and OM digestibility were greater (P<0.05) for dogs fed BP than MG but less than those fed CE for TFC (DM; 81.32, 78.0, and 77.21%, OM; 86.06, 82.12, and 80.81%, respectively) and AIA (DM; 76.55, 72.20, 68.92%, OM; 81.58, 76.68, 73.56%, respectively). The CP digestibility was greater (P<0.05) for MG than BP and CE for both TFC and AIA methods. The EE digestibility was greater (P<0.05) for the MG and CE than BP for both TFC and AIA. The AIA method predicted nutrient digestibility with similar magnitude and rank to TFC. Further, differences among treatments for ATD occurred among treatments the results indicate that MG is a viable dietary fiber alternative to CE and BP in dog foods.

Keywords: Fiber, dog, Miscanthus grass, cellulose, beet pulp, digestibility