What does this research mean for the field?

The processing method of dog food significantly influences nutrient digestibility, fecal metabolite concentrations, and specific microbiota populations, but does not impact gastrointestinal transit time or overall microbial diversity. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine how different processing formats applied to the same batch of raw dog food affect macronutrient digestibility, gut transit time, fecal characteristics, metabolites, and gut microbiota in healthy adult dogs.

September 2, 2026Journal of Animal Science

Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility of frozen raw, freeze-dried raw, mildly cooked, and retorted dog foods and their effects on fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota of healthy adult dogs

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

EGElizabeth L. GearyUniversity of Iowa TWT. WangUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign CVChristina L VogelUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Latin square crossover trial reveals diet processing alters nutrient digestibility and fecal metabolites in healthy dogs, indicating commercial preparation formats influence canine gut function.

Key Points

To determine how different processing formats applied to the same batch of raw dog food affect macronutrient digestibility, gut transit time, fecal characteristics, metabolites, and gut microbiota in healthy adult dogs.
A replicated 5x5 Latin square design was conducted with 10 spayed female adult beagles across five 28-day periods (7-day transition, 14-day treatment, 7-day collection).
Five dietary formats prepared from an identical raw batch were evaluated: retorted (RT), sous vide (SV), steamed (ST), high-pressure processed raw (HPP), and freeze-dried raw (FD).
Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, lipids, and gross energy was quantified alongside fresh fecal pH, fermentative metabolites, and bacterial community composition.
All dietary formats demonstrated greater crude protein digestibility (P < 0.05) than the RT diet, while fat digestibility was significantly higher in all other diets relative to the FD diet (P < 0.05).
Dry matter and organic matter digestibility were highest in HPP and ST formats compared to RT, FD, and SV diets (P < 0.05).
The RT diet resulted in higher concentrations of fecal isobutyrate, isovalerate, total branched-chain fatty acids, indole, and ammonia compared to other diets (P < 0.05), and altered relative abundances across 3 bacterial phyla and 19 genera without altering overall alpha or beta diversity.

Cite This Study

Geary et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a97e2c5c562ede874ec71dc https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag283

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Implication

Latin square crossover trial reveals diet processing alters nutrient digestibility and fecal metabolites in healthy dogs, indicating commercial preparation formats influence canine gut function.

Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility of frozen raw, freeze-dried raw, mildly cooked, and retorted dog foods and their effects on fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota of healthy adult dogs

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility of frozen raw, freeze-dried raw, mildly cooked, and retorted dog foods and their effects on fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota of healthy adult dogs

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider