Dietary intervention for a growing Australian Kelpie with intestinal lipid malabsorption

Abstract

A 12‐week‐old male Australian Kelpie was referred for nutritional consultation after being diagnosed with autosomal recessively inherited intestinal lipid malabsorption (ILM). At the timepoint of referral, the dog's bodyweight was below the ideal growth curve, the faecal quality was poor and the patient received a pancreatic enzyme supplement. The patient's diet at referral was based on a commercial dry food for all age groups and contained approximately 20% fat in dry matter (DM). We formulated a highly digestible homemade diet with a low‐fat content (10% DM) while meeting the recommendations for linoleic acid, α‐linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, which supported the nutritional requirements of a growing dog with impaired fat absorption. The diet was adapted according to the different growth phases.To our knowledge, this is the first case report highlighting the nutritional management of an Australian Kelpie with ILM. After diet adaptation, the patient reached his growth potential.