Exploring Anhedonia in Kennelled Dogs: Could Coping Styles Affect Hedonic Preferences for Sweet and Umami Flavours?

Abstract

Kennelled dogs are at risk of suffering chronic stress due to long-term spatial, social and feeding restrictions. Chronic stress may decrease the dogs’ capacity to feel pleasure when facing hedonic experiences, modifying their perception for palatable ingredients. However, different abilities to cope with environmental stressors could prevent the onset of anhedonia. Fourteen kennelled Beagle dogs were used to study the acceptability and preference for different dilute sucrose and monosodium glutamate (MSG) solutions. Coping style of animals was previously evaluated through a human approach test (HAT) and classified as close dogs (CD; proactive) or distant dogs (DD; reactive) according to whether or not they approached an unfamiliar human when a feeding opportunity was presented. Consumption results were analysed taking into account the sucrose/MSG concentrations, HAT (CD or DD), age, and weight of the animals. DD presented a lower intake of sucrose (p = 0.041) and MSG (p = 0.069) solutions compared with CD. However, DD exhibited a higher consumption of MSG than CD at its highest concentrations, supporting that their intake depends on solution palatability. Finally, DD did not prefer sucrose or MSG solutions over water at any dilute solution offered. Together, these results suggest that dogs that are categorized as reactive animals could diminish their ability to perceive dilute palatable solutions, reflecting depressive-like behaviours as anhedonia.

Pesticide Behavior in Agricultural Soils With Special Reference to the Tropical Region

“…Proteins from insect co-products have high digestibility (76% to 98%), as they are similar to animal proteins and are rich in essential amino acids (Bosch et al, 2014), with a high content of glutamic acid and aspartic acid. Glutamic acid is related to the perception of umami flavour, which has been described as a gratifying and appetizing taste for dogs, cats, and other animals (Luna et al, 2020).…”

Perspective Chapter: Technological Strategies to Increase Insect Consumption – Transformation of Commodities Meal and Oil into Food/Functional Ingredients

“…iv) The protein quality of insects, in terms of essential amino acid content (good source of lysine, methionine, threonine, leucine, alanine, valine) and amino acid digestibility (80-93%), is excellent. v) Insect proteins tend to be high in glutamic acid, which is the main amino acid in BSFL and mealworm meal [48], and is related to umami taste, highly preferred by animals and humans [183,184]. vi) Insect proteins have technological properties suitable for the processing of certain foods such as meat substitutes [185], jerky meat analog [186], extruded cereals [153], rusks [187], and pastas [188].…”

Insects as Feed for Companion and Exotic Pets: A Current Trend

“…The predominant amino acids of insects shown in Table 1 are glutamic and aspartic acids. Glutamic acid is related to umami taste perception, which has been described as a pleasant and appetizing taste for dogs, cats and other animals [ 47 ]. According to Bosch and Swanson [ 48 ] the limiting amino acids in insects were methionine in black soldier fly larvae and mealworm larvae for dogs and cats and threonine in black soldier fly larvae for dogs.…”