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Hospitalized dogs are predisposed to undernutrition, which can potentially affect outcome. This study evaluated the prevalence of undernutrition in hospitalized dogs (measured as loss of body condition score, BCS and body weight, BW) and studied the risk factors that affect nutritional status, and outcome (discharge or death). Data was collected prospectively during 9 months from 500 hospitalized dogs with a hospitalization length longer than 24 h in a veterinary teaching hospital in Spain. The BCS and BW changes were modeled using multiple linear regression and outcome was modeled using logistic regression. The risk factors studied were energy intake, hospitalization length, initial BW and BCS, age, sex, severity of clinical signs, department of admission, fasting or nutritional interventions, and the presence of anorexia, vomiting or diarrhea at admission. Most of the dogs (84.0%) consumed less than 25% of their energy requirements and only 3.4% of the dogs met these requirements. The majority of hospitalized dogs maintained their BCS (78.2%) and BW (77%) during hospitalization. Older patients ( P = 0.040), higher initial BCS ( P < 0.001), and vomiting at admission ( P = 0.030) were associated with a decrease of BCS status during hospitalization. BCS was also decreased in patients with low energy intake, particularly in patients with hospitalization length longer than 3 days ( P < 0.001). Both longer hospitalization length ( P < 0.001) and vomiting at admission ( P = 0.004) were also associated with a decrease in BW. Dogs that consumed their theoretical energy requirements [ P < 0.001; Odds Ratio (OR) 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92 to 0.98], and had a higher initial BCS ( P < 0.001; OR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.63) had a lower odds of dying. Anorexia at admission ( P < 0.001; OR 5.67, 95% CI: 2.23 to 15.47) was associated with a higher risk of death. The results from this study support the finding that undernutrition is relatively common during hospitalization, with age, hospitalization length, decreased energy intake, and vomiting at admission as risk factors for undernutrition. Furthermore, an association was found between inadequate energy intake and death.

Pet owners have increasing concerns about the nutrition of their pets, and they desire foods and treats that are safe, traceable, and of high nutritive value. To meet these high expectations, detailed chemical composition characterization of ingredients well beyond that provided by proximate analysis will be required, as will information about host physiology and metabolism. Use of faster and more precise analytical methodology and novel technologies that have the potential to improve pet food safety and quality will be implemented. In vitro and in vivo assays will continue to be used as screening tools to evaluate nutrient quality and adequacy in novel ingredients prior to their use in animal diets. The use of molecular and high-throughput technologies allows implementation of noninvasive studies in dogs and cats to investigate the impact of dietary interventions by using systems biology approaches. These approaches may further improve the health and longevity of pets.

Tryptophan, a precursor of important molecules such as serotonin, melatonin and niacin, is an essential amino acid for dogs. In pigs, tryptophan supplementation has been shown to induce a significant increase in food intake. The aim of the present study was to assess whether long-term tryptophan supplementation increases voluntary food intake in dogs and to observe whether this was accompanied by a change in serum ghrelin. In the present study, sixteen adult Beagle dogs were used, with four male and four female dogs fed diets supplemented with tryptophan (1 g/dog per d) during 81 d (Trp) and four male and four female dogs that were not supplemented (control). A voluntary food intake test was performed during 5 d following the supplementation period. The Trp group tended to show a higher food intake during the voluntary food intake test (58.0 (SE 5.37) v. 77.5 (SE 3.65) g/kg metabolic weight per d; P = 0.074). No significant differences were found for serum ghrelin concentrations.

Two experiments were performed to study the effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on abdominal fat pad weight and chemical composition of broilers. In Experiment 1, different fat sources were blended in different ratios keeping added fat level constant (9%). In Experiment 2, PUFA gradient was obtained by increasing the level of inclusion (2, 4, 6 and 8%) of PUFA-rich oil. The treatments had 15, 34, 45 and 61 and 28, 38, 48 and 59 g PUFA/kg diet, respectively. Apparent metabolizable energy intake was similar in both experiments, except for the more saturated diet in Experiment 1 (15 g PUFA/kg), where it was lower. In Experiment 1, abdominal fat pad weight, total body fat and body energy were lower in the animals on the high PUFA diets (p < 0.05) compared to the animals on the saturated-rich ones, meanwhile in Experiment 2 there were no differences on chemical and energy composition by increasing added PUFA-rich oil inclusion level. In conclusion, PUFA-rich chicken diets, compared to saturated-rich ones, cause a lower body fat deposition, but not compared to low-PUFA low-fat diets.