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Eight German Shepherd pups, about 75 days old and a live weight of 11 kg at the beginning of the trial, were used to assay a diet formulated according to NRC, 1985 (Nutrient Requirements of Dogs). The diet was administered either pelletized (PD) or extruded (ED). Acceptability was evaluated through a cafeteria test, and diet utilization by a digestion trial, wherein dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), nitrogen-free extract (NFE), energy (E), Ca and P were considered. At the beginning and at the end of the digestibility trial, venous blood samples were obtained to run biochemical profiles. Results of the cafeteria test showed that extrusion-cooking improved significantly (P greater than 0.01) diet consumption, which for the ED was 512 and for the PD, 253 g/animal/day. Extrusion also improved significantly (P less than 0.01), the digestibility of DM, CP, EE, NFE and E, reaching values of 82.6, 75.2, 83.9, 90.8 and 83.6% for ED, and 68.0, 64.6, 76.7, 73.5 and 69.7 for PD, respectively. For CF, Ca and P, there was no effect (P greater than 0.05) of extrusion over digestibility. The biochemical profiles, only exhibited minor changes, all figures being considered within the normal range for puppies. It is concluded that extrusion-cooking significantly improves acceptability and biological utilization of normal diets for dogs.

Forty-five marasmic infants were studied for plasma zinc and copper levels. They were selected from those children admitted to a nutritional recovery center. The mean plasma zinc level was 92.4 +/- 24 micrograms/dl (mean +/- SD); 7% of the infants had low zinc values as defined by zinc less than 70 micrograms/dl. Median copper was 90 micrograms/dl (range 27-172) and 49% of the children had copper levels below 90 micrograms/dl (established as our normal limit). Birth weight, breast feeding and prior hospitalization for acute diarrhea with dehydration were studied as antecedents related to low Cu and Zn. Children with prior diagnosis of acute diarrhea and hospitalization had lower copper levels than those sent from primary care centers. Breast feeding was associated with higher Cu levels. No relationship was found between zinc levels and those antecedents, but differences were found in regard to the degree of malnutrition, season of the year and Zn status. In this investigation no Zn deficiency was found in marasmus cases. Hypocupremia, however, is a very significant problem in marasmic infants, especially when associated with early weaning and the presence of previous hospitalization for acute diarrhea.