Pet food composition

Abstract

Disclosed herein are pet food compositions and methods for reducing the suffering of chronic gastroenteritis from canines. A pet food composition may comprise: fat; from about 15% to about 50% by weight of a protein comprising one or more amino acids, wherein the one or more amino acids comprise glycine, proline, or a combination of two or more thereof; from about 3.5% to about 35% by weight of fibers comprising: (i) from about 3% to about 30% by weight of insoluble fibers, (ii) from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight of soluble fibers; optionally, a carbohydrate wherein all weight percentages are based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related patent applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 63 / 344,985, filed on May 23, 2022, entitled “PET FOOD COMPOSITIONS,” and U.S. Application No. 63 / 352,461, filed on June 15, 2022, entitled “PET FOOD COMPOSITIONS,” the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Background Art

[0003] Animals, especially companion pet animals (e.g., dogs and cats), suffer from a variety of health problems as they age. Previous attempts to address these problems have focused on treating those who are overweight, or in extreme cases, obese. Specifically, food compositions have been tailored to reduce caloric intake or affect metabolism solely for the purpose of reducing the weight of the animal. Independent of controlling the diet of the animal, these animals also suffer from gastrointestinal health problems associated with the individual's age.

[0004] As an additional difficulty for producing pet food compositions that can be tailored to modify caloric intake and / or address gastrointestinal health issues, determining appropriate dietary protein levels for the respective animals is challenging. Increasing dietary protein levels in animal foods can help prevent sarcopenia by maintaining lean body mass, and help induce food satiety, which will enhance compliance with weight management diets, but can result in increased amounts of dietary protein that bypass digestion and become spoiled by resident commensal gut bacteria. Microbial protein spoilage products can be detrimental to the progression of renal disease in renal-compromised pets.

[0005] There is a continuing desire for improved pet food compositions that can provide health benefits to domestic pets. Summary of the invention

[0006] Summary of the invention is only intended to introduce a brief overview of some aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Other applicable fields of the present disclosure will become apparent according to the specific embodiments provided hereinafter. Summary of the invention is not a broad overview, nor is it intended to indicate the key elements or important elements of this teaching, nor is it intended to describe the scope of the present disclosure. On the contrary, its purpose is only to present one or more concepts in a simplified form as a preface to the following specific embodiments.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pet food composition is provided, comprising: fat; about 15% to about 50% by weight of protein comprising one or more amino acids, wherein the one or more amino acids include glycine, proline, or a combination of two or more thereof; about 3.5% to about 35% by weight of fiber, wherein the fiber comprises: (i) about 3% to about 30% by weight of insoluble fiber, (ii) about 0.5% to about 5% by weight of soluble fiber; and optionally, carbohydrates, wherein all weight percentages are based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.

[0008] The fiber component of the pet food composition can include acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber, wherein the total amount of acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber is about 6% to about 20% by weight based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis. In some embodiments, the weight ratio of acid detergent fiber to neutral detergent fiber of the pet food composition is about 2:1 to about 1:2. Additionally or alternatively, the weight ratio of insoluble fiber to soluble fiber of the pet food composition pet food composition can be about 20:1 to about 8:1.

[0009] Preferably, the pet food composition comprises one or more vitamins, such as one or more vitamin B selected from the group consisting of ammonium sulfate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin, and combinations of two or more thereof. In some cases, the pet food composition has at least one of the following: ammonium sulfate in an amount of about 8 mg / 100 g to about 20 mg / 100 g; pyridoxine in an amount of about 1 mg / 100 g to about 4 mg / 100 g; cobalamin in an amount of about 10 ug / 100 g to about 40 ug / 100 g; folic acid in an amount of about 100 ug / 100 g to about 400 ug / 100 g. The pet food composition can be formulated to have a weight ratio of folic acid to cobalamin of about 1:1 to about 50:1, preferably about 1:1 to about 40:1, preferably about 3:1 to about 40:1, or preferably about 5:1 to about 40:1. Additionally or alternatively, the pet food composition may have a weight ratio of ammonium sulfate to pyridoxine of about 1:1 to about 30:1, preferably about 2:1 to about 30:1, or preferably about 2:1 to about 20:1.

[0010] In some embodiments, the pet food composition includes at least one medium chain triglyceride with an aliphatic carbon chain containing 6 to 10 carbons. For example, at least one medium chain triglyceride can be selected from caprylate, caprate, or a combination thereof. The pet food composition can include ω-3 fatty acids, such as those selected from linolenic acid, octadecatetraenoic acid, eicosatetraenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and a combination of two or more thereof. In at least one embodiment, the pet food composition includes at least one ω-3 fatty acid selected from linolenic acid, octadecatetraenoic acid, eicosatetraenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and a combination of two or more thereof, and includes at least one medium chain triglyceride with an aliphatic carbon chain containing 6 to 10 carbons. Additionally or alternatively, based on the total weight of the pet food composition based on dry matter, the pet food composition can include betaine, optionally, the amount of betaine is 0.01% by weight to about 5% by weight.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, a pet food is provided comprising: from about 8 wt % to about 50 wt % fat; from about 15 wt % to about 50 wt % protein comprising two or more amino acids, wherein the two or more amino acids include glycine and proline; from about 3.5 wt % to about 35 wt % fiber, the fiber comprising: (i) from about 3 wt % to about 30 wt % insoluble fiber, (ii) from about 0.5 wt % to about 5 wt % soluble fiber; optionally, carbohydrates in an amount up to 65 wt %; two or more triglycerides; and two or more B vitamins, wherein all weight percentages are based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for alleviating chronic gastroenteritis suffered by a canine, the method comprising: feeding a canine a pet food composition disclosed herein. The method may include providing and / or feeding a canine a pet food composition disclosed herein. In some cases, the method may include providing and / or feeding a canine a pet food composition for 1 day or more, preferably 5 days or more, preferably 7 days or more, preferably 10 days or more, preferably 14 days or more, preferably 30 days or more, or preferably 42 days or more. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] For the purpose of illustration, the principle of the present invention is described by reference to each exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Although certain embodiments of the present invention are specifically described herein, it will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the same principles are equally applicable and can be applied to other compositions and methods. Before describing the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the details of any particular embodiment disclosed in terms of its application. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of description rather than for the purpose of limitation.

[0014] As used herein and in the appended claims, unless the context dictates otherwise, the singular includes plural references. The singular of any category of ingredients refers not only to one ingredient within that category, but also to mixtures of these ingredients. The terms "one" (or "a"), "one or more / one or more" and "at least one / at least one" may be used interchangeably herein. The terms "include", "including" and "have" may be used interchangeably. The term "include" should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to". The term "include" should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to".

[0015] As used throughout, range is used as a shorthand for describing each value and each value within the range.Any value within the range can be selected as the endpoint of the range.Therefore, range 1 to 5 specifically includes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and subranges such as 2 to 5, 3 to 5, 2 to 3, 2 to 4, 1 to 4, etc.The term "about" when referring to a number means any number within 10% of the range of the number.For example, the phrase "about 2 wt %" refers to between 1.8 wt % and 2.2 wt % and includes 1.8 wt % and 2.2 wt %.

[0016] All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

[0017] Unless otherwise indicated, abbreviations and symbols as used herein take their ordinary meanings. The abbreviation "% by weight" means the weight percentage relative to the pet food composition. The symbol "°" refers to degrees, such as degrees of temperature or degrees of angle. The symbols "h", "min", "mL", "nm", "μm" mean hours, minutes, milliliters, nanometers and micrometers, respectively. The abbreviation "UV-VIS" referring to a spectrometer or spectroscopy means ultraviolet-visible. The abbreviation "rpm" means revolutions per minute.

[0018] Any member of a species list used to exemplify or define a genus may be mutually distinct from, overlap with, be a subset of, be equivalent to, be nearly identical to, or be identical to any other member of the species list. Furthermore, unless explicitly stated, such as when listing Markush groups, a species list defining or exemplifying a genus is open-ended and gives the possibility that there may be other species that define or exemplify the genus just as well as or better than any other species listed.

[0019] All components and elements that are positively set forth in the present disclosure may be negatively excluded from the claims. In other words, the pet food composition of the present disclosure may be free of or substantially free of all components and elements that are positively listed throughout the present disclosure. In some cases, the pet food composition of the present disclosure may be substantially free of the ingredients or compounds described herein in a non-incident amount. The non-incident amount of an ingredient or compound is the amount of an ingredient or compound that is added to the pet food composition alone. For example, the pet food composition may be substantially free of ingredients or compounds in a non-incident amount, although such ingredients or compounds may exist as part of a raw material (included as a blend of two or more compounds). Unless otherwise defined or described herein, substantially free generally refers to ingredients or compounds in an amount of about 2% by weight or less, about 1.5% by weight or less, about 1% by weight or less, about 0.5% by weight or less, about 0.1% by weight or less, or about 0.05% by weight or less, or about 0.01% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.

[0020] Some of the components of the different categories identified may overlap. In such cases where there may be overlap and the pet food composition contains two components (or the composition contains more than two overlapping components), the overlapping compounds do not represent more than one component. For example, certain components or ingredients may be described as both ancient grains and amaranth. If a particular pet food care composition lists both ancient grains and amaranth, a compound that may be described as both ancient and amaranth will only act as one of the ancient grains or amaranth - not both.

[0021] As used herein, the term "pet" may be used interchangeably with "companion animal" and refers to an animal of any species that is kept as a pet by a caregiver, or any animal of various species that has been widely domesticated as a pet, including canines (Canis familiaris) and felines (Felis domesticus). Thus, pets may include, but are not limited to, working dogs, pet dogs, cats kept for rodent control (i.e., farm cats), pet cats, ferrets, birds, reptiles, rabbits, and fish.

[0022] To the extent that foods and food ingredients contain water / moisture, dry matter refers to everything in the sample other than water, including, for example, protein, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, etc. The dry matter weight is the total weight minus the weight of any water. A skilled artisan will readily recognize and understand nutrient amounts and percentages expressed as dry matter amount, dry matter weight, and dry matter percentage.

[0023] Daily dry matter intake is calculated as the total nutritional intake per day excluding all water. For example, the amount of an ingredient that equals a particular percentage of daily nutritional intake refers to the amount of the ingredient in dry matter form (i.e., excluding all water) relative to the total amount of dry matter (also excluding all water) consumed in a day.

[0024] "Daily nutrient intake" and "total nutrient intake per day" refer to daily dry matter intake. That is, the weight of water is not included in calculating the amount of nutrients consumed per day. To calculate the percentage of an ingredient in the total daily intake on a dry matter basis, water is removed from the total intake to obtain the total daily dry matter intake, and the percentage of the ingredient is based on the amount of the ingredient present as dry matter.

[0025] As used herein, "ingredient" refers to any component of a pet food composition. The term "nutrient" refers to a substance that provides nutrition and therefore has nutritional value. In some cases, an ingredient may contain more than one "nutrient", for example, a composition may contain corn containing important nutrients, including both protein and carbohydrates.

[0026] Aspects of the present invention relate to pet food compositions and methods for improving pet health. In some aspects, pet food compositions include higher amounts of protein while avoiding increases in typical levels of intestinal microbial protein corruption in conventional pet food compositions containing such dietary protein levels. For example, certain embodiments of pet food compositions include higher than typical amounts of protein while reducing protein corruption and intestinal microbial metabolites, and / or improving the intestinal barrier of pets. Pet food compositions may include, for example, about 83% more protein than the minimum limit specified by AAFCO regulatory agencies and about 40% more protein than conventional pet food compositions for canines while reducing intestinal microbial corruption of individual amino acids (see Tables 3 to 7 and 9). In addition, in view of the amount of higher protein, the reduction in protein corruption and intestinal microbial metabolites achieved by certain embodiments of pet food compositions is unexpected, because it is generally expected that increasing the amount of protein produces an increased amount of intestinal microbial protein corruption, which produces harmful uremic solutes. Furthermore, the reduction in protein spoilage achieved by certain embodiments of the pet food compositions is particularly surprising since recent studies have warned that using large amounts of highly digestible proteins may increase negative effects on canines, and using less digestible proteins at similar concentrations may still cause similar negative effects.

[0027] The inventors have also found that pet food compositions having a specific combination of proteins combined with a specific combination of fibers at a specific ratio produce significant benefits to pets that consume such pet food compositions, including, for example, improving the health of the pet's intestinal tract. In addition, certain embodiments include specific combinations of triglycerides, fatty acids, vitamins and / or other additives to provide enhanced health benefits. For example, certain pet food compositions contain a large amount of betaine, which surprisingly does not weaken other benefits of the present invention (including, for example, a significant reduction in protein corruption and intestinal microbial metabolites achieved by the pet food composition). In some embodiments, the pet food composition produces a significant reduction in intestinal microbial metabolites that may be harmful to pets, while reducing sarcopenia and obesity, and providing a larger amount of protein to pets.

[0028] In one aspect of the present invention, a pet food composition is provided, comprising: fat; about 15% to about 50% by weight protein comprising one or more amino acids, wherein the one or more amino acids include glycine, proline, or a combination of two or more thereof; about 3.5% to about 35% by weight fiber, the fiber comprising: (i) about 3% to about 30% by weight insoluble fiber, (ii) about 0.5% to about 5% by weight soluble fiber; optionally, carbohydrates, wherein all weight percentages are based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, a pet food is provided, comprising: about 8 wt % to about 50 wt % fat; about 15 wt % to about 50 wt % protein comprising two or more amino acids, wherein the two or more amino acids include glycine and proline; about 3.5 wt % to about 35 wt % fiber, wherein the fiber comprises: (i) about 3 wt % to about 30 wt % insoluble fiber, (ii) about 0.5 wt % to about 5 wt % soluble fiber; optionally, carbohydrates in an amount up to 65 wt %; two or more triglycerides; and two or more B vitamins, wherein all weight percentages are based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.

[0030] The pet food composition may contain reduced amounts of tryptophan, phenylalanine and / or tyrosine. For example, the pet food composition may contain tryptophan in an amount of about 5% by weight or less, about 4% by weight or less, about 3% by weight or less, about 2% by weight or less, about 1% by weight or less, about 0.5% by weight or less, about 0.1% by weight or less. In at least one embodiment, the pet food composition is substantially free of tryptophan or free of tryptophan.

[0031] Additionally or alternatively, the pet food composition can include phenylalanine in an amount of about 5% by weight or less, about 4% by weight or less, about 3% by weight or less, about 2% by weight or less, about 1% by weight or less, about 0.5% by weight or less, about 0.1% by weight or less. In at least one embodiment, the pet food composition is substantially free of phenylalanine or free of phenylalanine.

[0032] In some embodiments, the pet food composition comprises tyrosine in an amount of about 5% by weight or less, about 4% by weight or less, about 3% by weight or less, about 2% by weight or less, about 1% by weight or less, about 0.5% by weight or less, about 0.1% by weight or less. In at least one embodiment, the pet food composition is substantially free of tyrosine or free of tyrosine.

[0033] Depending on the specific combination of other ingredients and the form of the pet food composition, suitable components such as those listed below may be included in or excluded from the formulation for the pet food composition. In some embodiments, the pet food composition disclosed herein may be in the form of a stand-alone pet food, as a supplement to a pet food, as a pet food treat, etc.

[0034] The pet food composition is formulated to contain fat in an amount generally ranging from about 8% to about 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.For example, the pet food composition can include fat in an amount ranging from about 8% to about 50% by weight, about 10% to about 50% by weight, about 12% to about 50% by weight, about 14% to about 50% by weight, about 16% to about 50% by weight, about 18% to about 50% by weight, about 20% to about 50% by weight, about 22% to about 50% by weight, about 24% to about 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis; about 8% to about 40% by weight, about 10% to about 40% by weight, about 12% to about 40% by weight, about 14% to about 40% by weight, about 16% to about 50% by weight, about 18% to about 50% by weight, about 20% to about 50% by weight, about 22% to about 50% by weight, about 24% to about 50% by weight; 0 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 22 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 24 wt % to about 40 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 12 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 22 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 24 wt % to about 35 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 12 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 35 wt %, 0 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 22 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 24 wt % to about 30 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 12 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 22 wt % to about 27 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 12 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 2 4 weight %; about 8 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 10 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 12 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 14 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 16 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 18 weight % to about 22 weight %; about 8 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 10 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 12 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 14 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 16 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 18 weight % to about 22 weight %; about 8 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 10 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 12 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 14 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 16 weight % to about 22 weight %, about 18 weight % to about 22 weight %; about 8 weight % to about 20 weight %, about 10 weight % to about 20 weight %, about 12 weight % to about 20 weight %, about 14 weight % to about 20 weight %, about 16 weight % to about 20 weight %, including ranges and sub-ranges thereof.

[0035] The term "fat" generally refers to a lipid or a mixture of lipids that can be solid or liquid at normal room temperature (e.g., 25° C.) and pressure (e.g., 1 atmosphere). In some cases, at standard room temperature and pressure, the fat can be a viscous liquid or an amorphous solid. The fat can be fully incorporated into the food composition, deposited on the outside of the pet food composition, or can be a mixture of the two methods. In some embodiments, the pet food composition also includes an effective amount of one or more substances selected from the following: glucosamine, chondroitin, chondroitin sulfate, methylsulfonylmethane (methylsulfonylmethane, "MSM"), creatine, antioxidants, tubular mussels (Perna canaliculata) and mixtures thereof.

[0036] Fat can be supplied by any various sources known to those skilled in the art, including meat, meat by-products, canola oil, fish oils such as anchovy oil and herring oil and plants. Meat fat sources include poultry fat, turkey fat, pork fat, lard, tallow and beef fat. Plant fat sources include wheat, linseed, rye, barley, rice, sorghum, corn, oats, millet, wheat germ, corn germ, soybean, peanut and cottonseed, and oil derived from these and other plant fat sources, such as corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, linseed oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil and / or olestra oil.

[0037] In some cases, the fat in the composition is crude fat. Based on the gross weight based on dry matter of pet food composition, crude fat can be included in the composition with respect to the above disclosed amount (for example, about 8 % by weight to about 50 % by weight) of total fat. In some embodiments, based on the gross weight based on dry matter of pet food composition, pet food composition comprises crude fat with the amount of about 10 % by weight to about 40 % by weight, about 12 % by weight to about 35 % by weight, about 14 % by weight to about 30 % by weight, about 16 % by weight to about 24 % by weight. In some cases, it may be preferred that about 50 % by weight or more, about 60 % by weight or more, about 70 % by weight or more, about 80 % by weight or more, or about 90 % by weight or more of total fat obtain from animal sources. Alternatively, about 50 % by weight or more, about 60 % by weight or more, about 70 % by weight or more, about 80 % by weight or more, or about 90 % by weight or more of total fat can obtain from plant sources.

[0038] The pet food composition typically comprises protein in an amount ranging from about 15% to about 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis. In some cases, the total amount of protein in the pet food composition is in the following ranges, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis: from about 15% to about 48% by weight, from about 15% to about 46% by weight, from about 15% to about 44% by weight, from about 15% to about 42% by weight, from about 15% to about 40% by weight, from about 15% to about 38% by weight, from about 15% to about 36% by weight, from about 15% to about 34% by weight; from about 20% to about 50% by weight, from about 20% to about 48% by weight, from about 20% to about 46% by weight, from about 20% to about 44% by weight, from about 20% to about 42% by weight, from about 20% to about 40% by weight, from about 20% to about 38% by weight, from about 20% to about 36% by weight, from about 15% to about 34% by weight; % to about 36 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 34 wt %; about 25 wt % to about 50 wt %, about 25 wt % to about 48 wt %, about 25 wt % to about 46 wt %, about 25 wt % to about 44 wt %, about 25 wt % to about 42 wt %, about 25 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 25 wt % to about 38 wt %, about 25 wt % to about 36 wt %, about 25 wt % to about 34 wt %; about 30 wt % to about 50 wt %, about 30 wt % to about 48 wt %, about 30 wt % to about 46 wt %, about 30 wt % to about 44 wt %, about 30 wt % to about 42 wt %, about 30 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 30 wt % to about 38 wt %, or about 30 wt % to about 36 wt %, including ranges and subranges therebetween.

[0039] The protein of the pet food composition comprises one or more amino acids selected from glycine, proline, or a combination of two or more thereof. Preferably, the pet food composition comprises two or more amino acids. For example, the pet food composition may comprise two or more, three or more, four or more, five or more, six or more, seven or more, eight or more amino acids. In some embodiments, the pet food composition comprises glycine and proline, and optionally one or more additional amino acids.

[0040] The one or more amino acids can be selected from: tryptophan, taurine, histidine, carnitine, carnosine, alanine, cysteine, arginine, methionine (including DL-methionine and L-methionine), tryptophan, lysine, asparagine, aspartic acid (Aspartate) (Aspartic acid (Aspartic acid)), phenylalanine, valine, threonine, isoleucine, histidine, leucine, glycine, glutamine, taurine, tyrosine, homocysteine, ornithine, citrulline, glutamic acid (Glutamate) (Glutamic acid (Glutamic acid)), proline and / or serine, and a combination of two or more thereof. In some cases, one or more amino acids can include essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are amino acids that cannot be synthesized de novo or in sufficient amounts by an organism, and therefore must be supplied in a diet. Essential amino acids vary from species to species, depending on the metabolism of an organism. For example, it is generally understood that the essential amino acids for dogs and cats (as well as humans) are phenylalanine, leucine, methionine, lysine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, histidine, and arginine. In addition, taurine, although not technically an amino acid but a derivative of cysteine, is an essential nutrient for cats.

[0041] The part of the protein in the composition can be digestible protein. For example, the composition can include a certain amount of protein, wherein about 40% by weight or more, about 50% by weight or more, about 60% by weight or more, about 70% by weight or more, about 80% by weight or more, about 90% by weight or more, about 95% by weight or more, about 98% by weight or more, or about 99% by weight or more of the protein is digestible protein. In some embodiments, for example, when the desired composition promotes weight loss, the part of the protein that is digestible protein is about 60% by weight or less, about 50% by weight or less, about 40% by weight or less, about 30% by weight or less, about 20% by weight or less, or about 10% by weight or less based on the total amount of the protein in the pet food composition based on dry matter. In other embodiments, the amount of protein that is digestible protein, based on the total amount of protein in the pet food composition on a dry matter basis, is from about 10% to about 99%, from about 10% to about 95%, from about 10% to about 90%, from about 10% to about 70%, from about 10% to about 50%, from about 10% to about 30%; from about 30% to about 99%, from about 30% to about 95%, from about 30% to about 90%, from about 30% to about 70%, from about 30% to about 50%; from about 50% to about 99%, from about 50% to about 95%, from about 50% to about 90%, from about 50% to about 70%; from about 70% to about 99%, from about 70% to about 95%, or from about 70% to about 90%, including ranges and subranges therein.

[0042] Protein can be supplied by any multiple sources known to those of ordinary skill in the art, including plant origin, animal origin, microbial origin or a combination of these. For example, animal origin can include meat, meat by-products, seafood, dairy products, eggs, etc. Meat, for example, can include animal meat (for example, poultry, fish, and mammals include cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, etc.). Meat by-products can include, for example, lungs, kidneys, brains, livers, stomachs, and intestines. Vegetable protein includes, for example, soybeans, cottonseeds, and peanuts. Microbial origin can be used for synthesizing amino acids (for example, lysine, threonine, tryptophan, and / or methionine) or complete proteins (for example, proteins from sources listed below).

[0043] Examples of proteins or protein ingredients can include chicken meal, chicken, chicken by-product meal, lamb, lamb meal, turkey, turkey meal, beef, beef by-products, offal, fish meal, intestines, kangaroo, whitefish, venison, soy meal, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, corn gluten meal, corn protein concentrate, dried distiller's grains, and / or dried distiller's grains solubles and single cell proteins, such as yeast, algae and / or bacterial cultures.

[0044] The protein may be intact, fully hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed. The protein content of a food product may be determined by any number of methods known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, method 988.05 disclosed in the Official Methods of Analysis ("OMA") of the American Association of Analytical Chemists. The amount of protein in the compositions disclosed herein may be determined based on the amount of nitrogen in the composition according to methods familiar to those skilled in the art.

[0045] The pet food composition is typically formulated to contain fiber in an amount of about 3.5% to about 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis. For example, the total amount of fiber present in the pet food composition can be about 3.5% to about 32%, about 3.5% to about 29%, about 3.5% to about 26%, about 3.5% to about 24%, about 3.5% to about 22%, about 3.5% to about 20%, about 3.5% to about 18 ...5 wt % to about 16 wt %; about 5 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 32 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 29 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 26 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 22 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 20 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 18 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 16 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 8 wt % to about 32 wt %, about 8 wt % to about 29 wt %, about 8 wt % to about 26 wt %, about 8 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 8 wt % to about 22 wt %, about 8 wt % to about 20 wt %, about 8 wt % to about 18 % by weight, about 8 % by weight to about 16 % by weight; about 11 % by weight to about 35 % by weight, about 11 % by weight to about 32 % by weight, about 11 % by weight to about 29 % by weight, about 11 % by weight to about 26 % by weight, about 11 % by weight to about 24 % by weight, about 11 % by weight to about 22 % by weight, about 11 % by weight to about 20 % by weight, about 11 % by weight to about 18 % by weight, about 11 % by weight to about 16 % by weight; about 14 % by weight to about 35 % by weight, about 14 % by weight to about 32 % by weight, about 14 % by weight to about 29 % by weight, about 14 % by weight to about 26 % by weight, about 14 % by weight to about 24 % by weight, about 14 % by weight to about 22 % by weight, about 1 4 wt % to about 20 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 18 wt %; about 16 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 32 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 29 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 26 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 22 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 20 wt %; about 18 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 32 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 29 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 26 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 22 wt %; about 20 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 20 wt % to about About 32% by weight, about 20% by weight to about 29% by weight, about 20% by weight to about 26% by weight, about 20% by weight to about 24% by weight; about 22% by weight to about 35% by weight, about 22% by weight to about 32% by weight, about 22% by weight to about 29% by weight, about 22% by weight to about 26% by weight; about 24% by weight to about 35% by weight, about 24% by weight to about 32% by weight, about 24% by weight to about 29% by weight; about 26% by weight to about 35% by weight, about 26% by weight to about 32% by weight, about 26% by weight to about 29% by weight; about 28% by weight to about 35% by weight, or about 28% by weight to about 32% by weight, including ranges and subranges thereof.

[0046] The total amount of fiber present in a pet food composition generally includes the amount of crude fiber and dietary fiber. The amount of crude fiber and / or dietary fiber can be present in the pet food composition in any of the above amounts disclosed for the total amount of fiber. Crude fiber includes indigestible components contained in the cell walls and cell contents of plants, such as cereals (e.g., the husks of cereals such as rice, corn, and beans).

[0047] Dietary fiber refers to the component of plant resistance being digested by animal digestive enzymes.Dietary fiber includes soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.Soluble fiber resists digestion and absorption in the small intestine and experiences complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine, such as beet pulp, guar gum, chicory root, psyllium, pectin, blueberry, cranberry, pumpkin, apple, oat, beans, citrus, barley or pea.Insoluble fiber can be supplied by including any of the following multiple sources: for example, cellulose, whole-wheat products, wheat oats, corn bran, linseed, grape, celery, green beans, cauliflower, potato peels, fruit peels, vegetable peels, peanut shells and soy fiber.Crude fiber includes the indigestible components included in the cell wall and cell content of plants (such as cereals (such as the shell of cereals such as rice, corn and beans)).

[0048] In some embodiments, the pet food composition has a weight ratio of insoluble fiber to soluble fiber of about 20: 1 to about 8: 1. For example, the pet food composition can have a weight ratio of insoluble fiber to soluble fiber of about 18: 1 to about 8: 1, about 16: 1 to about 8: 1, about 14: 1 to about 8: 1, about 12: 1 to about 8: 1, about 10: 1 to about 8: 1, or any range or sub-range thereof. The pet food composition can have a weight ratio of insoluble fiber to soluble fiber of about 11: 1.

[0049] Additionally and / or alternatively, the fiber component of the pet food composition may include acidic detergent fiber and / or neutral detergent fiber. In some cases, the pet food composition comprises acidic detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber, for example, in an amount of about 6% to about 20% by weight based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry basis. For example, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry basis, the pet food composition may comprise one of the acidic detergent fiber and / or neutral detergent fiber in the following amounts: about 3% to about 15% by weight, about 3% to about 12% by weight, about 3% to about 10% by weight, about 3% to about 8% by weight, about 3% to about 6% by weight, about 3% to about 5% by weight; about 5% to about 15% by weight, about 5% to about 12% by weight, about 5% to about 10% by weight; about 5% to about 15% by weight, about 5% to about 12% by weight, about 5% to about 10% by weight; about 5% to about 15% by weight, about 5% to about 12% by weight, about 5% to about 10% by weight; about 5% to about 15% by weight, about 5% to about 10 ... 0 weight %, about 5 weight % to about 8 weight %, about 5 weight % to about 6 weight %; about 7 weight % to about 15 weight %, about 7 weight % to about 12 weight %, about 7 weight % to about 10 weight %, about 7 weight % to 8 weight %; about 9 weight % to about 15 weight %, about 9 weight % to about 12 weight %, about 9 weight % to about 10 weight %; about 11 weight % to about 15 weight %, about 11 weight % to about 13 weight %, or about 12 weight % to about 15 weight %, including ranges and sub-ranges thereof.

[0050] In some embodiments, the pet food composition has an acid detergent fiber to neutral detergent fiber weight ratio of about 3: 1 to about 1: 3. Preferably, the acid detergent fiber to neutral detergent fiber weight ratio is about 2: 1 to about 1: 2. In some cases, the acid detergent fiber to neutral detergent fiber weight ratio is about 1.75: 1 to about 1: 1.75, about 1.5: 1 to about 1: 1.5, about 1.25: 1 to about 1: 1.25, or any range or sub-range thereof. In at least one embodiment, the acid detergent fiber to neutral detergent fiber weight ratio is about 1: 1.

[0051] The fiber in the pet food composition can be provided by various sources known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the fiber in the pet food composition is provided by teff, wheat, oats, rice, corn, barley, sorghum, rye, millet, triticale, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa.

[0052] The pet food composition may include one or more triglycerides. In some cases, the pet food composition includes two or more triglycerides, three or more triglycerides, four or more triglycerides, or five or more triglycerides. Preferably, at least one triglyceride is a medium chain triglyceride. The medium chain triglyceride includes an aliphatic carbon chain containing 6 to 10 carbons. In some embodiments, the medium chain triglyceride has an aliphatic carbon chain of 6 carbons, 7 carbons, 8 carbons, 9 carbons, 10 carbons, or a range thereof. For example, the aliphatic carbon chain of the medium chain triglyceride may range from 6 to 9 carbons, 6 to 8 carbons, 6 or 7 carbons; 7 to 10 carbons, 7 to 9 carbons, 7 or 8 carbons; 8 to 10 carbons, or 8 or 9 carbons, or 9 or 10 carbons. In at least one embodiment, the medium chain triglyceride includes a caprylate component, a caprate component, a residue thereof, or a combination thereof. In another embodiment, the pet food composition includes caprylate and caprate.

[0053] Triglycerides can account for dietary fat up to about 100% amount. In some cases, the fat of pet food composition is made up of dietary fat or is substantially made up of dietary fat. Preferably, dietary fat includes triglycerides. In some embodiments, triglycerides can account for about 20% to about 100%, about 40% to about 100%, about 50% to about 100%, about 60% to about 100%, about 70% to about 100%, about 80% to about 100%, about 90% to about 100% of the total amount of the fat in the pet food composition. In other embodiments, triglycerides account for about 20% to about 95%, about 40% to about 95%, about 50% to about 95%, about 60% to about 95%, about 70% to about 95%, about 80% to about 95%, about 90% to about 95% of the total amount of the fat in the pet food composition. In other embodiments, triglycerides account for about 20% to about 90%, about 40% to about 90%, about 50% to about 90%, about 60% to about 90%, about 70% to about 90%, about 80% to about 90% of the total amount of fat in the pet food composition. In yet another embodiment, triglycerides account for about 20% to about 80%, about 40% to about 80%, about 50% to about 80%, about 60% to about 80%, about 70% to about 80% of the total amount of fat in the pet food composition.

[0054] Additionally or alternatively, the triglycerides may be present in the pet food composition in an amount of about 8 wt % to about 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.For example, the amount of triglycerides in the pet food composition can be about 8% to about 50% by weight, about 10% to about 50% by weight, about 12% to about 50% by weight, about 14% to about 50% by weight, about 16% to about 50% by weight, about 18% to about 50% by weight, about 20% to about 50% by weight, about 22% to about 50% by weight, about 24% to about 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis; about 8% to about 40% by weight, about 10% to about 40% by weight, about 12% to about 40% by weight, about 14% to about 40% by weight, about 16% to about 40% by weight, about 18% to about 50% by weight, about 20% to about 50% by weight, about 22% to about 50% by weight, about 24% to about 50% by weight; %, about 20 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 22 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 24 wt % to about 40 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 12 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 22 wt % to about 35 wt %, about 24 wt % to about 35 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 12 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 30 wt %. %, about 20 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 22 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 24 wt % to about 30 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 12 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 27 wt %, about 22 wt % to about 27 wt %; about 8 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 12 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 14 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 16 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 18 wt % to about 24 wt %, about 20 wt % to about 24 % by weight; about 8 % to about 22 % by weight, about 10 % to about 22 % by weight, about 12 % to about 22 % by weight, about 14 % to about 22 % by weight, about 16 % to about 22 % by weight, about 18 % to about 22 % by weight; about 8 % to about 22 % by weight, about 10 % to about 22 % by weight, about 12 % to about 22 % by weight, about 14 % to about 22 % by weight, about 16 % to about 22 % by weight, about 18 % to about 22 % by weight; about 8 % to about 20 % by weight, about 10 % to about 20 % by weight, about 12 % to about 20 % by weight, about 14 % to about 20 % by weight, about 16 % to about 20 % by weight, including ranges and subranges thereof.

[0055] Triglyceride can comprise one or more compositions containing fatty acid component / part.For example, triglyceride can comprise one, two or three isoluminous path length chains selected from fatty acid component.The limiting examples of fatty acid component include but are not limited to ω-3 fatty acids, ω-6 fatty acids, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, margaric acid, margarine oleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, octadecatetraenoic acid, gadoleic acid, behenic acid, erucic acid, docosatetraenoic acid and a combination of both or more thereof.The fatty acid moiety can be polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as ω-3 fatty acids, ω-6 fatty acids or a combination of both or more thereof.The limiting examples of ω-3 fatty acid component include those selected from linolenic acid, octadecatetraenoic acid, eicosatetraenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and a combination of both or more thereof.

[0056] Additionally or alternatively, the triglyceride may include a polyunsaturated fatty acid portion selected from ω-6 fatty acids. Examples of ω-6 fatty acid portions include linolenic acid, octadecatrienoic acid, eicosadienoic acid, arachidonic acid, docosadienoic acid, adrenic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, tetracosatetraenoic acid, tetracosopentaenoic acid, or a combination of two or more thereof. In some embodiments, the polyunsaturated fatty acid component is selected from linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, and a combination of two or more thereof.

[0057] In at least one preferred embodiment, the pet food composition comprises at least one triglyceride, such as a medium chain triglyceride, having at least an aliphatic chain component selected from the fatty acid components of the foregoing list, such as omega-3 fatty acids.

[0058] The pet food composition may include betaine, for example, in an amount of 0.01 to about 5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis. For example, the amount of betaine in the pet food composition can be about 0.01% to about 4% by weight, about 0.01% to about 3% by weight, about 0.01% to about 2% by weight, about 0.01% to about 1% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis; about 0.05% to about 5% by weight, about 0.05% to about 4% by weight, about 0.05% to about 3% by weight, about 0.05% to about 2% by weight, about 0.05% to about 1% by weight; about 0.1% to about 5% by weight, about 0.1% to about 4% by weight, about 0.1% to about 3% by weight, about 0.1% to about 2% by weight, about 0.1% to about 1% by weight; about 0.2% to about 5% by weight, about 0.2% to about 4% by weight, about 0.2% to about 3% by weight, about 0. .2 wt % to about 2 wt %, about 0.2 wt % to about 1 wt %; about 0.5 wt % to about 5 wt %, about 0.5 wt % to about 4 wt %, about 0.5 wt % to about 3 wt %, about 0.5 wt % to about 2 wt %, about 0.5 wt % to about 1 wt %; about 0.75 wt % to about 5 wt %, about 0.75 wt % to about 4 wt %, about 0.75 wt % to about 3 wt %, about 0.75 wt % to about 2 wt %, about 0.75 wt % to about 1 wt %; about 1 wt % to about 5 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 4 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 3 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 2 wt %; about 2 wt % to about 5 wt %, about 2 wt % to about 4 wt %, about 2 wt % to about 3 wt %; about 3 wt % to about 5 wt %, about 3 wt % to about 4 wt %, or any range or subrange thereof.

[0059] In some preferred embodiments, the pet food composition comprises one or more vitamins. One or more vitamins in the pet food composition can be selected from vitamin B. Suitable vitamin B that can be incorporated into the pet food composition includes those selected from ammonium sulfate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin and a combination of two or more thereof. In some cases, the pet food composition comprises 2 or more, 3 or more, or 4 or more vitamins selected from ammonium sulfate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin and a combination of two or more thereof. In at least one embodiment, one or more vitamin B includes ammonium sulfate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin or a combination of two or more thereof. In other embodiments, one or more vitamin B includes at least three vitamins selected from ammonium sulfate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin and a combination of two or more thereof.

[0060] The pet food composition may include an amount of one or more B vitamins, such as ammonium sulfate in an amount of about 8 mg / 100 g to about 20 mg / 100 g, pyridoxine in an amount of about 1 mg / 100 g to about 4 mg / 100 g, cobalamin in an amount of about 10 ug / 100 g to about 40 ug / 100 g, and / or folic acid in an amount of about 100 ug / 100 g to about 400 ug / 100 g. The amount of ammonium sulfate in the pet food composition can be from about 8 mg / 100g to about 20 mg / 100g, from about 11 mg / 100g to about 20 mg / 100g, from about 14 mg / 100g to about 20 mg / 100g, from about 16 mg / 100g to about 20 mg / 100g, from about 8 mg / 100g to about 17 mg / 100g, from about 8 mg / 100g to about 14 mg / 100g, from about 8 mg / 100g to about 11 mg / 100g, or any range or sub-range thereof. In some cases, the amount of pyridoxine in the pet food composition can be from about 1 mg / 100 g to about 4 mg / 100 g, from about 2 mg / 100 g to about 4 mg / 100 g, from about 3 mg / 100 g to about 4 mg / 100 g, from about 1 mg / 100 g to about 3 mg / 100 g, from about 1 mg / 100 g to about 2 mg / 100 g, or any ranges and sub-ranges thereof. Cobalamin can be present in the pet food composition in an amount of about 10 ug / 100g to about 40 ug / 100g, about 15 ug / 100g to about 40 ug / 100g, about 20 ug / 100g to about 40 ug / 100g, about 25 ug / 100g to about 40 ug / 100g, about 30 ug / 100g to about 40 ug / 100g, about 35 ug / 100g to about 40 ug / 100g, about 10 ug / 100g to about 35 ug / 100g, about 10 ug / 100g to about 30 ug / 100g, about 10 ug / 100g to about 25 ug / 100g, about 10 ug / 100g to about 20 ug / 100g, about 10 ug / 100g to about 15 ug / 100g, or any ranges and sub-ranges thereof.Additionally or alternatively, the pet food composition may include folic acid in an amount of about 100 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 100 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 150 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 200 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 250 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 300 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 400 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 500 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 600 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 700 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 800 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 900 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 1000 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 1500 ug / 100g to about 400 ug / 100g, about 10 ... ug / 100g, about 350ug / 100g to about 400ug / 100g, about 100ug / 100g to about 350ug / 100g, about 100ug / 100g to about 300ug / 100g, about 100ug / 100g to about 250ug / 100g, about 100ug / 100g to about 200ug / 100g, about 100ug / 100g to about 150ug / 100g, or any ranges and sub-ranges thereof. In at least one embodiment, the pet food composition comprises ammonium sulfate in an amount of about 8mg / 100g to about 20mg / 100g, pyridoxine in an amount of about 1mg / 100g to about 4mg / 100g, cobalamin in an amount of about 10ug / 100g to about 40ug / 100g, and folic acid in an amount of about 100ug / 100g to about 400ug / 100g.

[0061] The pet food compositions of certain embodiments are formulated to have a weight ratio of folate to cobalamin of about 1:1 to about 50:1. For example, the weight ratio of folate to cobalamin in the pet food composition can be from about 1:1 to about 40:1, from about 1:1 to about 35:1, from about 1:1 to about 30:1, from about 1:1 to about 25:1, from about 1:1 to about 20:1, from about 1:1 to about 15:1; from about 3:1 to about 50:1, from about 3:1 to about 40:1, from about 3:1 to about 35:1, from about 3:1 to about 30:1, from about 3:1 to about 25:1, from about 3:1 to about 20:1, from about 3:1 to about 15:1; from about 5:1 to about 50:1, from about 5:1 to about 40:1, from about 5:1 to about 35:1, from about 5:1 to about 30:1, from about 5:1 to about 25:1, from about 5:1 to about 20:1, or from about 5:1 to about 15:1, including ranges or sub-ranges thereof.

[0062] The pet food composition may include a weight ratio of ammonium sulfate to pyridoxine of about 1:1 to about 30:1. In some cases, the pet food composition includes a weight ratio of ammonium sulfate to pyridoxine of about 1:1 to about 25:1, about 1:1 to about 20:1, about 1:1 to about 15:1, about 1:1 to about 10:1, about 1:1 to about 7:1, about 1:1 to about 5:1; about 2:1 to about 30:1, about 2:1 to about 25:1, about 2:1 to about 20:1, about 2:1 to about 15:1, about 2:1 to about 10:1, about 2:1 to about 7:1, about 2:1 to about 5:1, or any range or sub-range thereof.

[0063] The pet food composition can also include ash. As described herein, ash is composed of non-organic or non-aqueous compounds, typically produced by the combustion of biomaterials. Based on the total weight of the food composition based on dry weight, ash can be present in the pet food composition in an amount in the range of about 1 wt % to about 10 wt %, including all amounts and sub-ranges therebetween. In some embodiments, based on the total weight of the food composition based on dry weight, ash can be present in the food composition in an amount in the range of about 2.5 wt % to about 7.5 wt %, including all amounts and sub-ranges therebetween.

[0064] Additionally or alternatively, the pet food composition may include carbohydrates, for example, in an amount up to about 65% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis. The term "carbohydrate" as used herein includes polysaccharides (e.g., starch and dextrin) and sugars (e.g., sucrose, lactose, maltose, glucose and fructose) that are metabolized to energy when hydrolyzed. Those skilled in the art can control the texture of the final product by properly balancing the carbohydrate sources. For example, short-chain polysaccharides have viscosity and gelatinous properties, while longer-chain polysaccharides have lower viscosity and gelatinous properties than shorter-chain polysaccharides; the desired texture of this mixed food is achieved by longer-chain polysaccharides and modified starches (e.g., natural or modified starches, cellulose, etc.). The carbohydrate mixture may additionally include optional components, such as added salts, spices, seasonings, vitamins, minerals, flavorings, coloring agents, etc. The amount of the optional components depends at least in part on the nutritional requirements of the different life stages of the animal.

[0065] Carbohydrate can be supplied by any multiple source well known to those skilled in the art, including but not limited to oat fiber, cellulose, peanut shells, beet pulp, parboiled rice, corn starch, corn gluten meal, cereals and sorghum. The cereals supplying carbohydrates can include but not limited to wheat, durum wheat, semolina, corn, barley and rice. In certain embodiments, the carbohydrate component comprises a mixture of one or more carbohydrate sources. The carbohydrate content of food can be determined by any number of methods well known to those skilled in the art.

[0066] Generally, the carbohydrate percentage can be calculated as a nitrogen free extract ("NFE"), which can be calculated as follows: NFE% = 100% - (moisture%) - (protein%) - (fat%) - (ash%) - (crude fiber%). Based on the total weight of the pet composition on a dry matter basis, the amount of carbohydrate present in the composition (e.g., calculated as NFE) can be in an amount up to about 65% by weight, in an amount up to about 60% by weight, in an amount up to about 55% by weight, in an amount up to about 50% by weight, in an amount up to about 45% by weight, in an amount up to about 40% by weight, in an amount up to about 35% by weight, in an amount up to about 30% by weight, in an amount up to about 25% by weight, in an amount up to about 20% by weight, in an amount up to about 15% by weight, in an amount up to about 10% by weight, in an amount up to about 5% by weight; about 1 wt % to about 55 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 50 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 45 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 35 wt %; about 1 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 25 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 20 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 15 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 10 wt %, about 1 wt % to about 5 wt %; about 5 wt % to about 65 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 55 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 50 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 45 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 35 wt % % by weight; about 5 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 25 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 20 wt %, about 5 wt % to about 15 wt %; about 10 wt % to about 65 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 55 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 50 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 45 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 40 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 35 wt %; about 10 wt % to about 30 wt %, about 10 wt % to about 25 wt %; about 15 wt % to about 65 wt %, about 15 wt % to about 55 wt %, about 15 wt % to about 50 wt %, about 15 wt % to about 45% by weight, about 15% by weight to about 40% by weight, about 15% by weight to about 35% by weight; about 15% by weight to about 30% by weight; about 20% by weight to about 65% by weight, about 20% by weight to about 55% by weight, about 20% by weight to about 50% by weight, about 20% by weight to about 45% by weight, about 20% by weight to about 40% by weight, about 20% by weight to about 35% by weight; about 25% by weight to about 65% by weight, about 25% by weight to about 55% by weight, about 25% by weight to about 50% by weight, about 25% by weight to about 45% by weight, about 25% by weight to about 40% by weight, about 25% by weight to about 35% by weight;From about 30% to about 65% by weight, from about 30% to about 55% by weight, from about 30% to about 50% by weight, from about 30% to about 45% by weight; from about 35% to about 65% by weight, from about 35% to about 55% by weight, from about 35% to about 50% by weight; from about 40% to about 65% by weight, from about 40% to about 55% by weight, from about 45% to about 65% by weight, from about 45% to about 55% by weight; or from about 50% to about 65% by weight, including ranges and subranges thereof.;

[0067] In certain embodiments, the pet food composition comprises moisture. Moisture can exist in various amounts or concentrations. In one embodiment, based on the gross weight of the pet food composition, moisture can exist in an amount of about 3 % by weight to about 20 % by weight. For example, based on the gross weight of the pet food composition, moisture can exist in the following amount: about 3 % by weight, about 5 % by weight, about 5.5 % by weight, about 6 % by weight, about 6.5 % by weight, about 7 % by weight, about 7.5 % by weight, about 8 % by weight, about 8.5 % by weight, about 9 % by weight, about 9.5 % by weight, about 10 % by weight, about 10.5 % by weight, about 11 % by weight, about 11.5 % by weight, about 12 % by weight, about 12.5 % by weight, about 13 % by weight, about 13.5 % by weight, about 14 % by weight, about 14.5 % by weight, or about 15 % by weight. In another example, moisture can be present in an amount of about 6% to about 12%, about 9% to about 13%, about 9% to about 11%, or about 9% to about 13%, based on the total weight of the pet food composition. In certain embodiments, moisture is present in an amount of about 5% to about 12%, about 6% to about 11%, or about 7% to about 10.0%, based on the total weight of the pet food composition. In other embodiments, moisture is present in an amount of about 65% to about 85%, about 60% to about 80%, or about 60% to about 75%, based on the total weight of the pet food composition.

[0068] Pet food compositions can include one or more components and / or sources of glucose mimics, carotenoids, and / or arginine, and derivatives thereof. The source of glucose mimics can include glucose antimetabolites (including 2-deoxy-D-glucose, 5-thio-D-glucose, 3-O-methyl glucose), dehydrated sugars (including 1,5-dehydrated-D-glucitol, 2,5-dehydrated-D-glucitol, 2,5-dehydrated-D-mannitol), mannoheptulose, and / or an avocado extract comprising mannoheptulose. The source of carotenoids can include lutein, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, carmine, lycopene, and / or beta-carotene. The source of antioxidant ingredients can include tocopherol (vitamin E), vitamin C, vitamin A, plant-derived materials, carotenoids (described above), selenium, and / or CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10). In a preferred embodiment, pet food compositions include high levels of arginine and derivatives thereof. Based on the gross weight based on dry matter of composition, the amount of arginine present in the composition can be about 0.01 wt % to about 10.0 wt %, about 0.01 wt % to about 5.0 wt %, about 0.01 wt % to about 2.0 wt %, about 0.1 wt % to about 10.0 wt %, about 0.1 wt % to about 5.0 wt %, about 0.1 wt % to about 2.0 wt %; about 0.5 wt % to about 5.0 wt %, about 0.5 wt % to about 2.0 wt %, about 1.5 wt % to about 5.0 wt %, about 1.5 wt % to about 2.0 wt %, about 0.5 wt %, about 1.0 wt %, about 1.4 wt %, about 1.44 wt %, about 1.8 wt %, about 2.0 wt %, or any range or subrange thereof. The arginine present in the composition can be L-arginine, D-arginine or its mixture.

[0069] Pet food compositions disclosed herein can be wet or dry compositions, and ingredients can be incorporated into food compositions and / or incorporated on the surface of any composition component, such as by spraying, agglomerating, powdering or precipitating on the surface. In addition, pet food compositions can be formulated and produced to be in various forms and / or consistencies. For example, pet food compositions can be, for example, dry, wet or semi-wet animal food compositions. "Semi-wet" refers to a food composition comprising about 25% by weight to about 35% by weight of moisture. "Wet" food refers to a food composition having a moisture content of about 60% by weight to 90% by weight or more. "Dry" food refers to a food composition having a moisture content of about 3% by weight to about 12% by weight, and is typically manufactured in the form of small pieces or coarse grits.

[0070] The food product may also include components of more than one consistency, such as soft, chewy meat-like particles or pieces and kibble with an outer coating and an inner "core" component. In some embodiments, the pet food composition may be in the form of kibble or food kibble. As used herein, the term "kibble" or "food kibble" refers to a particle aggregate, such as a component similar to a feline feed or a canine feed. In some embodiments, the moisture or water content of the food kibble is less than 15% by weight. The texture of the food kibble can vary from hard to soft. The internal structure of the food kibble can vary from expanded to dense. The food kibble can be formed by an extrusion process or a baking process. In a non-limiting example, the food kibble can have a uniform internal structure or a varying internal structure. For example, the food kibble can include a core and a coating to form a coated kibble. It should be understood that when the term "kibble" or "food kibble" is used, it can refer to uncoated kibble or coated kibble.

[0071] The compositions of the present disclosure may additionally include other additives in amounts and combinations familiar to those skilled in the art. Such additives should be present in amounts that do not impair the purposes and effects provided by the present invention. Examples of additives include substances with stabilizing effects, organoleptic substances, processing aids, and substances that provide nutritional benefits.

[0072] For example, stabilizing substances can include substances that tend to increase the shelf life of pet food compositions. Other examples of other such additives that may be suitable for inclusion in the composition of the present invention include, for example, preservatives, antioxidants, synergists and chelating agents, packaging gases, stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickeners, gelling agents and humectants. The example of emulsifier and / or thickener includes gelatin, cellulose ether, starch, starch ester, starch ether and modified starch. Additives for coloring, palatability and nutritional purposes can include coloring agents, salts (including but not limited to sodium chloride, potassium citrate, potassium chloride and other edible salts), vitamins, minerals and flavorings. Other additives can include glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, vegetable extracts, herbal extracts, etc.

[0073] The concentration of such additives in the pet food composition can typically be up to about 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis. For example, the additive can be present in the following amounts, based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis: about 0.01% to about 5% by weight, about 0.01% to about 4% by weight, about 0.01% to about 4% by weight, about 0.01% to about 3% by weight, about 0.01% to about 2% by weight, about 0.01% to about 1% by weight; about 0.1% to about 5% by weight, about 0.1% to about 4% by weight, about 0.1% to about 4% by weight; About 3 weight %, about 0.1 weight % to about 2 weight %, about 0.1 weight % to about 1 weight %; about 1 weight % to about 5 weight %, about 1 weight % to about 4 weight %, about 1 weight % to about 4 weight %, about 1 weight % to about 3 weight %, about 1 weight % to about 2 weight %; about 2 weight % to about 5 weight %, about 2 weight % to about 4 weight %, about 2 weight % to about 4 weight %, about 2 weight % to about 3 weight %; about 3 weight % to about 5 weight %, about 3 weight % to about 4 weight %; or about 4 weight % to about 5 weight %. In some embodiments, based on the total weight of the pet food composition based on dry matter, the concentration of such additives (especially in the case where such additives are mainly nutritional balancers, such as vitamins and minerals) is about 0 weight % to about 2.0 weight %. The amount of the additive including vitamins can be in addition to the amount of vitamin B discussed above. In some embodiments, based on the total weight of the pet food composition based on dry matter, the concentration of such additives (again, especially in the case where such additives are mainly nutritional balancers) is about 0 weight % to about 1 weight %. While the foregoing list of additives may be potentially suitable in some embodiments, one or more of the foregoing additives may be excluded from other embodiments of the pet food composition.

[0074] In specific embodiments, pet food compositions and food products are formulated to address specific nutritional differences between species and breeds of animals, as well as one or more of the attributes of the animal. For example, cat foods are typically formulated based on life stage, age, size, weight, body composition, and breed.

[0075] Sources of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, balancers, and the like suitable for inclusion in pet food compositions, and particularly food products to be administered in the methods provided herein, can be selected from those conventional materials known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0076] The pet food composition may include or in some cases not include one or more ingredients selected from the following: beef broth, brewer's dried yeast, eggs, egg products, flax meal, DL methionine, amino acids, leucine, lysine, arginine, cysteine, cystine, aspartic acid, polyphosphates, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate; zinc chloride, copper gluconate, stannous chloride, stannous fluoride, sodium fluoride, triclosan, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, green lipped mussel, blue lipped mussel, methyl sulfonyl methane (methyl sulfonyl methane) methane, MSM), boron, boric acid, phytoestrogens, phytoandrogens, genistein, diadzein, L-carnitine, chromium picolinate, chromium tripicolinate, chromium nicotinate, acid / base modifiers, potassium citrate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, sodium bisulfate; eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, plasticizers, colorants, flavorings, sweeteners, buffers, glidants, carriers, pH adjusters, natural ingredients, stabilizers, biological additives such as enzymes (including proteases and lipases), chemical additives, coolants, chelating agents, denaturants, drugs Astringents, emulsifiers, external analgesics, fragrance compounds, humectants, opacifiers (e.g., zinc oxide and titanium dioxide), antifoaming agents (e.g., silicones), preservatives (e.g., butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), propyl gallate, benzalkonium chloride, EDTA, benzyl alcohol, potassium sorbate, parabens, and mixtures thereof), reducing agents, solvents, hydrotropes, solubilizers, suspending agents (non-surfactants), solvents, viscosity increasing agents (aqueous and non-aqueous), chelating agents, keratolytics, eggshell membrane, ancient grains, and combinations of two or more thereof.

[0077] Pet food compositions can be produced by various methods to achieve the desired pet food composition or the desired form for pet food composition. For example, dry food can be baked or extruded and then cut into separate shaped parts, such as coarse grinding particles. In some embodiments, pet food compositions can be prepared in canned or wet form using conventional food preparation processes known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Typically, ground animal protein tissues are mixed with other ingredients such as cereal grains, suitable carbohydrate sources, fats, oils and balance ingredients (including special purpose additives such as vitamins and mineral mixtures, inorganic salts, cellulose, beet pulp, etc.) and water in an amount sufficient for processing. The ingredients are mixed in a container suitable for heating while the components are blended. The mixture is heated using any suitable means, such as direct steam injection or using a container equipped with a heat exchanger. After adding all the ingredients of the preparation, the mixture can be heated to a temperature of 50°F to 212°F. Although temperatures outside this range can be used, it may be commercially impractical without the use of other processing aids. When heated to an appropriate temperature, the material will generally be in the form of a viscous liquid, which is dispensed into a tank. A lid is applied and the container is hermetically sealed. The sealed can is then placed in a conventional apparatus designed to sterilize the contents. Sterilization is typically accomplished by heating to a temperature greater than 230° C. for an appropriate time, which depends on the temperature used, the nature of the composition, and related factors. The pet food compositions and food products of the present disclosure may also be added to or combined with food compositions before, during, or after their preparation.

[0078] In some embodiments, food products can be prepared in dry form using conventional processes known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Typically, dry ingredients including dried animal protein, vegetable protein, cereals, etc. are ground and mixed together. Liquid or wet ingredients including fat, oil-water, animal protein, water, etc. are added in combination with dry materials. The specific formulation, order of addition, merging, and methods and equipment for merging various ingredients can be selected from those known in the art. For example, in certain embodiments, the resulting mixture is processed into coarse abrasive particles or similar dry blocks, which are formed using an extrusion process, in which a mixture of dry ingredients and wet ingredients is subjected to mechanical work at high pressure and high temperature, forced to pass through a small opening or orifice, and cut into coarse abrasive particles, such as with a rotating knife. The resulting coarse abrasive particles can be dried and optionally coated with one or more surface coatings, which include, for example, flavorings, fats, oils, powdered ingredients, etc. Coarse abrasive particles can also be prepared by baking rather than extrusion of dough, wherein the dough is placed in a mold and then subjected to dry heat treatment.

[0079] When preparing the composition, any ingredient can be incorporated into the composition generally during the processing of the formulation, for example, during and / or after the other components of the composition are mixed. The distribution of these components in the composition can be accomplished by conventional means. In certain embodiments, ground animal and / or poultry protein tissue is mixed with other ingredients including a nutrient balancer, an inorganic salt, and may also include cellulose, beet pulp, a bulking agent, etc., together with water sufficient for processing.

[0080] According to another aspect, a method for alleviating chronic gastroenteritis suffered by canines is provided, the method comprising feeding a pet food composition disclosed herein to a canine. In certain embodiments, the method can reduce the fecal amino acids that promote the corruption of intestinal microorganisms by about 10% or more, preferably about 15% or more, preferably about 20% or more, preferably about 30% or more, preferably about 40% or more. For example, the method can reduce one or more fecal amino acids selected from the following: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, taurine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine and a combination of both or more thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the method can reduce one or more fecal microbial heme metabolites (see Table 9 below), fecal microbial saccharolysis (see Table 10) and / or fecal endogenous cannabinoids (see Table 11).

[0081] The method may include providing and / or feeding a pet food composition disclosed herein to a canine. In some cases, the method may include providing and / or feeding a pet food composition to a canine for 1 or more days, preferably 5 or more days, preferably 7 or more days, preferably 10 or more days, preferably 14 or more days, preferably 30 or more days, or preferably 42 or more days. The method may include feeding a pet once a day, twice a day, three times a day, or four or more times a day in some embodiments.

[0082] Example

[0083] Example 1

[0084] Non-limiting exemplary pet food compositions (Example Composition A) and comparative pet food compositions (Comparative Composition 1) were prepared according to aspects of the present invention. The formulations of Example Composition A and Comparative Composition 1 are shown in Table 1 provided below. Significant differences between the formulations of Example Composition A and Comparative Composition 1 include the sources of protein, starch, fat, and fiber. Table 2 provides a summary of the nutritional value of Example Composition A and Comparative Composition 1.

[0085] Table 1

[0086]

[0087] Table 2

[0088]

[0089] Example 2

[0090] Example composition A was evaluated by feeding two pet food compositions to a group of canines, compared with comparative composition 1. Specifically, a group of 38 canines was selected, of which 19 were healthy and 19 had or were suspected of having chronic gastroenteritis. Dogs were considered healthy when there was no evidence of chronic systemic disease from physical examination, complete blood count, serum biochemistry analysis, urinalysis, or fecal parasite examination; exclusion criteria were documented instances of gastrointestinal discomfort (vomiting, diarrhea) or abnormally low appetite. Inclusion criteria for dogs with chronic enteritis / gastroenteritis were diagnosis by histopathological analysis of resected tissue and endoscopic examination confirming plasma cell / lymphocyte inflammation. In a few cases, the research veterinarian believed that endoscopic surgery was not in the best interest of the dog's health and that monitoring of chronic symptoms was sufficient.

[0091] As a pre-feeding regimen, the canines were fed Comparative Composition 1 for 4 weeks. After the 4-week pre-feeding regimen, the canines were matched by sex, reproductive status, approximate age and weight and divided into two groups for two feeding regimens. For the first feeding regimen, the first group of canines was fed Example Composition A for 4 weeks, while the second group of canines was fed Comparative Composition 1 for 4 weeks. As part of the second feeding regimen, after the 4-week first feeding regimen, the first group of canines was fed Comparative Composition 1 for 4 weeks, while the second group of canines was fed Example Composition A for 4 weeks.

[0092] During the assessment, all canines were housed in pairs in spacious indoor rooms with natural light. Canines received behavioral enrichment through interaction with each other, as well as through playtime with caregivers, daily opportunities to run outdoors, and access to toys. Canines were fed twice daily based on their daily nutritional needs, and had free access to water. Dogs with symptoms of chronic enteritis / gastroenteritis were managed with bismuth subsalicylate, prednisolone, cobalamin, omeprazole, and prednisone as needed to maintain their quality of life. Blood and fecal samples were evaluated for each canine at the beginning of the assessment, at the end of the pre-feeding regimen, after the first feeding regimen, and after the second feeding regimen.

[0093] When fed Example Composition A compared to Comparative Composition 1, both healthy canines and those suffering from chronic gastroenteritis showed reduced intestinal microbial spoilage levels of tryptophan (e.g., indole) in both feces (see Table 3) and serum (see Table 4). Another type of spoilage metabolite of tryptophan is kynurenine, which may be pro-inflammatory. Kynurenine was reduced in feces of healthy canines and those suffering from chronic gastroenteritis when fed Example Composition A compared to Comparative Composition 1 (see Table 5).

[0094] Table 3

[0095]

[0096] Table 4

[0097]

[0098] Table 5

[0099]

[0100] In addition to tryptophan, the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine can also be corrupted into phenolic uremic solutes by the putrefaction of intestinal microorganisms. Canines consuming Example Composition A showed a reduction in phenolic putrefactive prebiotics in their feces (see Table 6) and serum (see Table 7) compared to canines consuming Comparative Composition 1.

[0101] Table 6

[0102]

[0103]

[0104] Table 7

[0105]

[0106]

[0107] Furthermore, despite the fact that Example Composition A contained 10,000% or more betaine than Comparative Composition 1, there was no significant difference in the amount of circulating serum trimethylamine oxide between dogs receiving Example Composition A and those receiving Comparative Composition 1 (p=0.9). In contrast, trimethylamine oxide was reduced in the feces of canines consuming Example Composition A compared to those consuming Comparative Composition 1 (p<0.0001). This effect was not different between healthy canines or those suffering from chronic gastroenteritis (p=0.74). Given that Example Composition A contained 10,000% or more betaine than Comparative Composition 1, it was unexpected by the inventors that Example Composition A reduced trimethylamine oxide in canine feces because several quaternary amine nutrients (e.g., betaine, carnitine, choline, and trimethyllysine) can decay into trimethylamine, which is oxidized to trimethylamine oxide by host intestinal and hepatic flavin monooxygenases. It is generally believed that trimethylamine oxide may be harmful to the cardio-renal health of canines.

[0108] Without being bound by any particular theory, Example Composition A reduces spoilage products of amino acid metabolism by reducing the amount of intestinal microbial proteolysis. Reduced proteolysis will make fewer amino acid substrates available for spoilage by intestinal microorganisms. Table 8 shows that feces from both healthy canines consuming Example Composition A and those suffering from chronic gastroenteritis showed reduced levels of individual amino acid products of microbial proteolysis.

[0109] Table 8

[0110]

[0111] As indicated, the inhibitory effect of Example Composition A on microbial spoilage extends beyond protein substrates, with heme (pyrrole) spoilage products also reduced in the feces of canines receiving Example Composition A compared to canines receiving Comparative Composition 1 (see Table 9). This effect was the same in both healthy canines and those suffering from chronic gastroenteritis.

[0112] Table 9

[0113]

[0114] Example composition A not only reduces the microbial proteolysis of proteins into amino acids (see Table 8), but also reduces the microbial saccharolysis of fibers into individual sugars (see Table 10). In addition, Example composition A not only reduces the corruption of individual amino acids by intestinal microorganisms (see Tables 3 to 7 and 9), but Example composition A also reduces the fermentation of individual sugars into lactic acid (see Table 10). Therefore, there is an effect that Example composition A reduces the wide range of effects of intestinal microbial activity.

[0115] Table 10

[0116]

[0117] Finally, the feces of canines (both healthy canines and those suffering from chronic gastroenteritis) receiving Example Composition A showed reduced levels of most endocannabinoids (see Table 11), with effects across the entire spectrum of endocannabinoids, including acylethanolamides, taurine, and amino acid conjugates, compared to canines receiving Comparative Composition 1. The inventors expect that Example Composition A will reduce endocannabinoid activation and strengthen the intestinal barrier of canines receiving such pet food compositions.

[0118] Table 11

[0119]

[0120]

Claims

1. A pet food composition comprising: Fat; about 15% to about 50% by weight of protein comprising two or more amino acids, wherein the two or more amino acids include glycine and proline; From about 3.5% to about 35% by weight of fibers comprising: (i) from about 3% to about 30% by weight insoluble fiber, and (ii) from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight soluble fiber; and Optionally, carbohydrates, All weight percentages are based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.

2. The pet food composition of claim 1, wherein the fiber comprises acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber, wherein the total amount of the acid detergent fiber and the neutral detergent fiber is from about 6% to about 20% by weight.

3. The pet food composition of claim 2, wherein the pet food composition has a weight ratio of the acid detergent fiber to the neutral detergent fiber of about 2:1 to about 1:

2.

4. The pet food composition of any preceding claim, wherein the pet food composition has a weight ratio of insoluble fiber to soluble fiber of from about 20:1 to about 8:

1.

5. The pet food composition of any preceding claim, wherein the pet food composition comprises about 5% by weight or less tryptophan.

6. The pet food composition of any preceding claim, wherein the pet food composition comprises about 5% by weight or less phenylalanine.

7. The pet food composition of any preceding claim, wherein the pet food composition comprises about 5% by weight or less tyrosine.

8. A pet food composition according to any preceding claim further comprising one or more B vitamins.

9. The pet food composition of claim 8, wherein the one or more B vitamins are selected from ammonium sulfate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin, and combinations of two or more thereof.

10. The pet food composition of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the one or more B vitamins include at least three B vitamins selected from ammonium sulfate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, cobalamin, and combinations of two or more thereof.

11. The pet food composition according to one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the one or more B vitamins include ammonium sulfate, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and biotin.

12. The pet food composition of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the one or more B vitamins comprise at least one of: Ammonium sulfate in an amount of about 8 mg / 100 g to about 20 mg / 100 g, Pyridoxine in an amount of about 1 mg / 100 g to about 4 mg / 100 g, Cobalamin in an amount of about 10 ug / 100 g to about 40 ug / 100 g, and Folic acid, in an amount of about 100 ug / 100 g to about 400 ug / 100 g.

13. The pet food composition of claim 12, wherein the one or more B vitamins comprises ammonium sulfate in an amount of about 8 mg / 100 g to about 20 mg / 100 g, pyridoxine in an amount of about 1 mg / 100 g to about 4 mg / 100 g, cobalamin in an amount of about 10 ug / 100 g to about 40 ug / 100 g, and folic acid in an amount of about 100 ug / 100 g to about 400 ug / 100 g.

14. The pet food composition of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the pet food composition has a weight ratio of folate to cobalamin of about 1:1 to about 50:1, preferably about 1:1 to about 40:1, preferably about 3:1 to about 40:1, or preferably about 5:1 to about 40:

1.

15. The pet food composition of one of claims 8 to 14, wherein the pet food composition has a weight ratio of ammonium sulfate to pyridoxine of about 1:1 to about 30:1, preferably about 2:1 to about 30:1, or preferably about 2:1 to about 20:

1.

16. The pet food composition of any preceding claim further comprising at least one triglyceride.

17. The pet food composition of claim 16, wherein the at least one triglyceride comprises a medium chain triglyceride.

18. The pet food composition of claim 17, wherein the medium chain triglyceride comprises an aliphatic carbon chain containing 6 to 10 carbons.

19. The pet food composition of claim 18, wherein the aliphatic carbon chain is selected from a caprylate component, a caprate component, or a combination thereof.

20. The pet food composition of one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the at least one triglyceride comprises an omega-3 fatty acid component.

21. The pet food composition of claim 19, wherein the omega-3 fatty acid component is selected from the group consisting of linolenic acid, stearidonic acid, eicosatetraenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and combinations of two or more thereof.

22. The pet food composition of one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the at least one medium chain triglyceride comprises three aliphatic carbon chains containing an ω-3 fatty acid component selected from the group consisting of linolenic acid, stearidonic acid, eicosatetraenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and combinations of two or more thereof.

23. The pet food composition of any preceding claim, further comprising betaine, optionally in an amount of from 0.01 wt% to about 5 wt%.

24. The pet food composition of any preceding claim, wherein the protein is present in an amount of about 15% to about 40% by weight.

25. The pet food composition of any preceding claim, wherein the fat is present in an amount from about 8% to about 50% by weight.

26. A pet food composition comprising: from about 8% to about 50% by weight fat; about 15% to about 50% by weight of protein comprising two or more amino acids, wherein the two or more amino acids include glycine and proline; From about 3.5% to about 35% by weight of fibers comprising: (i) from about 3% to about 30% by weight insoluble fiber, and (ii) from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight soluble fiber; Optionally, carbohydrates in an amount up to 65% by weight; two or more triglycerides; and two or more B vitamins, All weight percentages are based on the total weight of the pet food composition on a dry matter basis.

27. A method for alleviating chronic gastroenteritis in a canine, the method comprising: A pet food composition according to any preceding claim is fed to a canine.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the canine is fed the pet food composition at least once a day, preferably at least twice a day, or preferably at least three times a day.

29. The method of claim 27 or claim 28, wherein the canine is fed the pet food composition for 1 day or more, preferably 5 days or more, preferably 7 days or more, preferably 10 days or more, preferably 14 days or more, preferably 30 days or more, or preferably 42 days or more.

Images