Publications by authors named "Spencer C Smith"
Article Synopsis
- Traditional pet foods often use common ingredients such as corn, wheat, and soy, while this study investigates a new protein source called corn-fermented protein (CFP) to understand its effects in pet diets.
- The study involved creating pet food with different protein sources (corn gluten meal, soybean meal, and CFP) and examining their physical properties and digestibility through feeding trials with dogs.
- Results showed that while there were no significant differences in kibble texture, the corn gluten meal was found to be more digestible than both CFP and soybean meal, indicating varying nutrient utilization among the diets.
Veterinarians and pet owners have limited ability to assess pruritic behaviors in dogs. This pilot study assessed the capacity of the Vetrax triaxial accelerometer to measure these behaviors in six dogs with pruritus likely due to environmental allergens. Dogs wore the activity monitor for two weeks while consuming their usual pet food (baseline), then for eight weeks while consuming a veterinary-exclusive pet food for dogs with suspected non-food-related skin conditions (Hill's Prescription Diet Derm Defense Canine dry food).
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