Digestibility and compatibility of mixed diets and faecal consistency in different breeds of dog

The digestive capacity of dogs varying in body size was tested. Digestive e xperiments were conducted with 10 different canine breeds (n = 66) with bod y weights ranging from 4.2 to 52.5 kg with 4-9 individuals. The animals wer e led a canned or a dry commercial diet with a constant dry matter intake o f 13 g/kg BW/day, except in Irish wolfhounds, which ingested only 10 g dry matter with the canned diet. Faecal dry matter was around 14% (absolutely) higher for the dry diet compared to the canned food, with a tendency in the larger breeds towards higher faecal water contents, less favourable faecal quality and increased numbers of defaecations. The Irish wolfhounds, the l argest breed tested, had faeces with considerably lower water contents comp ared to Labrador retrievers, indicating that body weight is not the only fa ctor to be considered. There were only small differences in the apparent di gestibility of crude nutrients amongst the breeds. Sodium and potassium abs orption was higher when the dry diet was led compared to the canned food. I n conclusion, breed and individual factors hale to be taken into account wh en performing tests with dug food. Test panels for evaluating commercial di ets should include breeds of larger body size and higher sensitivity to die tary disorders.