RAW AND RENDERED ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS AS INGREDIENTS IN DOG DIETS

Approximately 25 to 40% of the DM in premium dog diets is animal by-pr oduct. However, limited information is available regarding the composi tion and digestibility of these by-products, especially small intestin al digestibility. The effects of raw and rendered animal by-products i ncorporated into dog diets on nutrient digestion at the ileum and in t he total tract were studied in this experiment. Diets fed contained va rious animal by-products including a rendered beef meat and bone meal (RMBM); fresh beef (FB); poultry by-product meal (PBPM); fresh poultry (FP); a plant-based control protein source, defatted soy flour (DS); and an animal-based control protein source, dehydrated whole egg (WE). The diets were extruded and kibbled. By-products varied widely in con centrations of OM, CP, amino acids, and fat. Nutrient intakes were num erically higher for FB than for all other treatments. All nutrient int akes were higher (P < .03) for the FB treatment than for the RMBM trea tment. Digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, fat, and GE at the ileum were hi gher(P < .06) when dogs were fed diets containing FP than when fed die ts containing PBPM. Amino acids were highly digestible at the ileum; h owever, digestibilities of all amino acids except cystine were higher (P < .04) for the diets incorporating FP vs PBPM. Total tract digestio n was different among treatments for DM (P < .02), OM (P < .01), and G E (P < .02), and diets containing animal by-products were similar in t otal tract digestibility, greater than the DS control, and lower than the WE control. Rendering of poultry, but not beef, seemed to have a s light negative influence on small intestinal, but not total tract, dig estibility by dogs.