Introduction: Otitis in dogs is often chronic while local treatment primarily consists of flushing, antibiotics, and/or antifungals. We were interested in finding early life variables that associate with otitis later in life, preferably some that could be modified.
Methods: A cross-sectional hypothesis-driven study with longitudinal data was performed to search for associations between pre- and postnatal exposures, and the incidence of owner-reported otitis in dogs at over 1 year of age. The multivariate logistic regression analysis study included data from 3,064 dogs and explored 26 different early life variables at four early life stages: prenatal, neonatal, postnatal, and puppyhood. We compared two feeding patterns, a non-processed meat-based diet (NPMD, raw) and an ultra-processed carbohydrate-based diet (UPCD, dry).
Results: We report that eating a NPMD diet significantly decreased the risk of otitis later in life, while eating a UPCD diet significantly increased the risk. This was seen in different life stages of mother or puppy: The maternal diet during pregnancy (p=0.011) and the puppies’ diet from 2 to 6 months of age (p=0.019) were both significantly associated with otitis incidence later in life, whereas the puppies’ first solid diet, was associated in the same way, but did not reach significance (p=0.072). Also, analyzing food ratios showed that when puppies were consuming >25% of their food as NPMD it significantly decreased their incidence of otitis later in life, while a ratio of >75% UPCD in their diet significantly increased their risk of otitis. Also, if the dog was born in the current family, was exposed to sunlight for more than 1 hour daily, and was raised on a dirt floor during puppyhood, there was a lower risk of otitis development later in life.
Discussion: The findings only suggest causality, and further studies are required. However, we propose that veterinarians, breeders, and owners can impact otitis risk by modifying factors such as diet and environment.
Introduction: Epilepsy is a serious and common neurological condition in dogs, despite the wide number of antiepileptic drugs available, in approximately one third of the patients, epilepsy remains unsatisfactorily controlled. We aim to analyze whether feeding dietary fat sources during puppyhood was associated with canine epilepsy in adulthood.
Methods: A nested case–control study was compiled from the validated DogRisk food frequency questionnaire (DogRisk FFQ). DogRisk FFQ collected feeding, disease, and background data about the dog. The study sample consisted of 108 owner-reported epileptic cases and 397 non-epileptic controls. Each case was matched with up to four controls for the key confounding factors of sex, breed, and age. We analyzed associations between feeding as a puppy and owner-reported epilepsy as an adult dog using Cox regression. We tested 55 different food variables.
Results: We found that feeding fish fat from dietary sources at least once a week during puppyhood was inversely associated with epilepsy in later life in the unadjusted analysis [OR 0.46 (95% CI 0.25–0.83), p=0.01], while when adjusting for keeping conditions and dog characteristics the association was [OR 0.45 (95% CI 0.23–0.88), p=0.02]. When adjusted for keeping conditions, dog characteristics, and other feeding factors, the association was of similar magnitude but not significance [OR 0.56 (95% CI 0.27–1.15), p=0.12].
Discussion: The study indicates possible protective associations of feeding the dog with dietary sources of fish fat against epilepsy, although the result could be confounded by other feeding factors. Findings are compatible with current knowledge regarding the role of omega-3 fatty acids and ketogenic diet, a low carbohydrate, high fat diet as supportive treatments of epilepsy. As our findings are based on observations, we suggest the possibility of causality but do not prove it. Dietary intervention studies should now be conducted to confirm our findings.
Diet has a key role in the homeostasis of the gut microenvironment, influencing the microbiome, the gut barrier, host immunity and gut physiology. Yet, there is little information on the role of early diet in the onset of inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders later in life, especially in dogs. Therefore, the aim of the present cross-sectional, epidemiological study with longitudinal data, was to explore associations of companion dogs’ early life diet style and food items with owner-reported chronic enteropathy (CE) incidence in later life. Food frequency questionnaire data from Finnish companion dogs was analyzed using principal component analysis and logistic regression.
We found that feeding a non-processed meat-based diet and giving the dog human meal leftovers and table scraps during puppyhood (2–6 months) and adolescence (6–18 months) were protective against CE later in life. Especially raw bones and cartilage as well as leftovers and table scraps during puppyhood and adolescence, and berries during puppyhood were associated with less CE. In contrast, feeding an ultra-processed carbohydrate-based diet, namely dry dog food or “kibble” during puppyhood and adolescence, and rawhides during puppyhood were significant risk factors for CE later in life.
The rising trend in non-communicable chronic inflammatory diseases coincides with changes in Western lifestyle. While changes in the human microbiota may play a central role in the development of chronic diseases, estimating the contribution of associated lifestyle factors remains challenging. We studied the influence of lifestyle—diet, antibiotic use, and residential environment with housing and family—on the gut microbiota of healthy and owner-reported atopic pet dogs, searching for associations between the lifestyle factors, atopy and microbiota.
The results showed that atopic and healthy dogs had contrasting gut microbial composition. The gut microbiota also differed between two breeds, Labrador Retriever and Finnish Lapphund, selected for our study. Among all lifestyle factors studied, diet was most significantly associated with gut microbiota but only weakly with atopic symptoms. Thus, diet- and atopy-associated changes in the microbiota were not interrelated. Instead, the severity of symptoms was positively associated with the usage of antibiotics, which in turn was associated with the microbiota composition. Urban lifestyle was significantly associated with the increased prevalence of allergies but not with the gut microbiota. Our results from pet dogs supported previous evidence from humans, demonstrating that antibiotics, gut microbiota and atopic manifestation are interrelated. This congruence suggests that canine atopy might be a promising model for understanding the aetiology of human allergy.
This study was designed to assess the effect of metronomic cyclophosphamide on carboplatin’s tolerability, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics in female dogs with mammary carcinoma. Sixteen female dogs with mammary carcinoma were treated with 300 mg/m2 intravenous (i.v.) carboplatin therapy (n = 8) or 300 mg/m2 i.v. carboplatin which was associated with 12.5 mg/m2/day oral cyclophosphamide (n = 8). A non-compartmental analysis was applied to calculate the PK parameters of carboplatin in the second and fourth chemotherapy cycles. The carboplatin pharmacokinetics showed high interindividual variability with 10-fold variation in the area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) in the animals receiving carboplatin only. The systemic plasma exposure (AUC and Cmax) to carboplatin was equivalent in both of the treatments (carboplatin alone and carboplatin + cyclophosphamide). Carboplatin + metronomic cyclophosphamide was well-tolerated by all of the animals. Our results demonstrated that adding low daily doses of cyclophosphamide to the carboplatin therapy increased the survival rate of the female dogs with mammary cancer.
Background: Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) is the most common neurological disease in dogs. Multiple genes and environmental factors interact to cause clinical signs, although the pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Extensive evidence from recent decades shows that trace elements play a role in epilepsy in humans, and recently it was shown for the first time that also dogs with IE have altered trace element status. On the other hand, toxic metals may cause seizures but research on their role in canine IE is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate trace element and toxic metal concentrations in whole blood from dogs that had been diagnosed with IE and compare them to those of healthy dogs.
Materials and methods: Whole blood concentrations of trace elements (selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, and chromium) and toxic metals (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead) were analyzed from 19 dogs that had been diagnosed with IE by board-certified neurologists and 19 healthy control dogs using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The concentrations in study and control group were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test.
Results: Dogs diagnosed with IE had significantly higher blood copper concentration (P = 0.007), higher copper/zinc ratio (P = 0.04), and higher selenium concentration (P < 0.001), as well as lower chromium concentration (P = 0.01) when compared to healthy dogs. Treatment of IE with potassium bromide was associated with a significant elevation in blood arsenic concentration (P = 0.01).
Conclusion: In conclusion, the present results support the role of altered trace element status in dogs diagnosed with IE and suggest that copper, selenium, and chromium may be involved in the pathogenesis of canine epilepsy or seizures. The results also suggest that potassium bromide may alter arsenic metabolism in dogs.
Background: Altered trace element status is associated with epilepsy in humans and dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE).
Objectives: Compare hair element concentrations in epileptic and healthy dogs.
Animals: Sixty-three dogs with IE (53 treated, 10 untreated) and 42 controls.
Methods: Case-control study using ICP-MS to determine hair calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, selenium, chromium, lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, and nickel concentration. Groups were compared using nonparametric tests. Results were controlled for diet, sex, age, and hair color using generalized linear mixed models.
Results: Compared to healthy controls, dogs with IE had lower hair phosphorus (mean ± SD; IE: 286.19 ± 69.62 μg/g, healthy: 324.52 ± 58.69 μg/g; P = .001), higher hair copper (IE: 10.97 ± 3.51 μg/g, healthy: 8.41 ± 1.27 μg/g; P < .001), zinc (IE: 158.25 ± 19.64 μg/g, healthy: 144.76 ± 32.18 μg/g; P < .001), copper/zinc ratio (IE: 0.07 ± 0.02, healthy: 0.06 ± 0.01; P = .003), selenium (IE: 1.65 ± 0.43 μg/g, healthy: 0.94 ± 0.73 μg/g; P < .001), and arsenic (IE: 0.40 ± 0.78 μg/g, healthy: 0.05 ± 0.08 μg/g; P < .001). When comparing treated and untreated epileptic dogs with healthy dogs, the differences in phosphorus and selenium remained significant for both groups, whereas the differences in copper, zinc, and arsenic were significant only for treated dogs. Potassium bromide treatment was strongly associated with high hair arsenic (P = .000).
Conclusions and clinical importance: Altered trace element status could be involved in the pathophysiology of IE in dogs. Antiseizure drugs might affect trace element and arsenic metabolism.
Obtaining correct amounts of essential elements, and avoiding toxic metals are key factors in dog health.Through analyzing major and trace elements in hair and blood of 50 healthy companion dogs using ICP-MS, we study their associations with dog characteristics and diet, hypothesizing that eating the same diet long-term results in strong correlations between hair and blood element concentrations, and that dog characteristics and diet affect element status.
The correlation between hair and blood was significant for Hg (R = 0.601, p = 0.000) and Pb (R = 0.384, p = 0.010). The following associations were significant (p < 0.05): Dark hair had higher Ca and Mg compared to light hair. Females had higher hair Zn, blood Mn, and blood As compared to males. Blood Mn and Se increased, while blood Pb decreased with age. Raw diet fed dogs had higher hair Zn and Se compared to dry or mixed diet fed dogs, and lower blood Mn compared to dry diet fed dogs. Dry and mixed diet fed dogs had higher blood Cd compared to raw diet fed dogs. Mixed diet fed dogs had higher hair Ca and Mg compared to raw or dry diet fed dogs, and higher hair Pb compared to dry diet fed dogs. Wild game consumption was associated with higher blood Pb, and rice consumption with higher blood As. In conclusion, hair provides an alternative for assessing Hg and Pb exposure, and major and trace elements status is affected by hair color, sex, age, and diet.
Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic multifactorial disease in humans and dogs, usually assigned to the interactions between genes, gut microbiota, diet, environment, and the immune system. We aimed to investigate the modifiable early life exposures associated with IBD in dogs.
Materials and Methods: The study data was extracted from the validated owner-reported DogRisk food frequency questionnaire. This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study that tested 21 different early life dietary and environmental, demographic and genetic variables for their association with IBD or not, in adult dogs. A total of 7,015 dogs participated in this study. The study covered early life periods; prenatal, neonatal, early, and late postnatal periods. Two feeding patterns, a non-processed meat-based diet (NPMD) and an ultra-processed carbohydrate-based diet (UPCD) were studied. Data was analyzed using logistic regression analysis with a backward stepwise deletion.
Results: From the final models we found that the NPMD during early and late postnatal periods were significantly associated with lower IBD risk later in life. The UPCD during the same periods was associated with a higher risk of IBD incidence. Also, the maternal diet during the neonatal period showed a non-significant trend of lower IBD risk in the offspring with the NPMD and a higher IBD risk with the UPCD. Additionally, the normal body weight of puppies during the first 6 months of age was associated with a lower risk of IBD in adulthood while, slim puppies associated significantly with IBD in adulthood. From the non-modifiable background variables, we identified the maternal history of IBD as the strongest risk factor for later incidence of IBD. Furthermore, male dogs were twice as likely to develop IBD as female dogs were.
Conclusions: It is reassuring for owners to know that they themselves can have an impact on their dog's health. A high-fat, low-carbohydrate NPMD exposure during early life, and a normal body condition in puppyhood were significantly associated with less IBD in adult dogs. The opposite was true for UPCD exposure and abnormal body condition score in 6 month old puppies.
The increased prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in dogs necessitates research in its disease etiology. The objective of the study was to explore the association between puppyhood dietary exposures and prevalence of owner-reported allergy/atopy skin signs (AASS) after the age of 1 year. Four thousand and twenty-two dogs were eligible, 1158 cases, and 2864 controls.
Methods: This cross-sectional hypothesis-driven observational study was extracted from the DogRisk food frequency questionnaire. Forty-six food items and the ratio of 4 major diet types were tested for their association with AASS incidence later in life. Potential puppyhood dietary risk factors for AASS incidence were specified using binary multivariable logistic regression. The model was adjusted for age and sex.
The results: Eating raw tripe (odds ratio, 95% confidence intervals OR, 95% CI = 0.36, 0.16-0.79; P = .01), raw organ meats (OR, 95% CI = 0.23, 0.08-0.67; P = .007), human meal leftovers, and fish oil supplements as well as eating more that 20% of the diet as raw and/or <80% of the diet as dry, in general, were associated with significantly lower AASS incidence in adulthood. In contrast, dogs fed fruits (OR, 95% CI = 2.01, 1.31-3.07; P = .001), mixed-oil supplements, dried animal parts, and dogs that drank from puddles showed significantly higher AASS incidence in adulthood.
Conclusions and clinical importance: Puppyhood exposure to raw animal-based foods might have a protective influence on AASS incidence in adulthood, while puppyhood exposure to mixed oils, heat processed foods and sugary fruits might be a potential risk factor of AASS incidence later. The study suggests a causal relationship but does not prove it.
Background: While anecdotal evidence has long claimed that a raw meat–based diet (RMBD) improves the metabolic health of canines, no rigorous scientific study has clarified this issue. Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) has also been linked to metabolic health, but its relation to diet remains poorly understood. This study investigates whether dietary choice is linked to metabolic health in healthy and CAD-diagnosed canines via targeted serum and urine metabolomic analysis of polar, non-ionic metabolites, as well as whether the underlying CAD condition modulates the response to nutritional intake.
Materials and Methods: Serum metabolites of client-owned Staffordshire bull terriers, divided into CAD-diagnosed (n = 14) and healthy (n = 6) cohorts, were studied. Urine metabolites of a subset of the CAD-diagnosed canines (n = 8) were also studied. The canines were split into two cohorts based on diet. The first cohort were fed a commercially available high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate RMBD (n = 11, CAD diagnosed n = 8, healthy n = 3). Those in the second cohort were fed a commercially available moderate-fat, moderate-protein, high-carbohydrate kibble diet (KD) (n = 9: CAD diagnosed n = 6, healthy n = 3). The diet intervention period lasted approximately 4.5 months (median 135 days). Statistical analyses of the serum profiles across all dogs (n = 20) and the urine profiles of the CAD-diagnosed subset (n = 8) were performed.
Results and Discussion: The KD cohort was found to have higher concentrations of methionine than the RMBD cohort, both in serum (all dogs, p < 0.0001) and in urine (CAD-only cohort, p < 0.0002), as well as cystathionine and 4-pyridoxic acid. Methionine plays important roles in homocysteine metabolism, and elevated levels have been implicated in various pathologies. The CAD (n = 14) cohort dogs showed starker metabolic changes in response to diet regarding these pathways compared to the healthy (n = 6) cohort. However, there was no significant change in CAD severity as a result of either diet. Likely due to the higher meat content of the RMBD, higher concentrations of several carnitines and creatine were found in the RMBD cohort. Citrulline was found in higher concentrations in the KD cohort. Our findings provide insight into the relationship between diet and the serum and urine metabolite profiles of canines. They also suggest that neither diet significantly affected CAD severity.
Both humans and pet dogs are more prone to develop allergies in urban than in rural environments, which has been associated with the differing microbial exposures between areas. However, potential similarities in the microbiota, that associate with environmental exposures, in allergic dogs and owners has not been investigated.
We evaluated skin and gut microbiota, living environment, and lifestyle in 168 dog-owner pairs. Due to partly different manifestations of allergies between species, we focused on aeroallergen sensitized humans and dogs with owner-reported allergic symptoms.
Our results agree with previous studies: dog-owner pairs suffered simultaneously from these allergic traits, higher risk associated with an urban environment, and the skin, but not gut, microbiota was partly shared by dog-owner pairs. We further discovered that urban environment homogenized both dog and human skin microbiota. Notably, certain bacterial taxa, which were associated with living environment and lifestyle, were also related with allergic traits, but these taxa differed between dogs and humans.
Thus, we conclude that dogs and humans can be predisposed to allergy in response to same risk factors. However, as shared predisposing or protective bacterial taxa were not discovered, other factors than environmental microbial exposures can mediate the effect or furry dog and furless human skin select different taxa.
Background: There have been concerns related to inorganic arsenic (iAs) in rice and the risk of chronic toxicity in human beings, especially children. Rice is a common constituent of pet food, and dogs often eat the same food on a continual daily basis for long periods of time. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the risk of chronic iAs exposure in rice-based diet-fed dogs.
Methods: Hair iAs level was measured in seven rice-based diet-fed dogs (mean age 3.8 years) and in nine dogs that did not consume any rice (mean age 4.4 years), using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
Results: The hair iAs level was significantly higher (P=0.005) in dogs fed a rice-based diet (mean 0.143 µg/g) than in dogs that did not consume any rice (mean 0.086 µg/g), while age and sex did not show associations with hair iAs level.
Conclusion: The results suggest that eating a rice-based diet for long periods of time represents a risk for chronic iAs exposure in dogs.
Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) has a hereditary basis that is modified by interactions with the environment, including diet. Differentially expressed genes in non-lesional skin, determined by RNA sequencing before and after a dietary intervention, were compared between dogs with naturally occurring CAD (n = 4) and healthy dogs (n = 4). The dogs were fed either a common commercial heat-processed high carbohydrate food (kibble diet) (n = 4), or a non-processed high fat food (raw meat-based diet) (n = 4).
At the end of the diet intervention, 149 differentially expressed transcripts were found between the atopic and healthy dogs. The main canonical pathways altered by the dysregulation of these genes were angiopoietin signaling, epidermal growth factor signaling, activation of angiogenesis, and alterations in keratinocyte proliferation and lipid metabolism. On the other hand, 33 differently expressed transcripts were found between the two diet groups, of which 8 encode genes that are annotated in the current version of the dog genome: immunoglobulin heavy constant mu (IGHM), immunoglobulin lambda-like polypeptide 5 (IGLL5), B-cell antigen receptor complex-associated protein beta chain (CD79B), polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR), cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), secretory leukocyte peptidase inhibitor (SLPI), and mitochondrial ribosome recycling factor (MRRF). All genes were upregulated in the raw diet group.
In conclusion the findings of this study suggest alterations in lipid and keratinocyte metabolism as well as angiogenesis in the skin of atopic dogs. Additionally, a possible enhancement of innate immunity and decrease in oxidative stress was seen in raw food fed dogs, which could have an important role in preventing hypersensitivities and disturbed immunity at young age.
To date, very few studies have compared the effects of different types of feeding practices on canine physiology, such as feeding exclusively dry, raw, or homemade foods.
We aimed to report the changes in hematologic, serum biochemical, plasma folate, B12, and whole blood iron levels in dogs fed two different diets.
A pilot study was developed to compare the effects of a heat-processed high carbohydrate (HPHC) and nonprocessed high-fat (NPHF) diet. A total of 33 client-owned Staffordshire Bull Terriers were used; 18 had canine atopic dermatitis, seven were healthy, and eight were grouped as “borderline” dogs since they did not fulfill at least six of Favrot's criteria. The comparisons were made between the diet groups at the end visit of the diet intervention, as well as within the diet groups during the study.
Significant differences between and within the diet groups were observed, although the majority of outcomes remained within the RIs. The median time of diet intervention was 140 days. Red blood cell counts, mean cell hemoglobin concentrations, and platelet counts were significantly higher, and mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell volume, alkaline phosphatase, inorganic phosphorus, and cholesterol were significantly lower in the dogs fed the NPHF diet compared with those fed the HPHC diet after the diet trial was completed. In addition, folate, B12, and iron decreased significantly in the NPHF diet group.
This pilot study indicated that diet had an impact on blood values, although most remained within RIs, pointing out the need for further studies.
Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a multifactorial disease including genetic predisposition and other predisposing factors like living environment and diet. There is no known cure for this disease. The right and functional treatment can be hard to find, and more effort should be put into the prevention. The aim of this thesis was to find environmental factors and breeds associated with allergic skin symptoms and atopic dermatitis in pet dogs.
In addition, the effect of a raw diet on gene expression, physiology and metabolism was studied with clinical diet intervention trial setup, using client-owned dogs. A population of 8643 dogs from the validated DOGRISK questionnaire was used to analyse the environmental factors and dog characteristics related to CAD.
Five breeds with the most owner-reported skin symptoms as a percentage within the breed were found to be i) West Highland white terrier, ii) boxer, iii) English bulldog, iv) Dalmatian, and v) French bulldog.
When FCI breed groups were compared to mixed-breed dogs, groups 3 (Terriers) and 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds) had a significantly higher risk for owner-reported skin symptoms.
On the other hand, groups 5 (Spitz and primitive types) and 10 (Sighthounds) had a significantly lower risk for owner-reported skin symptoms. The environmental factors found significantly associated with less owner-reported skin symptoms and veterinary-verified CAD were i) being born in the owner family and ii) living with other dogs. In addition, significant association of less owner-reported skin symptoms was found with dogs living in a detached house. Factors that were significantly associated with more owner-reported skin symptoms included extremely clean household and over 50 % of white colour in the coat.
In the clinical diet intervention study, 46 client-owned atopic and healthy Staffordshire bull terriers were fed two different kind of diets (raw and dry food). Haematological and clinical chemistry profiles, folate, B12, iron, and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF- β1) concentration were analyzed. In addition, gene expression profiles were determined from the skin samples of eight dogs. Cholesterol was significantly increased in the dry food fed dogs and decresed in the raw food fed dogs. In addition, the raw food significantly decreased, among others, alkaline phosphatase and glucose. Plasma folate and B12 and whole blood iron were significantly decreased, and TGF- β1 significantly increased by the raw food diet.
The skin gene expression was also affected by the diet. There were genes related to immune defence, reactive oxygen species and antioxidants upregulated in the dogs fed raw food. Several genes were found differentially expressed between atopic and healthy dogs, some unrelated to diet fed and some differentially affected by the diet in atopic and healthy dogs.
These results are preliminary and should be confirmed using more samples. Nevertheless, they give an interesting and novel information about the effect of the diet on the skin gene expression.
In conclusion, this thesis presents results from different study designs all concentrating on the same disease, canine atopic dermatitis. Many results presented here are related to immune defence and exposure to microbes. Too clean environment and food might not stimulate the immunity enough and could lead to incorrect development of the immune system in young animals. The incomplete stimulation could result in CAD and hypersensitivities later in life, and should be considered when thinking of the prevention of these diseases.
Feeding pets raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) is commonly practiced by many companion animal owners and has received increasing attention in recent years. It may be beneficial for the animals, but may also pose a health risk for both pets and their owners, as RMBDs may be contaminated by enteric pathogens—such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Yersinia—which are the most common zoonotic bacteria causing enteritis in humans.
Little information exists on the prevalence of these pathogens in pet food, and thus one aim was to investigate the prevalence of Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Yersinia in commercial RMBDs from retail stores. Little evidence also exists on the significance of raw meat feeding on the shedding of Campylobacter, Salmonella, and enteropathogenic Yersinia in the feces of pets, and therefore, the second goal was to study the presence of these pathogens in dogs and cats fed RMBDs.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) only sporadically detected Campylobacter, Salmonella, and enteropathogenic Yersinia in RMBDs. These pathogens were not found by culturing, indicating a low contamination level in frozen RMBDs. They were also detected in the feces of dogs and cats, but the association with feeding RMBDs to them remained unclear.
You can find the full study "Raw Meat-Based Diets in Dogs and Cats" here.
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to observe whether environmental factors and phenotypic traits are associated with owner-reported skin problems and with veterinary diagnosed canine atopic dermatitis (CAD). Data were collected using the validated online DOGRISK questionnaire.
Out of the data that the questionnaire provides for analysis, focus was first turned towards addressing questions regarding ‘Atopy/allergy (skin symptoms)’ using a total of 8643 dogs: 1585 dogs with owner-reported allergic/atopic skin symptoms and 7058 dogs without.
A subsequent analysis compared dogs with veterinary-verified CAD (n = 322) as a case group against the 7058 dogs without owner-reported skin symptoms. The association between 21 factors related to the environment, canine phenotypes and breed groups within both populations were analysed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression.
The environmental factors that showed a significant inverse association with the risk of owner-reported allergic/atopic skin symptoms were as following: whether the dog was living in a detached house, whether there were other dogs in the household, and whether the dog was born in the current household.
Having over 50% white colour in the coat and living in an extremely clean household were significantly associated with an increased risk of owner-reported allergic/atopic skin symptoms. The five breeds demonstrating the highest proportion of owner-reported allergic/atopic skin symptoms were West Highland white terrier, Boxer, English bulldog, Dalmatian and French bulldog.
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) dog breed groups 3 (Terriers) and 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds) showed a significantly higher risk for owner-reported allergic/atopic skin symptoms than mixed breed dogs.
In the second population, the inverse association was observed between the risk of CAD and the presence of other dogs in the household, and whether the dog had been born in the current household.
The results indicate that some environmental factors and canine phenotypes are associated with CAD and owner-reported skin symptoms, but they still do not prove causality.
You can find the full study "Environmental and phenotype-related risk factors for owner-reported allergic/atopic skin symptoms and for canine atopic dermatitis verified by veterinarian in a Finnish dog population" here.
In recent years, increasing numbers of consumers have become interested in feeding raw food for their pet dogs as opposed to commercial dry food, in the belief of health advantages. However, raw meat and internal organs, possibly contaminated by pathogens such as Campylobacter spp., may pose a risk of transmission of zoonoses to the pet owners.
Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans but C. upsaliensis has also been associated with human disease.
In this study we investigated the effect of different feeding strategies on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in Finnish dogs. We further characterized the isolates using multilocus sequence typing (MLST), whole-genome (wg) MLST and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
Dogs were sampled before and after a feeding period consisting of commercial raw feed or dry pellet feed. Altogether 56% (20/36) of the dogs yielded at least one Campylobacter-positive fecal sample. C. upsaliensis was the major species detected from 39% of the dogs before and 30% after the feeding period. Two C. jejuni isolates were recovered, both from raw-fed dogs after the dietary regimen.
The isolates represented the same genotype (ST-1326), suggesting a common infection source. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between the feeding strategies and Campylobacter spp. carriage. The global genealogy of MLST types of dog and human C. upsaliensis isolates revealed weakly clonal population structure as most STs were widely dispersed. Major antimicrobial resistance among C. upsaliensis isolates was against streptomycin (STR MIC > 4 mg/l).
Apart from that, all isolates were highly susceptible against the antimicrobials tested. Mutations were found in the genes rpsL or rpsL and rsmG in streptomycin resistant isolates. In conclusion, increasing trend to feed dogs with raw meat warrants more studies to evaluate the risk associated with raw feeding of pets in transmission of zoonoses to humans.
You can find the full study "Population Genetics and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Canine Campylobacter Isolates Collected before and after a Raw Feeding Experiment" here.
The DOGRISK questionnaire is an internet-based ongoing study of canine nutrition, living environment, and disease. Here we aim to assess the performance of the questionnaire using data from the first three years in relation to some descriptive and disease variables. We used associated questions, official register records, test-retest repeatability, and email/mail contact with questionnaire respondents.
Reliability against an official register of gender, season of birth, breed, and results of hip radiography was tested and Cohen's Kappa was between 0.95-0.99. Internal consistencies of hypothyroidism status and dog's age were calculated using Cronbach's Alpha (α = 0.95 and α = 0.99, respectively). Test-retest repeatability of ten variables among 224 participants was analyzed. Gender, season of birth, and born in owner family had Cohen's Kappa > 0.86, color of coat, vaccination status as an adult, other dogs in household, and vaccination status as a puppy had Cohen's Kappa between 0.67-0.80, and body condition score under two months of age and tidiness of household, had Cohen's kappa of 0.45 and 0.42, respectively. In addition, time spent outside had Cohen's kappa of 0.37. Of the owners contacted by email/mail to confirm their dog's atopy/allergy (skin symptoms), 8.9% reported that they had given an incorrect answer (positive predicted value 91%), but only 69% of all reaffirmed positive answers had a diagnosis set by a veterinarian.
Our study showed that owners were diligent with basic information and with the status of three diseases. Cohen's Kappa in the reliability of the test-retest was in most variables at least 0.67. We propose that the descriptive variables and the disease variables be used as such when we generate hypotheses from the DOGRISK data.
You can find the full "Validating and reliability testing the descriptive data and three different disease diagnoses of the internet-based DOGRISK questionnaire" study here.
This study suggest that feeding a bone and raw food diet (BARF) or raw meat, raw offal, raw bone and raw cartilage, raw fish, raw egg and raw tripe as a supplementation to other diets or as a part of the BARF diet showed protective effect vis a vis CHD.
The study also suggests that feeding cooked meat, bone and cartilage might increase the risk of CHD.
Feeding of dry commercial food was common in both the case and control groups and did not show any association to CHD in this study. The proportion of BARF food fed in puppyhood, on the contrary, showed a significant difference between hip dysplastic and non-dysplastic dogs in both age groups, indicating that even if only a part of the dog’s diet is raw food, it could already help protect puppies from CHD.
Further analyses as well as clinical trials should be done next to test these results.
The full "Influence of nutrition at young age on canine hip dysplasia in German shepherd dogs: a case-control study from Finland" research can be found here.
It seems that bone and raw food (BARF) at a young age has a positive influence. Already when 20% (1/5) of the diet is BARF, there starts to be more healthy dogs per group.
In this study both raw proteins, raw vegetables and berries were saving the dog from atopy/allergy type of disease whereas typical commercial dry products seemed to increase the risk for this disease. In the logistic model of suffering from this disease or not, eating raw meat as well as raw bone and cartilage gave the strongest association of the food items.
Like humans, dogs too suffer from atopy and allergy. Anecdotal data suggest that a non-heated raw diet may help the disease. Strict diet intervention studies are easy to do on pet dogs as dog owners anyway tend to give their dogs the same food daily for months or years. Targeted metabolomics might shed light on common diet related physiology on a biochemical level.
To investigate the altered metabolite levels and perturbed metabolic pathways after a dietary intervention in dogs suffering from atopy .
It is unclear if the diet compositions (protein versus carbo-hydrate) or the way of processing the food, i.e. if it was non-heated or heated, had an impact on the results. However, we propose that the dog should be further studied as a model for human research.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate pain intensity and kinetic variables in dogs with hip dysplasia (HD) treated with acupuncture, carprofen, or a placebo.
DESIGN Randomized, controlled clinical study. ANIMALS 54 HD-affected dogs and 16 healthy dogs.
PROCEDURES Seven HD-affected dogs were removed from the study. Dogs with HD were treated in a blinded manner for 30 days with acupuncture (once weekly for 5 sessions; n = 15), carprofen (4.4 mg/kg [2.0 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h; n = 16), or placebo capsules containing lactose (1 mg/kg [0.45 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h; n = 16). Dogs were evaluated 2 weeks and immediately before (baseline) and 2, 4, and 6 weeks after the onset of treatment. Owners evaluated the dogs' pain intensity with 2 validated questionnaires and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and evaluated degree of lameness with a VAS for locomotion. Kinetics of the hind limbs were also evaluated. Sixteen HD-free dogs were used to assess the evaluation protocol.
RESULTS Owners' assessments revealed that outcomes of the 3 treatments did not differ significantly. The Canine Brief Pain Inventory and VAS pain intensity assessments were decreased from baseline at weeks 4 and 6, respectively, but only in acupuncture-treated dogs. The locomotion VAS values were decreased at week 4 in acupuncture-treated and carprofen-treated dogs. Kinetic evaluation findings did not differ among the groups or over time.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Neither acupuncture nor carprofen was significantly different from placebo. Acupuncture and carprofen reduced the degree of subjectively evaluated lameness, and acupuncture was associated with a decrease in validated chronic pain scores.
You can find the full "Owner assessment of chronic pain intensity and results of gait analysis of dogs with hip dysplasia treated with acupuncture" study here.
Dogs suffer spontaneously from many of the diseases that humans have but as they live shorter lives they get them sooner. Dogs live in homes, so diet interventions can be conducted in the human environment. While human diet interventions with long duration are difficult to conduct and control it is much easier with dogs: they eat only what humans give them and can eat the same food for months without it being unpleasant for the dog, nor for the owner. All these reduce confounding factors of the blood values and allow possible generalisations onto humans. Several studies concerning vitamins in dog blood have been made using various protocols, but no final reference values have been set for the concentration of vitamins in dog blood or tissues. Here we are piloting the methods.
As the canine serum concentrations of vitamins A, D and E are similar to those of humans and can be measured using the same protocols in a laboratory that analyses mainly human samples this could be an indication of an at least somewhat similar metabolism. This needs, however, to be studied further. Canine diet interventions could offer valuable results in a simpler and quicker format compared to human studies and it would be possible to evaluate lipidsoluble vitamins in these trials. Dogs are fairly inbred so we can see genetical differences between different breeds. This could explain, at least partially, the differences in vitamin concentrations between different breeds.
Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is a disease that leads to osteoarthritis (OA) and chronic pain. Nutrolin Nivel (Olini Oy, Espoo, Finland) was tested for this patient group in a non-blinded case series. This product is a joint formula with fluid fish oil as the source of omega-3 fatty acids (280 mg/ml) and tablets consisting of glucosamine HCl, chondroitin sulfate and MSM (330 mg, 220 mg and 110 mg per tablet, respectively).
Decrease in chronic pain from baseline to the end of the 3 month supplementation period was suggested by a significant decrease in the HCPI (p=0.048). The decreases in mobility and quality of life VASs, were not significant.
This is the first report from a canine study involving a joint formula consisting of fish oil, glucosamine HCl, chondroitin sulfate, and MSM. Although only one of the three variables examined showed a significant change, this was the only validated variable and therefore suggests that there is a positive effect. A randomized, blinded study should now be planned to verify these results.
Raw food and nutraceutical oils seem to decrease the odds of neoplasia development when provided at young age, while processed foods seem to increase the odds.
Both our nutrition based variables and the other significantly associated confounding variables might be a piece in the pathophysiological puzzle of neoplasia. It would be intrinsically related with early gut health, at a time when the immune system is having its initial contacts with antigens and forming its microbiota.
As dogs and humans both suffer from similar cancers we hypothesize that for both, the development of neoplasia may have a fundamental relation with their diet.
In spite of the limitations of the study, such as self-selection of respondents, a likely tendency of social desirability in their answers, and the fact that the animals diseases were not verified by a veterinarian, this study points to health benefits of feeding raw food to dogs. Prospective research is needed.
This study reports novel information about the different effects of dry and raw dog food on blood haematology and biochemistry values. More research is needed to confirm these results and find the physiological processes behind these phenomena.
Fatty acid concentrations in blood are potential biomarkers of dietary fat intake, but methodological studies among children are scarce. The large number of fatty acids and their complex interrelationships pose a special challenge in research on fatty acids.
Our target was to assess the interrelationships between the total fatty acid profiles in diet and serum of young children. The study subjects were healthy control children from the birth cohort of the Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study. A 3-day food record and a frozen serum sample were available from 135 children at the age of 1 year, from 133 at 2 years, and from 92 at 3 years.
The relationship between dietary and serum fatty acid profiles was analysed using canonical correlation analysis.
The consumption of fatty milk correlated positively with serum fatty acids, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) at all ages. Correlations between dietary and serum eicosapentaenoic and/or docosahexaenoic acid were observed at 2 and 3 years of age. Serum linoleic acid was positively associated with the consumption of infant formula at the age of 1 year, and with the consumption of vegetable margarine at 2 and 3 years.
The results indicate a high quality of the 3-day food records kept by parents and other caretakers of the children, and suitability of non-fasting, un-fractioned serum samples for total fatty acid analyses. The correlation between intake of milk fat and serum proportion of CLA is a novel finding.
You can find the full "Fatty acids in serum and diet - a canonical correlation analysis among toddlers" study here.
Despite the popularity of canine blood donor (BD) programs, there is scarce scientific information regarding iron status in this canine population of dogs.
To assess iron status in dogs used in a blood donor program.
A total of 130 healthy dogs (75 BD, 55 controls [C]) were included. A subset of dogs (n = 12) were used to evaluate the effects of repetitive donations by having a second and more recent sample analyzed.
SI (183.7 ± 55.3 μg/dL) and %SAT (55.7 ± 17.4%) were higher and UIBC (152.6 ± 73.3 μg/dL) was lower in BD dogs than in C (153.9 ± 51.7 μg/dL, 43.8 ± 17.8%, and 224.1 ± 120.6 μg/dL, respectively). Also, UIBC and TIBC were lower, and %SAT higher in Greyhounds when compared with non-Greyhounds. ED had decreased %SAT and increased UIBC and TIBC when compared with LD.
Our canine BD population did not have iron deficiency and had higher SI concentration than C. However, ED (~14 consecutive blood donations every ~8 weeks) developed a mild iron deficiency, although values were still within canine reference intervals. Greyhounds have higher %SAT than non-Greyhounds, which might be a breed-specific peculiarity.
You can find the full "Iron status in blood donor dogs" study here.
This study shows significant effect of the diet on fat metabolism parameters in dogs: After eating a high fat diet the dogs had significantly more ketone bodies and less triglycerides and cholesterol in their blood. This suggests that dogs also change from producing and using glucose to producing and using ketone bodies as fuel in their bodies. Next we should analyse the change in the different cholesterol lipoprotein transporters (LDL, VLDL and HDL) in the trial dogs.
The aim of this worldwide survey was to determine owner-reported frequency of pathogen transmission to humans living in or in contact with households feeding their pets raw, minimally processed (MP) diets. A total of 5,611 responses were gathered from 62 countries with 77.1% of households feeding only MP diets to dog and/or cat(s). There was no confirmed cases of pathogen transmission or infection by laboratory testing. Eleven households (0.20%; 95% CI, 0.10-0.36) were classified as having experienced "probable" transmission, and 20 households (0.36%; 95% CI, 0.22-0.56) were classified as having experienced "possible" transmission to result in a total of 31 households (0.55%; 95% CI, 0.38-0.79) being identified as potential cases of transmission. The remainder of households (n = 5,580 = 99.45%; 95% CI, 99.21-99.62) were not considered to have experienced potential transmission of foodborne pathogens based on their responses to the survey. The most frequently reported pathogens were Salmonella (n = 11, 0.2%), Campylobacter (n = 6, 0.1%), and Escherichia coli (n = 4, 0.1%), with the most common age group being adults age 18-65 (n = 29, 78.4% of cases). The risk factors associated with pathogen transmission included preparing either MP diets in a separate location, with different utensils than human food, mixing MP diets with dry (kibble) diets and feeding a limited variety of protein sources. Based on the results of this survey, confirmed pathogen transmission from MP diets to humans appears to be rare.
You can find the full "Low Number of Owner-Reported Suspected Transmission of Foodborne Pathogens From Raw Meat-Based Diets Fed to Dogs and/or Cats" study here
Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a multifactorial disease including genetic predisposition and other predisposing factors like living environment and diet. There is no known cure for this disease. The right and functional treatment can be hard to find, and more effort should be put into the prevention. The aim of this thesis was to find environmental factors and breeds associated with allergic skin symptoms and atopic dermatitis in pet dogs. In addition, the effect of a raw diet on gene expression, physiology and metabolism was studied with clinical diet intervention trial setup, using client-owned dogs.
A population of 8643 dogs from the validated DOGRISK questionnaire was used to analyse the environmental factors and dog characteristics related to CAD. Five breeds with the most owner-reported skin symptoms as a percentage within the breed were found to be i) West Highland white terrier, ii) boxer, iii) English bulldog, iv) Dalmatian, and v) French bulldog. When FCI breed groups were compared to mixed-breed dogs, groups 3 (Terriers) and 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds) had a significantly higher risk for owner-reported skin symptoms. On the other hand, groups 5 (Spitz and primitive types) and 10 (Sighthounds) had a significantly lower risk for owner-reported skin symptoms. The environmental factors found significantly associated with less owner-reported skin symptoms and veterinary-verified CAD were i) being born in the owner family and ii) living with other dogs. In addition, significant association of less owner-reported skin symptoms was found with dogs living in a detached house. Factors that were significantly associated with more owner-reported skin symptoms included extremely clean household and over 50 % of white colour in the coat.
In the clinical diet intervention study, 46 client-owned atopic and healthy Staffordshire bull terriers were fed two different kind of diets (raw and dry food). Haematological and clinical chemistry profiles, folate, B12, iron, and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF- β1) concentration were analyzed. In addition, gene expression profiles were determined from the skin samples of eight dogs. Cholesterol was significantly increased in the dry food fed dogs and decresed in the raw food fed dogs. In addition, the raw food significantly decreased, among others, alkaline phosphatase and glucose. Plasma folate and B12 and whole blood iron were significantly decreased, and TGF- β1 significantly increased by the raw food diet.
The skin gene expression was also affected by the diet. There were genes related to immune defence, reactive oxygen species and antioxidants upregulated in the dogs fed raw food. Several genes were found differentially expressed between atopic and healthy dogs, some unrelated to diet fed and some differentially affected by the diet in atopic and healthy dogs. These results are preliminary and should be confirmed using more samples. Nevertheless, they give an interesting and novel information about the effect of the diet on the skin gene expression.
In conclusion, this thesis presents results from different study designs all concentrating on the same disease, canine atopic dermatitis. Many results presented here are related to immune defence and exposure to microbes. Too clean environment and food might not stimulate the immunity enough and could lead to incorrect development of the immune system in young animals. The incomplete stimulation could result in CAD and hypersensitivities later in life, and should be considered when thinking of the prevention of these diseases.
Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of disease, and the antioxidant physiological effect of omega-3 from fish oil may lead to improvement of canine spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA).
Supplementation with fish oil resulted in a significant reduction from day 0 to day 112 in MDA (from 3.41 ± 1.34 to 2.43 ± 0.92 μmol/L; P < 0.001) and an elevation in Free-Car (from 18.18 ± 9.78 to 21.19 ± 9.58 μmol/L; P = 0.004) concentrations, whereas dogs receiving corn oil presented a reduction in MDA (from 3.41 ± 1.34 to 2.41 ± 1.01 μmol/L; P = 0.001) and NTBI (from -1.25 ± 2.17 to -2.31 ± 1.64 μmol/L; P = 0.002). Both groups showed increased (albeit not significantly) GSH and 8-OH-dG blood values. Dogs supplemented with fish oil had a significant reduction in the proportions of monocytes (from 3.84 ± 2.50 to 1.77 ± 1.92 %; P = 0.030) and basophils (from 1.47 ± 1.22 to 0.62 ± 0.62 %; P = 0.012), whereas a significant reduction in platelets counts (from 316.13 ± 93.83 to 288.41 ± 101.68 × 10(9)/L; P = 0.029), and an elevation in glucose (from 5.18 ± 0.37 to 5.32 ± 0.47 mmol/L; P = 0.041) and cholesterol (from 7.13 ± 1.62 to 7.73 ± 2.03 mmol/L; P = 0.011) measurements were observed in dogs receiving corn oil.
In canine OA, supplementation with deep sea fish oil improved diverse markers of oxidative status in the dogs studied. As corn oil also contributed to the reduction in certain oxidative markers, albeit to a lesser degree, there was no clear difference between the two oil groups. No clinical, haematological or biochemical evidence of side effects emerged related to supplementation of either oil. Although a shift in blood fatty acid values was apparent due to the type of nutraceutical product given to the dogs, corn oil seems not to be a good placebo.
This study investigated the cross sectional area (CSA) and fat infiltration of the epaxial muscles in Dachshunds with compressive spinal cord lesions due to intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) and in dogs with non-compressive spinal cord lesions with fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE). The CSA and fat infiltration of the multifidi and longissimus dorsi muscles were determined from T1 weighted magnetic resonance images.
Difference in CSA and fat infiltration between the lesion- and non-lesion side in the Dachshunds was assessed using mixed model analysis. Difference in CSA and fat infiltration between Dachshunds and FCE dogs was analysed with independent sample t-tests.
There was no difference in CSA or fat infiltration between sides in the Dachshunds. FCE dogs had greater CSA (multifidus P = 0.036, longissimus P < 0.001) and less fat infiltration compared to Dachshunds (longissimus P = 0.017).
Duration of neurological deficits, age, body size and conformation are likely to have influenced the difference between the groups.
You can find the full "Comparison of cross sectional area and fat infiltration of the epaxial muscles in dogs with and without spinal cord compression." study here.
Greyhounds have well-described clinicopathologic idiosyncrasies, including a high prevalence of osteosarcoma (OSA). Hematocrit, HGB, and HGB oxygen affinity are higher than in other dogs, while haptoglobin concentration is lower, so we hypothesized that Greyhounds have a different iron metabolism. To our knowledge, there are no reports on serum iron profiles in Greyhounds.
To elucidate iron metabolism in Greyhounds, we wanted to compare serum iron concentration, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and percent transferrin saturation (%SAT) in healthy retired racing Greyhounds (RRGs) with OSA (RRGs - OSA), and also with non-Greyhounds (NGs), without and with OSA (NGs - OSA).
TIBC was lower in RRGs than in NGs (P < .0001), and in RRGs - OSA than in NGs - OSA (P < .0001). NGs - OSA had lower TIBC than healthy NGs (P = .003). Percent SAT was higher in RRGs than in NGs (P < .0001) and in RRGs - OSA (P = .008), and %SAT was also lower in NGs than in NGs - OSA (P = .004). Percent SAT was also higher in RRGs - OSA than in NGs - OSA (P = .001). Both RRGs - OSA (P = .02) and NGs - OSA (P < .0001) had lower serum iron concentrations than their healthy counterparts.
Lower TIBC and higher %SAT may constitute another Greyhound idiosyncrasy compared with other dogs. In this study, all dogs with OSA had higher serum iron concentrations and %SAT than healthy dogs.
You can find the full "Markers of iron metabolism in retired racing Greyhounds with and without osteosarcoma" study here.