A high-protein, high-fiber diet designed for weight loss improves satiety in dogs.

Background: Weight-loss programs for dogs are often hampered by increased begging and scavenging behavior that ensues when food intake is restricted.

Hypothesis: A diet formulated to contain a high content of both protein and fiber is more satiating than diets that contain only high fiber or high protein.

Animals: Six entire female adult dogs (2 Shetland Sheepdogs, 2 Brittany Spaniels, 2 Labrador Retrievers) participated in the satiety studies; 105 adult female dogs of various breeds and ages were used for the palatability studies.

Methods: Three diets (high protein [103 g/1,000 kcal] high fiber [60 g/1,000 kcal] [HPHF]; high protein [104 g/1,000 kcal] moderate fiber [35 g/1,000 kcal] [HP]; moderate protein [86 g/1,000 kcal] high fiber [87 g/1,000 kcal] [HF]) were tested. Voluntary food intake was measured in 5 sequential crossover studies, and palatability was assessed with food preference tests.

Results: Protein digestibility was significantly lower for HF (mean +/- SD; 77.7% +/- 2.52%) than for both HPHF (81.1% +/- 0.96%) and HP (81.1% +/- 1.65%) (P < .001). Short-term food intake (food ingested when offered for 15 minutes every hour for 4 hours) was lower for HPHF than for both HP and HF (P = .038). Medium-term intake (food ingested when offered 3 hours after first meal) was lower for both HPHF (27 +/- 22.2 kcal/kg(0.73)) and HF (41 +/- 6.8 kcal/kg(0.73)) than for HP (57 +/- 18.8 kcal/kg(0.73)) (P = .041). Voluntary food intake 3 hours after feeding a restricted meal (25% daily maintenance energy requirements) was significantly lower on the HPHF diet than on either the HP (-51%, P = .0051) or HF (-47%, P = .014) diets. However, there was no significant difference between the energy intake on the HP and HF diets (7%, P = .37). The HPHF and HP diets had equivalent palatability, and both were more palatable than the HF diet (P < .001).

Conclusions And Clinical Importance: The HPHF diet had a satiating effect as evidenced by reduced voluntary intake compared with HP and HF diets, and has the potential to lead to greater compliance in weight-loss programs.