Explore the vast range of titles available.

Abstract In developed countries, dogs and cats frequently suffer from obesity. Recently, gut microbiota composition in humans has been related to obesity and metabolic diseases. This study aimed to evaluate changes in body composition, and gut microbiota composition in obese Beagle dogs after a 17-wk BW loss program. A total of six neutered adult Beagle dogs with an average initial BW of 16.34 ± 1.52 kg and BCS of 7.8 ± 0.1 points (9-point scale) were restrictedly fed with a hypocaloric, low-fat and high-fiber dry-type diet. Body composition was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, before (T0) and after (T1) BW loss program. Individual stool samples were collected at T0 and T1 for the 16S rRNA analyses of gut microbiota. Taxonomic analysis was done with amplicon-based metagenomic results, and functional analysis of the metabolic potential of the microbial community was done with shotgun metagenomic results. All dogs reached their ideal BW at T1, with an average weekly proportion of BW loss of −1.07 ± 0.03% of starting BW. Body fat (T0, 7.02 ± 0.76 kg) was reduced by half (P < 0.001), while bone (T0, 0.56 ± 0.06 kg) and muscle mass (T0, 8.89 ± 0.80 kg) remained stable (P > 0.05). The most abundant identified phylum was Firmicutes (T0, 74.27 ± 0.08%; T1, 69.38 ± 0.07%), followed by Bacteroidetes (T0, 12.68 ± 0.08%; T1, 16.68 ± 0.05%), Fusobacteria (T0, 7.45 ± 0.02%; T1, 10.18 ± 0.03%), Actinobacteria (T0, 4.53 ± 0.02%; T1, 3.34 ± 0.01%), and Proteobacteria (T0, 1.06 ± 0.01%; T1, 1.40 ± 0.00%). At genus level, the presence of Clostridium, Lactobacillus, and Dorea, at T1 decreased (P = 0.028), while Allobaculum increased (P = 0.046). Although the microbiota communities at T0 and T1 showed a low separation level when compared (Anosim’s R value = 0.39), they were significantly biodiverse (P = 0.01). Those differences on microbiota composition could be explained by 13 genus (α = 0.05, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score > 2.0). Additionally, differences between both communities could also be explained by the expression of 18 enzymes and 27 pathways (α = 0.05, LDA score > 2.0). In conclusion, restricted feeding of a low-fat and high-fiber dry-type diet successfully modifies gut microbiota in obese dogs, increasing biodiversity with a different representation of microbial genus and metabolic pathways.

For this study, threonine (Thr) deficiency was hypothesised to exacerbate the intestinal damage induced by feed withdrawal with coccidial infection because of its high obligatory requirement by the gut; two dietary Thr treatments (0·49 and 0·90 %) were applied to chicks from 0 to 21 d of age. At 13 d of age, feed was withdrawn for 24 h from one-half of birds of each dietary treatment with subsequent gavage of a 25× dose of coccidial vaccine. Overall, there were four treatments with eight replicate cages per treatment. Under combined challenge, birds fed the Thr-deficient diet had 38 % lower 13–21-d body weight gain (P≤0·05) compared with birds fed the Thr-control diet. At 21 d, the challenged group fed low Thr had higher number of oocysts (+40 %, P=0·03) and lower crypt depth (−31 %, P<0·01). In addition, birds fed the low-Thr diet had higher gut permeability as measured after 2 h of administration of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (3–5 kDa, P<0·01), which may be attributed to decreased IgA production (P=0·03) in the ileum. In caecal tonsils, the challenged group fed low Thr had lower CD3:Bu-1 ratio (P≤0·05), along with a tendency for lower CCR9 mRNA expression in birds fed the low-Thr diet (P=0·10). In addition, Thr deficiency tended to increase IL-10 mRNA expression regardless of infection (P=0·06), but did not change interferon-γ mRNA expression upon coccidial infection (P>0·05). Overall, Thr deficiency worsened the detrimental effects of combined feed withdrawal and coccidial infection on growth performance and oocyst shedding by impairing intestinal morphology, barrier function, lymphocyte profiles and their cytokine expressions.

This study aimed to gain insight into how adipose tissue of Tibetan sheep regulates energy homoeostasis to cope with low energy intake under the harsh environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). We compared Tibetan and Small-tailed Han sheep (n 24 of each breed), all wethers and 1·5 years of age, which were each divided randomly into four groups and offered diets of different digestible energy (DE) densities: 8·21, 9·33, 10·45 and 11·57 MJ DE/kg DM. When the sheep lost body mass and were assumed to be in negative energy balance: (1) adipocyte diameter in subcutaneous adipose tissue was smaller and decreased to a greater extent in Tibetan than in Small-tailed Han sheep, but the opposite occurred in the visceral adipose tissue; (2) Tibetan sheep showed higher insulin receptor mRNA expression and lower concentrations of catabolic hormones than Small-tailed Han sheep and (3) Tibetan sheep had lower capacity for glucose and fatty acid uptake than Small-tailed Han sheep. Moreover, Tibetan sheep had lower AMPKα mRNA expression but higher mammalian target of rapamycin mRNA expression in the adipocytes than Small-tailed Han sheep. We concluded that Tibetan sheep had lower catabolism but higher anabolism in adipose tissue and reduced the capacity for glucose and fatty acid uptake to a greater extent than Small-tailed Han sheep to maintain energy homoeostasis when in negative energy balance. These responses provide Tibetan sheep with a high ability to cope with low energy intake and with the harsh environment of the QTP.

Drying-off is one important management step in commercial dairy farms and consists of ceasing milk production artificially at a specific point in time, generally 2 months before the next calving. Drying-off typically comprises dietary changes as well as gradual or abrupt changes in daily milking frequency, which may challenge the welfare of high-yielding cows. This study investigated the isolated and combined effects of different feed energy densities (normal lactation diet versus energy-reduced diet, both offered ad libitum ) and daily milking frequencies (twice versus once) on the feeding motivation of dairy cows on two separate days prior to dry-off (i.e. the day of last milking) using a push-gate feeder. During both days, cows on the energy-reduced diet pushed more than five times more weight to earn the final feed reward and were nearly ten times faster to feed on the first reward than cows on the normal lactation diet. Illustrating the importance of developing more animal welfare-friendly dry-off management, these results illustrate that cows show signs of hunger prior to dry-off when provided a diet with reduced energy density, although offered for ad libitum intake.

This study hypothesized that female peri-conceptional undernutrition evokes transcriptomic alterations in the pig myometrium during the peri-implantation period. Myometrium was collected on days 15–16 of pregnancy from pigs fed a normal- (n = 4) or restricted-diet (n = 4) from conception until day 9th of pregnancy, and the transcriptomic profiles of the tissue were compared using Porcine (V2) Expression Microarrays 4 × 44 K. In restricted diet-fed pigs, 1021 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with fold change ≥ 1.5, P  ≤ 0.05 were revealed, and 708 of them were up-regulated. Based on the count score, the top within GOs was GO cellular components “ extracellular exosome ”, and the top KEGG pathway was the metabolic pathway. Ten selected DEGs, i.e. hydroxysteroid (17β) dehydrogenase 8 , cyclooxygenase 2, prostaglandin F receptor , progesterone receptor membrane component 1 , progesterone receptor membrane component 2 , annexin A2 , homeobox A10 , S-phase cyclin A-associated protein in the ER , SRC proto-oncogene , non-receptor tyrosine kinase , and proliferating cell nuclear antigen were conducted through qPCR to validate microarray data. In conclusion, dietary restriction during the peri-conceptional period causes alterations in the expression of genes encoding proteins involved i.a. in the endocrine activity of the myometrium, embryo-maternal interactions, and mechanisms regulating cell cycle and proliferation.

Background Canine obesity is the cause of several health issues, and may predispose other diseases, such as orthopaedic disorders, endocrinopathies, metabolic abnormalities and cardiorespiratory disease which can lead to a decreased quality of life and reduced lifespan. Dog are considered overweight when their body weight is ≥15% above their ideal body weight, and as obese when their body weight exceeds 30% of optimal. Prevalence of canine obesity is estimated to be around 5%–20%, and up to 30%–40% when all overweight dogs are considered. Treatment is based on weight loss programmes, focused on caloric restriction associated with exercise. However, success rate of treatment is low. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the reasons for weight loss failure of obese dogs during treatment with low‐calorie diets. Methods Records of obese dogs undergoing weight loss programmes between May 2014 and May 2017, assessed by a team specialized in veterinary nutrition, were retrospectively evaluated. Dogs were classified according to weekly weight loss rate (WWLR) (<1%, between 1% and 2%, and more than 2%) and owner compliance with a dietary prescription and physical activity recommendations. Results The mean WWLR was not satisfactory (<1%) in 64.4% (n = 47/73) of dogs. Regarding owner compliance with the dietary prescription, 44.7% (n = 21/47) of owners did not follow diet prescriptions and physical activity recommendations for their dogs. There was a significant association (p = .01) between compliance of owners and satisfactory weight loss rate; however, there was no association between weight loss success, diet composition sex, reproductive status, age of the dogs and their physical activity (p ≥ .05). Conclusions Non‐compliance represents a great challenge in the treatment of canine obesity, and may be of more importance than other aspects. Association between features of 73 obese dogs undergoing a weight loss program and weekly weight loss rate.

The search for better zootechnical indexes such as feed conversion, daily weight gain, uniformity, and lower bird mortality has become a priority within the poultry industry. The use of food restriction programs has emerged as an alternative to improve these rates as well as to mitigate the effect of the increased cost of nutrition over the past few years. In this work, the feed conversion (FC), daily weight gain (DWG), uniformity, and mortality of male broilers submitted to two food restriction programs were evaluated; one program reduced food by 10% and the other by 20% in relation to the feeding program suggested by the Cobb500 strain. One hundred and eighty birds aged 10 days old were housed in 12 boxes for 30 days. Fifteen birds were placed in each box, and four replicates per treatment were designed: T1 (control group—feed intake as recommended by the Cobb500 strain), T2 (10% reduction), and T3 (20% reduction). There was no statistical difference in DWG, uniformity, or mortality between the treatment groups. As for FC, a statistical difference was observed with a gain of 100 g in T2 and 252 g in T3 in relation to T1. The results of this work demonstrate that food restriction programs can be used to improve FC in broiler flocks, without interfering with the DWG, uniformity, or mortality of birds.

This report reviews decade two of the lifetime diet restriction study of the dog. Labrador retrievers (n 48) were paired at age 6 weeks by sex and weight within each of seven litters, and assigned randomly within the pair to control-feeding (CF) or 25 % diet restriction (DR). Feeding began at age 8 weeks. The same diet was fed to all dogs; only the quantity differed. Major lifetime observations included 1·8 years longer median lifespan among diet-restricted dogs, with delayed onset of late life diseases, especially osteoarthritis. Long-term DR did not negatively affect skeletal maturation, structure or metabolism. Among all dogs, high static fat mass and declining lean body mass predicted death, most strongly at 1 year prior. Fat mass above 25 % was associated with increasing insulin resistance, which independently predicted lifespan and chronic diseases. Metabolizable energy requirement/lean body mass most accurately explained energy metabolism due to diet restriction; diet-restricted dogs required 17 % less energy to maintain each lean kilogram. Metabonomics-based urine metabolite trajectories reflected DR-related differences, suggesting that signals from gut microbiota may be involved in the DR longevity and health responses. Independent of feeding group, increased hazard of earlier death was associated with lower lymphoproliferative responses to phytohaemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen; lower total lymphocytes, T-cells, CD4 and CD8 cells; lower CD8 percentages and higher B-cell percentages. When diet group was taken into account, PWM responses and cell counts and percentages remained predictive of earlier death.

The present study evaluated the effect of different levels of energy restriction on metabolic parameters in obese ponies. Relative weight changes, markers of lipid metabolism and oxidant/antioxidant balance were monitored. A total of eighteen obese (body condition score ≥ 7/9) Shetland ponies were studied over a 23·5-week trial, which was divided into three periods. The first period involved a 4-week adaptation period in which each animal was fed 100 % of their maintenance energy requirements needed to maintain a stable obese body weight (MERob). This was followed by a 16·5-week weight-loss period in which ponies were assigned to receive either 100 % (control group, CONTROL), 80 % (slow weight-loss (SLOW) group) or 60 % (rapid weight-loss (RAPID) group) of their MERob. During the 3-week end-phase period, all ponies were again fed 100 % of their MERob. Relative weight loss was higher in the RAPID group (P< 0·001) compared with the SLOW group. No linear relationship was found as a doubling of the percentage of energy restriction was accompanied by a tripling of the percentage of weight loss. Relative weight gain afterwards in the end-phase period was higher in the RAPID group (P< 0·001) compared with the SLOW and CONTROL groups. During the weight-loss period, TAG and NEFA concentrations were highest in the RAPID group, as were α-tocopherol and ferric-reducing ability of plasma concentrations. After 8 weeks of weight loss, the concentrations of advanced oxidation protein products were higher in the RAPID group compared with the SLOW and CONTROL groups (P< 0·001). In conclusion, the level of energy restriction influences the extent of changes in oxidant/antioxidant balance. Practically, more severe energy restriction regimens may be associated with a greater regain of weight after the restriction period.

Fish welfare at harvest is easily compromised by poor choice of handling and slaughter methods, lack of attention to detail and by unnecessary adherence to fish farming traditions. The harvest process comprises fasting the fish to empty the gut, crowding the fish, gathering and moving the fish using brails, fish pumps, and sometimes also road or boat transport and finally stunning and killing the fish. The harvesting processes commonly used for bass, bream, carp, catfish, cod, eel, halibut, pangasius, salmon, tilapia, trout, tuna and turbot are outlined. These harvesting processes are discussed; the consequences for fish welfare identified and practical tests which can be made at the harvest site highlighted. Welfare at harvest for the majority of farmed fish species can be improved by adopting and adapting existing procedures already known to be beneficial for fish welfare through their use in other fish farming systems or with other species. It is seldom necessary to develop completely new concepts or methods.