117 Assessment of Complete Blood Count and Biochemistry Parameters in Adult Dogs fed a Grain-Free Diet with up to Forty-Five Percent Pulse Inclusion

Abstract

With interest in grain-free diets (GFD) and plant-based diets, understanding the use of pulse ingredients is warranted. Recently our laboratory found that high pulse inclusive diets did not cause echocardiographic changes in healthy adult dogs after 20 weeks of feeding. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the safety of pulse ingredient inclusion up to 45% in canine diets using gross physiological, hematological and biochemical measurements. Twenty-eight healthy adult Siberian huskies were fed one of four experimental diets formulated to achieve the same macronutrient targets and the same micronutrient supplementation for 20 weeks: 1) grain-inclusive diet, with 45% corn, 0% pulses (Control); 2) GFD, 15% pulses (Pulse15); 3) GFD, 30% pulses (Pulse30) 4) GFD, 45% pulses (Pulse45). All diets included chicken meal and the same combination of pulse ingredients; green and yellow peas, pinto beans, chickpeas, and lentils. Dogs were fed once daily. Body weight was measured weekly, feed intake measured daily, and body composition was measured using DEXA at baseline and week 20. Fasted blood samples were collected at weeks -3, 3, 6, 10, 14 and 18. Data were analyzed as repeated measures in SAS using PROC GLIMMIX. Body weight, body composition, and feed intake were similar among treatments and over time (P >0.05). Several blood parameters were different among treatments but remained within defined reference ranges for healthy dogs. Red blood cells, hemoglobin and carbon dioxide were greater, while lymphocytes were reduced in Pulse45 than Pulse15 (P< 0.05), but similar to Control and Pulse30. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was decreased in Control and Pulse15 compared with Pulse30 and Pulse45 (P< 0.05). Gamma-glutamyl transferase was less in Control and Pulse15 than Pulse45 (P< 0.05), but similar to Pulse30. These data suggest that feeding diets with up to 45% pulse inclusion for 20 weeks does not impact gross health parameters of healthy adult dogs.