Method of feeding dogs

Abstract

FIELD: animal husbandry.SUBSTANCE: method for feeding dogs. The method consists in that the dogs are given a feed additive daily for 30 days at a rate of 125 mg per kilogram of body weight, while simultaneously reducing the weight of the feed by this amount. The feed additive is a granulated mixture of dried and crushed leaves of the maral root Rhaponticumcarthamoides and vermiculture in the form of powder from dried and crushed red Californian worms EiseniaAndrei, taken in a ratio of 1:5, respectively.EFFECT: increase of the weight gain of dogs and improvement of the overall condition of the animal.1 cl, 2 tbl

Description

[0001] Field of technology to which the invention relates

[0002] The invention relates to the field of animal husbandry, in particular to feed additives for dogs.

[0003] Technology Level

[0004] A feed supplement for dogs with antioxidant and immunostimulating effects (RU Patent No. 2608051, IPC Class A23K 50 / 40, published on January 12, 2017) contains the bioflavonoid dihydroquercetin, the amino acid glycine, as well as L-carnitine and choline chloride in specific ratios. This feed supplement helps regulate metabolic processes in the body, optimize protein and energy metabolism, create mechanisms to protect healthy cells from pathologies, boost immunity, increase productivity, and reduce feed costs for weight gain.

[0005] A known method for preparing a feed supplement from drone larvae to increase the resistance of dogs to parasitic diseases (RU Patent No. 2402920, IPC class A23K 1 / 10, date of publication 10.11.2010), includes collecting drone larvae, bee bread, followed by freezing, homogenization with the addition of 40% alcohol to the homogenate at a rate of 20 g per 100 ml of alcohol, infusion in a dark place for 13-14 days, followed by filtering and pouring into sterile bottles. The larvae are collected at 9-10 days old along with honeycomb wax, honey, and bee bread. Freezing is carried out at a temperature of (-16°C) - (-18°C), and then, without preliminary defrosting, the collection is homogenized in a blender for 30-40 seconds until a homogeneous mass is obtained and infusion is carried out at a temperature of (+18°C) - (+23°C).

[0006] The closest in composition is a feed additive for agricultural poultry (RU Patent No. 2803972, IPC Class A23K 50 / 75, A23K 10 / 30, published on September 25, 2023), consisting of vermiculture powder and Leuzea carthamoides powder in a ratio of 5:1, respectively. The amount of feed additive is 1% of the main feed weight. A disadvantage of this invention is the loss of feed additive weight during its addition to the feed in powder form.

[0007] Disclosure of the essence of the invention

[0008] The objective of the claimed technical solution is to confirm the absence of a negative impact of a vermiculture-based feed additive on the body and life of animals.

[0009] The technical result of the claimed vermiculture-based feed additive is the use of a known composition for a new purpose with a positive result, leading to an expansion of the range of its use, in particular, to an increase in the body weight of dogs without an increase in the amount of food, as well as to an improvement in liver function without deteriorating the general condition of the animals.

[0010] The said technical result is achieved by fattening animals of both groups for 30 days with standard feed, keeping the specific ratio of the dog's weight to the weight of the feed constant, while a feed additive is introduced into the feed of the experimental group of dogs, which is a granulated mixture of dried and crushed leaves of Leuzea carthamoides Rhaponticum carthamoides and vermiculture in the form of powder from dried and crushed red Californian worms Eisenia andrei in a ratio of 1:5, respectively, at a dose of 125 mg / kg of animal body weight, while, before the start of the experiment and 30 days later, the following is recorded: appearance of animals in the control and experimental groups; condition of the coat and mucous membranes; attitude to food and water; respiratory rate; heart rate; body temperature; body weight of animals;In this case, clinical and biochemical studies of the animals’ blood, clinical urine analysis, and coprological examination of feces are carried out.

[0011] Implementation of the invention

[0012] The feed additive is a granulated mixture of dried and crushed leaves of Leuzea carthamoides Rhaponticum carthamoides and vermiculture in the form of powder from dried and crushed red Californian worms Eisenia andrei, taken in a ratio of 1:5, respectively.

[0013] The animals (dogs) for the study were selected based on weight, with a variation of no more than 10%. Two groups of eight animals were formed—control and experimental—each. The amount of food given depended on the dog's weight, maintaining a constant weight-to-food ratio. The control and experimental groups of dogs received a standard, freshly prepared diet. A feed additive was added to the standard diet of the experimental group at a rate of 125 mg per kilogram of body weight, while the dietary weight was reduced by this amount. The control and experimental groups were fed for 30 days.

[0014] Throughout the experiment, the animals were continuously monitored, assessing physiological parameters using standard methods (appearance, condition of fur and mucous membranes, and food and water intake). The following parameters were recorded three times a week: respiratory rate, heart rate, and body temperature. Body weight was measured on the first day and after 30 days of the experiment.

[0015] The quality of the coat was assessed visually by the features of adhesion, shine, softness on a 5-point scale: 5 - soft coat, the coat is shiny, lies smoothly to the body, without tangles; 4 - the coat is soft to the touch, has a matte shine, lies smoothly to the body, there are tangles on the paws and / or tail; 3 - the coat is soft in the back and neck area, without shine, lies smoothly to the body, there are tangles on the ventral part of the abdomen, paws and tail; 2 - the coat is rough to the touch, the coat is shineless, tousled, matted; 1 - the coat is rough to the touch, the coat is shineless, tousled, with voluminous tangles all over the animal's body.

[0016] On the first and last days of the experiment, blood was taken from the animals for clinical and biochemical examination, urine for clinical examination, and feces for coprological examination.

[0017] Hematological tests were performed using an automated hematology analyzer and an automated biochemistry analyzer. The leukogram was determined by microscopic examination of a stained blood smear, and the percentage of various types of leukocytes was then calculated using a standard method. The following parameters were taken into account in the studies: clinical blood parameters (ESR, leukocytes, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin content, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, erythrocyte distribution width by volume, platelets, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width by volume, thrombocrit, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils); biochemical blood parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, total serum protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, glucose, ALT, AST, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, inorganic phosphorus, total calcium, alpha amylase).

[0018] Urinalysis was performed using standard methods, determining the following parameters: color, transparency, density, pH, protein, glucose, bilirubin, urobilinogen, erythrocytes, leukocytes, cylinders, bacteria.

[0019] The coprological examination was carried out according to the generally accepted method, including the determination of the shape, consistency, color, pH, protein, blood, digested and undigested muscle fibers, neutral fat, fatty acids, soaps, digestible and indigestible plant fiber, extracellular and intracellular starch, organic phosphorus, iodophilic flora, mucus, triple phosphates, oxalates, detritus, bacteria, leukocytes, erythrocytes, helminth eggs, protozoa.

[0020] The obtained results were processed using mathematical statistics methods using GraphPadPrism 6 software and the "Multiple t-test" method. The significance criterion was determined using Student's t-test. Differences were considered significant at p≤0.05. The arithmetic mean (M) and standard error of the mean (m) were calculated for all quantitative data.

[0021] During the entire observation period, no fatalities, signs of poisoning, or dyspeptic disorders were recorded. All animals were active and readily ate food with the supplement and water in normal, regular quantities.

[0022] The obtained data revealed that the feed supplement had no effect on the condition of the dogs' coat. On day 30, the coat condition of animals in the control and experimental groups was identical. No visible changes in coat condition were observed in either group. The coat quality score for dogs in the control group was 4.0±0.3, while that for dogs in the experimental group was 4.1±0.2.

[0023] The results of physiological parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature) were also within the normal range. The heart rate of dogs in the control and experimental groups was within the normal range throughout the entire experimental period and did not differ statistically significantly when compared. Respiratory rate also corresponded to the normal values ​​throughout the 30-day experiment for all dogs receiving the feed additive. The heart rate range for dogs in the control group was 66.0-85.3 bpm, while in the experimental group it was 63.5-86.5 bpm. The body temperature of all experimental dogs was within the normal range throughout the entire 30-day experiment.

[0024] Thus, daily consumption of the feed additive at a rate of 125 mg / kg of dog weight for 30 days did not have any negative effect on the physiological parameters of the animals (respiratory rate, heart rate, body temperature).

[0025] It was also found that the average weight gain of dogs in the experimental group was three times greater than that of the control group. The effect of the feed additive on weight gain in dogs is shown in Table 1.

[0026] Table 1

[0027] Group Animal number Weight gain, kg Control (n=8) 1 0,1 2 0,1 3 0,2 4 0,2 5 0,1 6 0,3 7 0,1 8 0,1 M±m 0,15±0,03 Experience (n=8) 1 0,4 2 0,5 3 0,4 4 0,6 5 0,4 6 0,5 7 0,4 8 0,4 M±m 0,45±0,03

[0028] All clinical blood test parameters for dogs regularly consuming the food supplement for 30 days were within normal limits. The biochemical blood test results for dogs are presented in Table 2.

[0029] Table 2

[0030] Indicator Control (n=8) Experience (n=8) 1st day 30th day 1st day 30th day Total cholesterol, mmol / l 4,64±0,26 4,96±0,32 4,69±0,23 5,25±0,19 Triglycerides, mmol / l 0,57±0,05 2,33±1,17 0,74±0,14 0,83±0,17 Total serum protein, g / l 69,0±3 76,0±6 69,0±2 70,0±1 Albumin, g / l 34,0±1 36,0±1 32,0±1 34,0±1 Urea, mmol / l 3,5±0,2 5,8±1,0 3,3±0,3 5,2±0,6 Creatinine, µmol / l 95,1±3,4 81,6±3,6 95,9±6,3 80,0±4,7 Glucose, mmol / l 4,02±0,14 4,36±0,23 4,16±0,25 4,29±0,19 ALT, U / L 37,6±6,6 30,0±4,6 35,4±5,3 41,5±8,9 AST, U / L 34,2±3,2 32,1±3,9 33,3±2,3 28,7±1,6 Total bilirubin, μmol / l 2,0±0,1 2,1±0,2 1,9±0,1 1,9±0,1 Alkaline phosphatase, U / L 30,61±3,85 29,68±4,08 28,08±4,27 27,05±1,97 Inorganic phosphorus, mmol / l 1,28±0,09 1,33±0,10 1,36±0,06 1,24±0,08 Total calcium, mmol / l 2,60±0,05 2,65±0,04 2,55±0,02 2,53±0,03 Amylase alpha, units / l 1195,1±132,7 1308,9±156,3 1003,0±82,6 1165,4±71,7

[0031] The data in Table 2 shows that the food supplement does not significantly affect the dogs' blood biochemistry parameters. All parameters are within normal limits.

[0032] Urine parameters are within normal limits after daily consumption of the feed additive for 30 days.

[0033] A coprological study showed that the feed additive, when regularly consumed at a dose of 125 mg / kg, did not negatively impact digestion in dogs. Fecal parameters were within normal limits by the end of the experiment, with the exception of the presence of iodophilic flora and the associated detection of bacteria, leukocytes, and erythrocytes in the feces. The observed deviations may be related to the dogs' diet, specifically the use of whole chicken carcasses without removing the tubular bones and the lack of proper heat treatment.

[0034] An unexpected result of the experiment was the positive effect of the feed additive on liver function (a decrease in the AST (aspartate aminotransferase) level in the experimental group by 14%) (Table 2).

[0035] The conducted studies of the effect of a feed additive, which is a dry granulated mixture of dried and crushed leaves of safflower leuzea Rhaponticum carthamoides and vermiculture in the form of powder from dried and crushed red Californian worms Eisenia andrei in a ratio of 1:5, respectively, on the condition of dogs showed that the feed additive at a dose of 125 mg / kg per kilogram of body weight is safe for animals, in particular dogs.

[0036] Animals in the experimental group gained weight three times faster than those in the control group. No abnormalities were observed in the dogs' behavior, heart rate, respiration rate, or the condition of their fur or mucous membranes.

[0037] Thus, the results of using the feed additive in dog food confirmed the technical result specified in the application, which consists in expanding the possibility of using the known composition of the feed additive, including a granulated dry mixture of dried and crushed leaves of safflower leuzea Rhaponticum carthamoides and vermiculture in the form of powder from dried and crushed red Californian worms Eisenia andrei in a ratio of 1:5, respectively, for a new purpose, and also led to an unexpected result in the form of identifying a positive effect on the liver function of animals.