Dietary carbohydrates in feline health and disease

There is growing concern from cat owners and veterinarians regarding the dietary macronutrient compositions of commercial cat foods compared to the typical prey of a wild cat and whether this difference is a potential driver for the increased prevalence of obesity in cats. This has resulted in industry trends steering away from high carbohydrate inclusions and towards high protein inclusions. While few studies have evaluated the health implications of macronutrients at high levels in cats, there are no studies, to our knowledge, that have evaluated the health benefits of low levels of macronutrients for cats using a holistic approach. This research project intends to first, understand the consumer and veterinary beliefs and attitudes towards dietary macronutrient compositions for cats, specifically for health promotion, via two surveys: one for pet owners and one for the veterinary teams. Second, to investigate low levels of dietary macronutrients in an isoenergetic approach to understand the potential health benefits they may impose in lean and obese cats. Eighteen cats (lean, n=9; obese, n=9) will be fed a low-protein, low-carbohydrate, or low-fat diet fed to maintenance. Body composition, energy expenditure, substrate utilization, voluntary physical activity, and serum satiety hormone response will be analyzed.

Faculty Supervisor:

Adronie Verbrugghe

Student:

Partner:

Champion Petfoods LP

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Accommodation and food services; Manufacturing

University:

University of Guelph

Program: