Assessment of behavior and feeding intake of dogs fed with soybean hulls

Abstract

The diet composition can promote satiety and interfere in animal behavior. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of dogs after ingestion of diet without soybean hull (0%SH) and a diet with soybean hulls (16%SH), as well as the daily consumption of food (supplied - leftovers) and metabolizable energy (ME) intake of diets. Twelve Beagle dogs were distributed completely randomly between two treatments, being six dogs consuming the 0%SH diet and six dogs 16%SH diet. The behavioral test consisted of observing the animals during 24 uninterrupted hours at intervals of 10 minutes at the end of 28 days of consumption of the diets. General behaviors were observed such as alert, scratching, stereotypical behavior, sleep, hygiene, walking, idle lying, idle standing, idle sitting and socialization. There was a reduction in scratching behaviors (P < 0.05) and stereotypical behaviors (P < 0.10) in animals that ingested the diet with 16%SH, in comparison to the animals that consumed 0%SH diet. The consumption of the diets did not differ (P > 0.05), but the ME intake was lower (P < 0.001) in dogs that received a diet with 16%SH. The use of 16%SH in the diet reduces the ME intake and undesirable behavior in dogs.