Test of palatability Materials and methods The palatability of several dry-food (growth, struvite, renal, gastro-intestinal, oxalate and obesity) were compared in palatability trials versus at list 1 equivalent product of the major brands used in Italy (Hill s and Royal Caninin). For the trials were utilized 6 healthy adult German Shepherd (3 males and 3 females). For each diet type the trial was performed for 10 days divided into two phases: 1. administration at empty stomach (7 d) the diets were contemporaneously administered two times/d for 10 minutes. Each diet was weighed before and after the administration in order to calculate the voluntary food intake; 2. administration at full stomach (3 d) 30 minutes after the 1 st administration all the diets were administered another time for 5 minutes. Each diet was weighed before and after the administration in order to calculate the voluntary food intake. Results In the following graph the result of each trial were reported. Graph 1 Mean values of daily intakes (g/d) registered in the 1 st phase Graph 2 - Individual daily intakes registered in the 1 st phase
Graph 3 Food intake at full stomach Graph 4 - Mean values of daily intakes (g/d) registered in the 1 st phase Graph 5 - Individual daily intakes registered in the 1 st phase Graph 6 - Food intake at full stomach
Graph 7 - Mean values of daily intakes (g/d) registered in the 1 st phase Graph 8 - Individual daily intakes registered in the 1 st phase Grapf 9 - Food intake at full stomach Graph 10 - Mean values of daily intakes (g/d) registered in the 1 st phase
Graph 11- Individual daily intakes registered in the 1 st phase Graph 12 - Food intake at full stomach Graph 13 - Mean values of daily intakes (g/d) registered in the 1 st phase Graph 14 - Individual daily intakes registered in the 1 st phase
Graph 15 - Food intake at full stomach Graph 16 - Mean values of daily intakes (g/d) registered in the 1 st phase Graph 17 - Individual daily intakes registered in the 1 st phase Graph 18 - Food intake at full stomach
Even if the food intake varied in function of diet type, brand and dog. Farmina Vet Life diets showed in each case adequate voluntary food intake values at empty stomach (from 190 to 290 g/d, corresponding to 741 and 1142 kcal of ME/d, for struvite and ossalati diets, respectively). Moreover particularly interesting were the data obtained during th 2 nd phase: Farmina Vet Life diets resulted in each case significantly more palatable than Hill s diets and in some case (obesity, struvite and ossalati) the food intake values of Farmina Vet Life diets were higher than Royal Canin diets too. Napoli, 29 giugno 2011 Prof.ssa Monica Isabella Cutrignelli