title: Comparison of voluntary food intake and palatability of commercial weight loss diets in healthy dogs and cats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity in dogs and cats is usually managed by dietary energy restriction using a purpose-formulated weight loss diet, but signs of hunger and begging commonly occur causing poor owner compliance. Altering diet characteristics so as to reduce voluntary food intake (VFI) can improve the likelihood of success, although this should not be at the expense of palatability. The aim of the current study was to compare the VFI and palatibility of novel commercially available canine and feline weight loss diets.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relative performance of two canine (C1 and C2) and two feline (F1 and F2) diets was assessed in groups of healthy adult dogs and cats, respectively. Diets varied in energy, protein, fibre, and fat content. To assess canine VFI, 12 (study 1) and 10 (study 2) dogs were offered food in 4 meals, for 15 min on each occasion, with hourly intervals between the meals. For feline VFI, 12 cats were offered food ad libitum for a period of 18 h per day over 5 consecutive days. The palatability studies used separate panels of 37 dogs and 30 cats, with the two diets being served, side-by-side, in identical bowls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In dogs, VFI was significantly less for diet C1 than diet C2 when assessed on energy intake (study 1, 42% less, P = 0.032; study 2, 28% less, P = 0.019), but there was no difference in gram weight intake (study 1: P = 0.964; study 2: P = 0.255). In cats, VFI was 17% less for diet F1 than diet F2 when assessed by energy intake (P < 0.001), but there was again no difference in gram weight (P = 0.207). There was no difference in palatability between the two canine diets (P = 0.490), whilst the panel of cats diet preferred F1 to F2 (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foods with different characteristics can decrease VFI without affecting palatability in both dogs and cats. The effects seen could be due to decreased energy content, decreased fat content, increased fibre content, different fibre source, and increased protein content. Further studies are now needed to determine whether similar findings occur in obese dogs and cats on controlled weight loss programmes.
authors.affiliation: Royal Canin Research Center, Aimargues, France.
authors.forename: Marie Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hours
authors.affiliation: Royal Canin Research Center, Aimargues, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sagols
authors.affiliation: Royal Canin Research Center, Aimargues, France.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Junien-Castagna
authors.affiliation: Royal Canin Research Center, Aimargues, France.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feugier
authors.affiliation: Royal Canin Research Center, Aimargues, France.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moniot
authors.affiliation: Royal Canin Research Center, Aimargues, France.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.affiliation: Royal Canin Research Center, Aimargues, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Biourge
authors.affiliation: Unité de Nutrition et d'Endocrinologie, Oniris, Nantes, France.|Université de Nantes, Faculty of Dental Surgery, 1 Place Alexis Ricordeau, 44042, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Serisier
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.affiliation: Royal Canin Research Center, Aimargues, France.
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Queau
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Wirral, CH64 7TE, UK. ajgerman@liverpool.ac.uk.|Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK. ajgerman@liverpool.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: German
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002415:Cats; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000662:veterinary*; D004285:Dogs; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D013649:Taste
keywords: Appetite; Canine; Obesity; Weight loss