Studies on the preference of complete compound feed for dogs

Scientific knowledge on pet nutrition has undergone significant advances in recent years, with emphasis on the use of nutrients in health promotion, disease prevention and quality of life improvement. But no matter how well formulated and produced a food is if the animal voluntarily does not ingest it; Hence the importance of regulating palatability factors. These are mainly used in dry foods and the trend of use is increasing because they increase the appetite of the products, leading to a greater intake by the animals. If they are satisfied, their owners are pleased with the product and this way they will acquire more often the food in question. In the present study, for the purposes of palatability studies, two practical preference trials were carried out. In the first, two feed of competing brands were compared; in the second trial two feed of the same brand were compared, one with the same composition with which it is marketed and another with a base composition identical to the first one, but to which two palatability factors were added: autolysed beer yeast and a meat hydrolyzate. The feed were given identically, simultaneously, for four meals, to a panel of sixty dogs (thirty in each trial) in their natural home environment. The following parameters were observed and recorded: which of the feeders the animal went first, which of the feed consumed in the first place and which consumed in greater quantity. The owner was asked about the probability of purchasing the samples under study. All data were analyzed and treated statistically. It was concluded that palatability factors significantly influence the choice of animals. These factors do not need to be stated on the label, often remaining as "industrial secret". Its use may increase industrial production, possibly offset by trade.