Tailoring diet to support a healthy gut microbiome is key for animal well-being. The gut metabolome, including all small molecules in the gut, is central to diet–microbiome–health interactions. While comprehension of the gut metabolome in...
The US has a pet population of approximately 70 million dogs and 74 million cats. Humans have developed a strong emotional bond with companion animals. As a consequence, pet owners seek ways to improve health, quality of life and longevity of their p...
The demand for sustainable protein sources for companion animal nutrition has stimulated interest in insect-derived ingredients. Tenebrio molitor larvae meal is a promising alternative to conventional proteins because of its nutritional composition a...
Due to the increasing global population, the world cannot currently support the well-known techniques of food production due to their harmful effects on land use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. The key answer is a solution based on...
The population of dogs and cats is rapidly increasing, and their lifespans are extending due to advances in veterinary medicine and increased owner awareness. As a result, companion animals are also gradually entering an aging society. Research on th...
Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) meal is a promising sustainable protein for pet food, yet its effect on nutrient balance and granule texture is incompletely defined. Five dry dog food formulas containing 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, and 45% of T. molitor m...
Canine obesity, characterized by the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue, is one of the most prevalent nutritional disorders encountered in veterinary practice. This comprehensive review synthesizes current knowledge on the predisposing factors...
Introduction: “The dog is a man’s best friend” and research has showed that this idea is extended beyond the degree of loyalty. Dog ownership has been linked to several positive health outcomes for the owner. The aim of the present cross-sectional ca...
The objective of this review was to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the benefits of incorporating insects as a pet food ingredient and the implications this can have in determining a market demand for insect-based pet foods. Black soldier...
The health of companion animals, particularly dogs and cats, is significantly influenced by nutrition, with vitamins playing a crucial role. Vitamin A, in particular, is indispensable, with diverse roles ranging from vision to immune modulation and r...
Plasma is a co-product from pork and beef obtained during the processing of animals for human consumption. The spray-drying process maintains the solubility of spray-dried animal plasma (SDAP) and its nutritional and functional properties, making thi...
The present review aims toward a better understanding of the nutrition of newborn puppies and kittens. The post-natal period is very sensitive in dogs and cats, as in other animal species. During the first two weeks of life, puppies and kittens are a...
Obesity represents a one of the most significant healthcare issues facing human and companion animal populations worldwide. A complex relationship commonly exists between owners and their companion animal, particularly around feeding behaviour. Obese...
Companion animal owners are increasingly concerned about the links between degenerative health conditions, farm animal welfare problems, environmental degradation, fertilizers and herbicides, climate change, and causative factors; such as animal farm...
Pets (mostly domestic dogs and cats) play an important role in the daily lives of humans and their health has attracted growing attention from pet owners. The intestinal microbiota, a complex microbial community with barrier-protective, nutritional,...
Elizabethan collars are used in companion animals primarily to prevent self-trauma and associated negative welfare states in animals. However, they have been anecdotally associated with negative impacts on animal health and welfare including distress...
Food has a massive influence on the gut microbiota and is one of the most useful therapeutic levers in disease. Recent developments have highlighted how macronutrient balance, food format, and functional ingredients can regulate microbial diversity,...
There is growing evidence that perturbation of the gut microbiome, known as “dysbiosis”, is associated with the pathogenesis of human and veterinary diseases that are not restricted to the gastrointestinal tract. In this regard, recent st...
Feeding practices and perceptions of pet owners determine consumer decisions on pet foods and influence the health of companion animals. The objective of the survey was to study emerging trends on pet food diets in Portugal by conducting a preliminar...
Overweight and obesity are prevalent among companion dogs and cats in the Western world. Affected animals are at risk of comorbidities and reduced longevity. This narrative review found that veterinary literature generally characterises overweight an...
Companion animals, especially dogs and cats, have increasingly been recognized as moral subjects and valued as family members by European citizens. This new role encourages policy makers to face the many companion animals’ welfare issues not ye...
Dogs are cherished companions, and in today’s world, pets are increasingly regarded as family members. Pet owners are placing growing emphasis on their animals’ health, particularly for dogs. Probiotics, which are living bacteria that ben...
Cardiac disease represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs. In human cardiology, iron deficiency is a highly prevalent and clinically relevant comorbidity, contributing to exercise intolerance, symptom burden, and impaired quality of...
There has been an increase in vegetarianism and veganism in human populations. This trend also appears to be occurring in companion animals, with guardians preferring to feed their animals in accordance with their own dietary values and choices. Howe...
In recent years, grain-free pet food has gained increasing attention due to its widespread promotion as a natural and hypoallergenic diet. This trend has prompted us to conduct an in-depth critical assessment of the nutritional implications of such d...
The pet food industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the growing trend of companion animal humanization and increasing concerns over the environmental sustainability of conventional protein and lipid sources. Consumers now seek...
Gloiopeltis tenax is a red seaweed containing diverse polysaccharides and bioactive compounds with potential functional applications in animal nutrition. However, information regarding its physiological and microbiome-associated effects in companion...
Animal stress is a complex physiological state characterized by a suite of non-specific responses (e.g., lethargy, anorexia, and impaired growth) to various internal or external threats, collectively known as stressors. It is the synthesis of non-spe...
A significant gap in specific nutritional guidelines for ruminants with compromised health exists. Due to their unique anatomy, physiology, and metabolic processes, further research is needed to establish accurate, evidence-based recommendations tail...
Vitamins A and E are vital fat-soluble micronutrients with distinct yet intertwined roles in various biological processes. This review delves into their functions, nutritional requirements across different animal species, the consequences of deficien...
Betaine, a naturally occurring compound primarily derived from sugar beet by-products, has attracted increasing attention for its multifaceted roles in human and animal nutrition. Acting as both an osmolyte and a methyl group donor, betaine contribut...
Dogs are the most popular companion animals in Europe, with an estimated population of 106 million in households. Commercial dry dog foods are formulated to meet specific nutritional requirements and ensure safety during storage, often through the ad...
Vitamin D plays a fundamental role in calcium and phosphate homeostasis, skeletal development, immune regulation, and numerous metabolic processes in both humans and animals. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is the accepted biomarker of vitamin D...
Social animals have unique foraging behaviors that consider not only the needs of the individual, but also the needs of the group. When social animals forage together, there is a greater sense of perceived safety, leading to less vigilance and more f...
The number of donkey-breeding farms is variable around the world despite the growing popularity of this species as working animals, companion pets, for show events, in asinotherapy for children and adults with physical and mental disorders, and as a...
With the development of the pet industry, public attention to pet food safety and nutritional health has been continuously increasing. Postbiotics were initially defined as inactivated microorganisms or microbial cellular components that confer healt...
Postbiotics, which are preparations of inanimate microorganisms and their components, have emerged as a promising functional ingredient in animal health and nutrition. Postbiotics are primarily composed of microbial cell fractions, metabolites, enzym...
The importance of lipid molecules present at the level of cell membranes is already well known. They can act as secondary messengers, participating in signal transduction processes that regulate various organ functions; furthermore, their nature sign...
Acute diarrhea is one of the most common reasons why pet owners seek veterinary care for their canine companions. In many cases, signs resolve spontaneously or with symptomatic therapy without a specific cause being discovered. However, life-threaten...
Turmeric has a long history of use as a colorant and flavoring agent. Turmeric extract (TE) is a feed additive containing at least 90% total curcuminoids, comprising mainly curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. The published antioxid...
In animal feeds and pet food, meat industry rendered by-products as a source of high-quality protein are commonly used. Among all rendered protein sources, poultry carcasses and neck meal are frequently used as ingredients in commercial pet foods due...
During swine gestation, the placenta serves as the sole interface for nutrient, gas, and signaling molecule exchange between the dam and fetuses, and its function critically determines pregnancy outcomes. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)—leuc...
Increasing interest in functional nutrition has driven the incorporation of probiotics into pet food formulations to enhance digestive health, immune response, and overall well-being in companion animals. This systematic review examines scientific pu...
African pygmy hedgehogs (APHs) are increasingly kept as companion animals, yet evidence-based nutritional recommendations for this species remain limited. Commercial cat or kitten diets are still commonly used by owners and veterinarians in practice,...
Fueled by the rapid growth of the global companion animal industry, the development of nutritional additives for improving canine intestinal health has emerged as a prominent research area in pet nutrition. Excessive reactive oxygen species accumulat...
Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) derivatives are emerging as functional ingredients in companion animal nutrition; however, their long-term effects on the canine gut microbiome remain unclear. This exploratory study investigated the impact of die...
Raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) have become increasingly popular among pet owners, despite well-documented risks of contamination with pathogenic bacteria capable of causing severe illness in companion animals. This report describes a fatal case of botu...
Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in companion animals leads to progressive renal deterioration and metabolic complications such as hyperphosphatemia and metabolic acidosis, particularly in advanced stages. Methods: This 90-day, double-blind,...
This study evaluated age-related changes in nutrient digestibility in dogs and examined the effects of physiological development and dietary composition on digestive efficiency. Twenty Beagle dogs were assigned to three groups: puppies (<1 year; n...
The effect of digestive bypass macronutrients and age on stool quality (moisture and firmness) in dogs and cats is not well understood. Data were analyzed from digestibility tests (n = 2020, 361 dogs and 536 cats) including dry and wet product types....
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