Dietary fiber for dogs: III. Effects of beet pulp and oat fiber additions to dog diets on nutrient intake, digestibility, metabolizable energy, and digesta mean retention time.

The objective of this experiment was to determine whether alkaline hydrogen peroxide-treated oat hulls (termed oat fiber; OF) are nutritionally efficacious as a source of dietary fiber in meat-based dog foods. Thirty female English Pointers were assigned in a completely randomized design to isonitrogenous diets. Treatments were 1) control diet, 2) 7.5% added beet pulp (BP), and 3) 2.5, 4) 5.0, and 5) 7.5% added OF. Inclusion of 7.5% BP increased (P less than .05) DM intake and decreased (P less than .05) digestibility of DM and OM compared with the control. Dry matter intake increased (P less than .05) with increasing level of OF and digestibility of DM, OM, and total dietary fiber (TDF) decreased (P less than .05). Digestibility of DM, OM, and TDF were higher for dogs fed the 7.5% BP than for those fed the 7.5% OF treatment. Digestible energy, expressed as a percentage of GE, was greater for the control treatment than for the 7.5% BP treatment. A linear decrease in DE (percentage of GE) was noted as the concentration of OF increased, and the DE value (percentage of GE) for the 7.5% BP treatment was greater (P less than .05) than that for the 7.5% OF treatment. A linear decrease (P less than .05) was noted in ME, expressed as a percentage of GE, as the level of OF increased. Frequency of defecation and mean retention time were unaffected (P greater than .05) by treatment. Oat fiber was an effective substitute for BP in dog diets.