Evaluation of the owner's perception in the use of homemade diets for the nutritional management of dogs.

Many dog owners see homemade diets as a way of increasing the bond with their pets, even though they may not have the convenience of commercial diets. Modifications of ingredients, quality and proportion might change the nutritional composition of the diet, generating nutritional imbalances. The present study evaluated how dog owners use and adhere to homemade diets prescribed by veterinary nutritionists over an extended period of time. Forty-six owners of dogs fed a homemade diet for at least 6 months were selected for the present study. Owners were invited to answer questions by first reading all possible answers and then selecting the one that best indicated their opinion. The results were evaluated through descriptive statistics. Thirty-five owners (76·1 %) found that the diets are easy to prepare. Fourteen owners (30·4 %) admitted to modifying the diets, 40 % did not adequately control the amount of provided ingredients, 73·9 % did not use the recommended amounts of soyabean oil and salt, and 34·8 % did not correctly use the vitamin, mineral or amino acid supplements. Twenty-six owners (56·5 %) reported that their dogs refused to eat at least one food item. All of these alterations make the nutritional composition of the diets unpredictable and likely nutritionally imbalanced. Although homemade diets could be a useful tool for the nutritional management of dogs with certain diseases, not all owners are able to appropriately use this type of diet and adhere to it for an extended period of time and this limitation needs to be considered when recommending the use of homemade diets.

Faecal IgA concentration is influenced by age in dogs.

Data comparing age-related alterations in faecal IgA concentrations of dogs are not available in the literature. The present study aimed to compare the faecal concentrations of IgA in puppies, mature and senior dogs. A total of twenty-four beagle dogs were used, including eight puppies (5 months old, four females and four males), eight mature (4.6 years old, eight males) and eight senior dogs (10.6 years old, three males and five females). Fresh faecal samples were collected from each dog for three consecutive days and pooled by animal. After saline extraction, IgA content was measured by ELISA. Data were analysed by one-way ANOVA, and means were compared with Tukey's test (P < 0.05). Results showed that puppies have lower faecal IgA concentrations than mature dogs (P < 0.05); senior animals presented intermediary results. The reduced faecal IgA concentration in puppies is consistent with the reduced serum and salivary IgA concentrations reported previously, suggesting a reduced mucosal immunity in this age group. Although some studies have found an increased serum IgA concentration in older dogs, this may differ from the intestinal secretion of IgA, which appears to be lower in some senior animals (four of the eight dogs studied).

Uso de psyllium para controle de constipação em cães / The use of psyllium to control constipation in dogs

psyllium (Plantago psyllium) é um vegetal comumente utilizado como adjuvante no tratamento de afecções que resultam em constipação. Com o objetivo de melhor compreender os efeitos dessa fibra em cães, foram realizados dois experimentos. O primeiro avaliou, em cães sadios, inclusões de 0 por cento, 2 por cento e 4 por cento de semente integral moída de psyllium à dieta (com base na matéria natural). Para tanto, foram empregados oito cães da raça Beagles adultos, os quais receberam as dietas experimentais por oito dias. Verificou-se aumento linear da umidade das fezes com a adição de teores crescentes de psyllium (R²=0,54 e P=0,0012), sem alteração do escore fecal e número de defecações por dia. O segundo experimento incluiu avaliação da opinião de 24 proprietários cujos cães receberam suplementação de 2 por cento de psyllium como parte do tratamento de afecções que causaram constipação. Dos proprietários incluídos, 19 (79,2 por cento) relataram melhora da defecação de seus cães durante a administração da fibra. Quinze (62,5 por cento) observaram que as fezes dos animais, antes ressecadas ou endurecidas, tornaram-se normais ou pastosas. Os resultados comprovaram para cães os efeitos laxativos do psyllium já descritos na medicina humana, indicando seu uso no tratamento de suporte de enfermidades que levam à constipação.

psyllium (Plantago psyllium) is a fiber generally used as a supplement in the treatment of diseases that led to constipation. To understanding of the effects of this fiber in dogs, two experiments were conducted. The first evaluated in healthy dogs a diet supplementation with 0 percent, 2 percent and 4 percent of ground whole psyllium seeds (as-fed basis). Eight adult Beagle dogs were used. They received the experimental diets for eight days. A linear increase of faecal moisture was verified with the addition of psyllium (R²=0.54 and P=0.0012), with no alteration on faecal score or number of defecations per day. The second experiment included 24 dogs with constipation. The dogs received a diet supplemented with 2 percent of psyllium as part of the treatment, and the owners were invited to answer a questionnaire. Nineteen (79.2 percent) owners reported that their dog had an easier defecation process during supplementation. Fifteen (62.5 percent) reported that the animals´ faeces, which were dry or hard at the start, became normal or pasty after psyllium consumption. The results confirmed a laxative effect of psyllium in dogs, which was already reported in human medicine, supporting the use of this fiber in the clinical management of diseases that cause constipation in dog.