PSV-B-25 Performance of sunflower protein meal and dried yeast as secondary protein sources in canine diets

Abstract

Abstract The objectives of this study were to assess graded inclusions of sunflower protein meal (SPM; crude protein: 54%, crude fat: 11%, crude fiber: 4%) and dried yeast (DY; crude protein: 50%, crude fat: 3%, crude fiber: 2%) on nutrient digestibility, stool quality, and palatability in adult dogs. Both SPM and DY were included at 5% and 10% in replacement of pea protein in a high-protein, chicken-based canine diet to maintain equal macronutrient concentrations across all test diets (formulated to 35% crude protein, 15% crude fat, 3% crude fiber). The study was approved and followed by the facility’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. A standard 2-bowl palatability test over a 2-day period was executed with adult dogs (n = 30 each) to determine intake ratios (IR) between test diets (5% and 10% SPM or 5% and 10% DY), and test diets vs. control. Total tract nutrient digestibility was evaluated (n = 8 per diet) with 5 days of diet acclimation followed by 5 days of total fecal collection. Stool quality was evaluated on a 1–5 scale, where 1 = hard/formed and 5 = non-formed/diarrhea. All data were analyzed by ANOVA (SAS v9.4) and T-tests post-hoc (Minitab 18). With P < 0.05 considered statistically significant, no differences were observed between diets for protein digestibility (all >84% avg) or stool scores (all averages between 2.25–2.50). For DY-containing diets, no significant differences in IR were noted vs. control (IRs = 35:65, 5% DY vs control; 40:60, 10% DY vs. control). However, palatability of control was preferred vs. SPM-containing diets (P< 0.05; IRs = 19:81, 5% SPM vs. control; 29:71, 10% SPM vs. control). Overall, detriments in protein digestibility and stool quality were not evident with DY and SPM, suggesting their viability as alternative protein sources in dog diets.