Research in the pet food world to find alternative solutions is always very active, and we know that fats, besides being very palatable, are believed to be one of the primary sources of energy for dogs
Soybeans are the most important oilseed crop grown in the United States, and soybean meal is the main source of protein for livestock feed.
One study by the Grain Science and Industry Department, part of Kansas State University, sought to determine theeffect of whole soybeans (WSB) on nutrient digestibility, stool quality and palatability for dogs.
A previous study reported that the introduction of intrinsic fat derived from whole soybeans had less negative impact on processing than a liquid fat.
According to other studies, soybean meal contained 38.50% (dry weight) crude protein and antinutritional factors that reduced its bioavailability in dogs. Extrusion by degrading the lignocellulosic structure enhances the enzymatic hydrolysis of soybeans. Therefore, extrusion processingcan improve the bioavailability of fiber in soybean hulls in monogastric animals.
In addition, the soluble fiber and oligosaccharides in soy may be useful for dogs as prebiotic fiber that can be fermented and used as an energy source by the gut microbiota.
The study
Twelve Beagle breed dogs fed four balanced diets for adult dogs were selected for this study. Corn gluten meal, chicken fat, and rice half-wheat were replaced by WSB at 10, 20, and 30 percent (WSB10, WSB20, and WSB30, respectively) in the starting diet.
Digestibility tests were performed, and palatability was also determined with a 2-bowl test of 20 beagles for 2 days on each WSB diet compared with WSB0.
Additional heat treatment before extrusion can improve the nutrient digestibility of whole soybeans
In conclusion, in this experiment, the incremental dietary level of whole soybean from 0 to 30% was not detrimental or deleterious to stool quality and palatability. In contrast, increased inclusion of soy decreased apparent total tract digestibility in dogs, but all levels remained high.
Soy has increased intestinal fermentation in diets, which can be useful in preparing high-fiber diets for the intestinal health of geriatric dogs or less active adult dogs.
Reference
Kim HS, Li S, Zheng Y and Aldrich CG (2023) Apparent total tract digestibility and palatability of extruded diets with graded levels of whole soybeans by dogs. Front. Vet. Sci. 10:1137788. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1137788
