Comparison of corn gluten meal and meat meal as a protein source in dry foods formulated for cats.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the nutritional value of corn gluten meal (CGM) and meat meal (MM) as a dietary source of protein in dry food formulated for adult cats.


METHODS
8 healthy adult cats (4 males and 4 females).


METHODS
Diets containing CGM or MM as the main protein source were each fed for a 3-week period in a crossover study. Digestibility and nutritional balance experiments were conducted during the last 7 days of each period. Furthermore, freshly voided urine was obtained to measure urinary pH, struvite crystals, and sediment concentrations.


RESULTS
Daily food intake and dry-matter digestibility were significantly higher for the MM diet. Fecal moisture content also was higher for the MM diet. Apparent nitrogen (N) absorption and N retention were higher for the MM diet, even when values were expressed as a percentage to account for differences in N intake. Urinary pH, struvite activity product, number of struvite crystals in urine, and urinary sediment concentrations were not different between diets. Retention of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium was lower for the CGM diet, and cats lost body calcium and magnesium when fed the CGM diet.


CONCLUSIONS
Meat meal was superior to CGM as a protein source in dry foods formulated for cats, because dry-matter digestibility and N utilization were higher for the MM diet. In addition, net loss of body calcium and magnesium for the CGM diet suggests that mineral requirements increase when CGM is used as a protein source.
Funaba
Masayuki
M
Matsumoto
Chiho
C
Matsuki
Kunihiro
K
Gotoh
Ken
K
Kaneko
Masahiro
M
Iriki
Tsunenori
T
Hatano
Yoshikazu
Y
Abe
Matanobu
M
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000592:standards*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002415:Cats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005983:Glutens; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008461:Meat Products; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry; D003313:Zea mays
D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005983:Glutens; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium