Comparison of the nutrient composition of commercial dog milk replacers with that of dog milk

• Autores: Cailin R. Heinze
• Localización: JAVMA: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, ISSN-e 0003-1488, Vol. 244, Nº. 12, 2014, págs. 1413-1422
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Objective—To compare the nutrient composition of commercially available dog milk replacers with that of dog milk.

    Design—Prospective, cross-sectional study.

    Sample—5 dog milk samples and 15 samples of commercial dog milk replacers.

    Procedures—Dog milk and milk replacers were analyzed for concentrations of total protein, essential amino acids, sugars, total fat, essential fatty acids, calcium, and phosphorus. Energy density was calculated. Results from milk replacers were compared with the range of the concentration of each nutrient in milk samples from mature dogs as well as the National Research Council (NRC) recommendations for puppy growth.

    Results—Milk replacers varied widely in caloric density and concentration of nutrients such as calcium, protein, and fat. Calcium concentration was lower in 14 of 15 milk replacers than in the dog milk samples. Docosahexaenoic acid was undetectable in 12 of 15 milk replacers but present in all dog milk samples. All milk replacers had numerous essential nutrients outside of the range of the dog milk samples, and many had concentrations of amino acids, essential fatty acids, calcium, and phosphorus less than the NRC minimal requirement or recommended allowance. Compared with NRC recommendations, some dog milk samples had concentrations of total protein, linoleic acid, calcium, or phosphorus less than the recommended allowance.

    Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results suggested that there was substantial variation in nutrient composition of 15 dog milk replacers and that some products were closer approximations of dog milk than others. Nearly all products would benefit from more appropriate calcium, amino acids, and essential fatty acids concentrations and better feeding directions.

    Commercial milk replacers for puppies have been available for decades and are commonly used for rearing orphans, for ill or weakened neonates, to supplement dog milk for large litters, and to mix with commercial puppy diets during the weaning process. Numerous products are available, but unlike other pet foods, the nutritional adequacy standards these products are expected to meet are not clearly defined. These factors make it difficult for pet owners and veterinarians to select appropriate milk replacers for their needs. Indeed, there is evidence that dog milk replacers may be quite variable in essential macronutrient and mineral concentrations among specific products and in comparison to dog milk.1–3 However, the authors are unaware of any recent studies investigating the essential nutrient composition of a wide range of milk replacer products available in the United States, compared with contemporaneously analyzed dog milk, and this information is critical to allow educated decisions to be made on product use.

    Fatty acid composition of milk replacers is of particular interest because PUFA of the n-6 and n-3 families are increasingly recognized as critical for proper neonatal development.4 In particular, ARA (20:4 n-6) and DHA (22:6 n-3) are the 2 main PUFA in the brain. These fatty acids are critical for normal retinal and neural development in mammals5–7 and have been supplemented in human infant formulas since 2002.8 The difference in fatty acid composition between dog milk replacers and milk from domestic dogs remains an unexplored area of research; however, there is evidence in other species to suggest that milk replacers are often lower in long-chain PUFA, compared with milk. Prior to DHA and ARA supplementation of human infant formula, these products contained low concentrations of DHA and ARA, compared with human milk.9 Two studies10,11 have investigated the fatty acid composition of 4 cat milk replacers, compared with that of domestic cat milk. Both studies10,11 found that the milk replacers contained no detectable concentrations of DHA. Arachidonic acid concentrations ranged from undetectable to 60% of the concentration in cat milk in both studies; 3 of 4 products contained concentrations < 16% of the concentration in cat milk.

    The purpose of the study reported here was to compare the concentrations of various nutrients in commercially available dog milk replacers with those in dog milk. We hypothesized that the commercial dog milk replacers would differ from dog milk in macro- and micronutrient profiles and would be lower in concentrations of long-chain PUFA (especially ARA and DHA), compared with dog milk.