Glycine supplementation can partially restore oxidative stress-associated glutathione deficiency in ageing cats.

Intracellular levels of glutathione, the major mammalian antioxidant, are reported to decline with age in several species. To understand whether ageing affects circulating glutathione levels in cats, blood was sampled from two age groups, < 3 years and > 9 years. Further, to determine whether dietary supplementation with glutathione precursor glycine (GLY) affects glutathione concentrations in senior cats (> 8 years), a series of free GLY inclusion level dry diets were fed.

The MARS PETCARE BIOBANK protocol: establishing a longitudinal study of health and disease in dogs and cats.

Background: The veterinary care of cats and dogs is increasingly embracing innovations first applied to human health, including an increased emphasis on preventative care and precision medicine. Large scale human population biobanks have advanced research in these areas; however, few have been established in veterinary medicine. The MARS PETCARE BIOBANK™ (MPB) is a prospective study that aims to build a longitudinal bank of biological samples, with paired medical and lifestyle data, from 20,000 initially healthy cats and dogs (10,000 / species), recruited through veterinary hospitals over a ten-year period.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of feline tuberculosis.

Cases of feline tuberculosis (TB) can be challenging to diagnose. Currently, this is achieved through a combination of mycobacterial culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA); however, these each have limitations. There is limited data regarding the use of humoral immunodiagnostics for TB in cats.

Suitability of Dried Blood Spots for Accelerating Veterinary Biobank Collections and Identifying Metabolomics Biomarkers With Minimal Resources.

Biomarker discovery using biobank samples collected from veterinary clinics would deliver insights into the diverse population of pets and accelerate diagnostic development. The acquisition, preparation, processing, and storage of biofluid samples in sufficient volumes and at a quality suitable for later analysis with most suitable discovery methods remain challenging. Metabolomics analysis is a valuable approach to detect health/disease phenotypes.

Dietary calcium to phosphorus ratio affects postprandial phosphorus concentrations in feline plasma.

The impact of dietary phosphorus on chronic renal disease in cats, humans and other species is receiving increasing attention. As Ca and P metabolism are linked, the ratio of Ca:P is an important factor for consideration when formulating diets for cats and other animals. Here, we describe a fully randomised crossover study including twenty-four healthy, neutered adult cats, investigating postprandial responses in plasma P, ionised Ca and parathyroid hormone (PTH) following one meal (50 % of individual metabolic energy requirement) of each of six experimental diets.

Towards establishing no observed adverse effect levels (NOAEL) for different sources of dietary phosphorus in feline adult diets: results from a 7-month feeding study.

High dietary phosphorus (P), particularly soluble salts, may contribute to chronic kidney disease development in cats. The aim of the present study was to assess the safety of P supplied at 1 g/1000 kcal (4184kJ) from a highly soluble P salt in P-rich dry format feline diets. Seventy-five healthy adult cats (n 25/group) were fed either a low P control (1·4 g/1000 kcal [4184kJ]; Ca:P ratio 0·97) or one of two test diets with 4 g/1000 kcal (4184 kJ); Ca:P 1·04 or 5 g/1000 kcal (4184kJ); Ca:P 1·27, both incorporating 1 g/1000 kcal (4184 kJ) sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) - for a period of 30 weeks in a randomised parallel-group study.

The effect of reducing energy density, via the addition of water to dry diet, on body weight and activity in dogs.

Approximately 40 % of pet dogs are estimated to be overweight and this is associated with health conditions significantly reducing life span and quality. In cats, dietary energy dilution has been reported to increase activity levels and aid healthy body-weight maintenance. Our aim was to investigate this in dogs.

Understanding How Dogs Age: Longitudinal Analysis of Markers of Inflammation, Immune Function, and Oxidative Stress.

As in human populations, advances in nutrition and veterinary care have led to an increase in the lifespan of companion animals. Detrimental physiological changes occurring later in life must be understood before interventions can be made to slow or reduce them. One important aspect of human aging is upregulation of the inflammatory response and increase in oxidative damage resulting in pathologies linked to chronic inflammation.

Energy requirements for growth in the Yorkshire terrier.

The 2006 National Research Council (NRC) equation calculating puppy energy requirements does not account for reported breed differences in growth pattern. Energy requirements of toy breed puppies are unknown and it is unclear whether feeding guidelines should differ between breeds. Energy requirements of Yorkshire terrier (YT) puppies were observed over their first year of life and compared with those predicted by the NRC and those previously observed in large (Labrador retriever) and medium (miniature Schnauzer; MS) breed puppies.

The effect of reducing dietary energy density via the addition of water to a dry diet, on body weight, energy intake and physical activity in adult neutered cats.

Increasingly domestic cats live in an overfeeding and underexercising environment where obesity is a major health concern. One strategy to aid healthy body weight maintenance is dietary energy dilution. Published data indicate that increasing dietary moisture content leads to a reduction in energy intake and increased activity.