A high-protein, high-fiber diet designed for weight loss improves satiety in dogs

Abstract

Background: Weight-loss programs for dogs are often hampered by increased begging and scavenging behavior that ensues when food intake is restricted. Hypothesis: A diet formulated to contain a high content of both protein and fiber is more satiating than diets that contain only high fiber or high protein. Animals: Six entire female adult dogs (2 Shetland Sheepdogs, 2 Brittany Spaniels, 2 Labrador Retrievers) participated in the satiety studies; 105 adult female dogs of various breeds and ages were used for the palatability studies. Methods: Three diets (high protein [103 g/1,000 kcal] high fiber [60 g/1,000 kcal] [HPHF]; high protein [104 g/1,000 kcal] moderate fiber [35 g/1,000 kcal] [HP]; moderate protein [86 g/1,000 kcal] high fiber [87 g/1,000 kcal] [HF]) were tested. Voluntary food intake was measured in 5 sequential crossover studies, and palatability was assessed with food preference tests. Results: Protein digestibility was significantly lower for HF (mean ± SD; 77.7% ± 2.52%) than for both HPHF (81.1% ± 0.96%) and HP (81.1% ± 1.65%) (P < .001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The HPHF diet had a satiating effect as evidenced by reduced voluntary intake compared with HP and HF diets, and has the potential to lead to greater compliance in weight-loss programs. Copyright © 2007 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.