Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood and vitamin levels in Staffordshire Bull Terriers on raw vs dry
By Anturaniemi, Johanna et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2020·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The effect of a raw vs dry diet on serum biochemical, hematologic, blood iron, B, and folate levels in Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 33 Staffordshire Bull Terriers was studied to see how different diets—one high in carbohydrates and the other high in fat—affected their blood health. After 140 days on these diets, the dogs on the high-fat diet showed higher red blood cell counts but lower levels of certain nutrients like folate and iron compared to those on the high-carbohydrate diet. While some blood values changed significantly, most remained within normal ranges. This suggests that diet can influence blood health in dogs, but more research is needed to understand the full effects.
People also search for: Staffordshire Bull Terrier diet effects · dog blood test results · raw vs dry dog food health · dog nutrition and blood health · high-fat diet for dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To date, very few studies have compared the effects of different types of feeding practices on canine physiology, such as feeding exclusively dry, raw, or homemade foods. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to report the changes in hematologic, serum biochemical, plasma folate, B, and whole blood iron levels in dogs fed two different diets. METHODS: A pilot study was developed to compare the effects of a heat-processed high carbohydrate (HPHC) and nonprocessed high-fat (NPHF) diet. A total of 33 client-owned Staffordshire Bull Terriers were used; 18 had canine atopic dermatitis, seven were healthy, and eight were grouped as "borderline" dogs since they did not fulfill at least six of Favrot's criteria. The comparisons were made between the diet groups at the end visit of the diet intervention, as well as within the diet groups during the study. RESULTS: Significant differences between and within the diet groups were observed, although the majority of outcomes remained within the RIs. The median time of diet intervention was 140 days. Red blood cell counts, mean cell hemoglobin concentrations, and platelet counts were significantly higher, and mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell volume, alkaline phosphatase, inorganic phosphorus, and cholesterol were significantly lower in the dogs fed the NPHF diet compared with those fed the HPHC diet after the diet trial was completed. In addition, folate, B, and iron decreased significantly in the NPHF diet group. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study indicated that diet had an impact on blood values, although most remained within RIs, pointing out the need for further studies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32329096/