Determination of fat preferences of adult dogs

Authors: FATMA İNAL, MUSTAFA SELÇUK ALATAŞ, OĞUZHAN KAHRAMAN, ŞEREF İNAL, MUSTAFA ULUDAĞ

Abstract: This study was carried out to determine the preferences of dogs for some commonly used fat sources in dog food. Three different types of food were produced using 5% additional sunflower oil, poultry fat, or beef tallow. The food was extruded using a twin-screw extruder at approximately 25% moisture and temperatures in the range of 90 °C to 135 °C. The extrudates were dried for 30-45 min at temperatures of up to 148 °C in a belt dryer. Next, the heated fats were sprayed onto the extrudates. The foods were cooled, sampled, and packaged. A total of 30 neutered adult (between 1 and 3 years old) male dogs were used. The preference of the dogs for the 3 different fat sources was determined via a 2-pan preference test. Preference tests were conducted for 12 days in pairs, and the dogs consumed each food for 8 days. The dogs had the greatest preference for food containing the additional sunflower oil, with a preference rate of 56%. Beef tallow was the least preferred fat, with a preference rate of 44%. Dogs preferred food containing sunflower oil more than food containing animal fats. It was concluded that dogs showed a preference in proportion to the linoleic acid level in each food.

Keywords: Dog food, fat source, preference, palatability

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