Grain Free Diet OK for Dogs???

Hello, Summarians!

What do you do if a study shows a totally different outcome than previous research and current conventional thinking? It’s time to scrutinize the new study and get a feel for the quality of the research. Here are a few options to practice just that skill.

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Liposomal Bupivicaine in Dogs

The provided text is a research article discussing a study on the use of liposomal bupivacaine injectable suspension (BLIS) for pain management in dogs undergoing exploratory laparotomy. The study aimed to assess whether BLIS effectively reduced postoperative pain compared to a saline control group. Various pain assessment methods, including pain scales, sensory threshold testing, vital signs, cortisol levels, and the need for rescue analgesia, were used to evaluate pain and recovery in the two groups. The article emphasizes the importance of comprehensive pain management in veterinary medicine, using a combination of pain relief methods. It recognizes the limitations of NSAIDs and concerns about opioids in postoperative patients. The study explores BLIS as an alternative for reducing opioid use. The results of the study showed minimal differences in pain measures between the BLIS and saline groups, with only a few variables showing significant differences. The study also addresses limitations, such as small sample sizes and the impact of operator experience on pain testing. BLIS did not increase the risk of surgical site infections. In conclusion, the study suggests that BLIS may not significantly improve pain management in dogs undergoing exploratory laparotomy, and it calls for further research to optimize its use in different surgical scenarios. 

Hixon, L. P., Wallace, M. L., Appleton-Walth, K., Shetler, S., Aiello, J. S., Durocher, E., Cook, C., Grimes, J. A., Sutherland, B. J., & Schmiedt, C. W. (2023). Bupivacaine liposomal injectable suspension does not provide improved pain control in dogs undergoing abdominal surgery. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.05.0271 

Bottom line — Questions about its use in pain plans.

Grain-free diet and DCM in dogs

The text discusses dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs and its potential association with diet. DCM is traditionally considered a genetically influenced disease, with specific breeds being predisposed to it. However, recent studies have explored a potential link between certain diets, particularly those rich in pulses, potatoes, and sweet potatoes (considered non-traditional diets), and diet-associated DCM in dogs. Some studies have found differences in cardiac parameters and function between dogs on non-traditional and traditional diets, while others have not. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also investigated this potential link, as there have been reports of an increase in cases of suspected diet-associated DCM, coinciding with a surge in grain-free pet food sales. However, despite research into dietary causes, no clear causation has been established. The study in question aimed to assess changes in echocardiographic parameters and cardiac biomarkers in dogs fed various custom diets representing grain-free and grain-inclusive dry dog foods over a 7-month period. The study did not detect a DCM phenotype in the dogs based on echocardiographic parameters, cardiac biomarkers, or endomyocardial biopsies. However, it did observe interactions between treatment, breed, and day for certain parameters, suggesting that DCM may be multifactorial, involving breed, diet, and study duration. The text also highlights limitations in existing literature, including the lack of control for diet parameters, uncontrolled variables in studies, and the reliance on pet owners' dietary histories, which may be inaccurate. Some studies have noted inaccuracies in pet owners' estimations of food allocations. The study proposes using standardized diet history forms for more accurate data collection. In conclusion, this particular study did not find evidence of diet-associated DCM in dogs within its 7-month duration. However, the complex nature of DCM and varying observations in different studies suggest that further research is needed to identify potential contributing factors, including genetics, age, and longer feeding trials, to better understand and address this health concern in dogs. 

Leach, Stacey & Clark, Stephanie & Baumwart, Ryan & Mccauley, Sydney & Thomason, Justin & Streeter, Renee & Zumbaugh, Charles & Lamb, Ken & Quest, Bradley. (2023). Prospective evaluation of echocardiographic parameters and cardiac biomarkers in healthy dogs eating four custom-formulated diets. Frontiers in Animal Science. 4. 1271202. 10.3389/fanim.2023.1271202. 

Bottom line — Questions DCM and grain-free link. More study needed …

Possible New Bacteria for Probiotic

Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease (cIBD) is a chronic condition in dogs characterized by gastrointestinal tract dysbiosis, and it has limited treatment options. Various treatments like corticosteroids, fiber-enriched diets, and prebiotics have not proven to be curative. Factors contributing to GI disease in dogs include genetics, environmental factors, the immune state of the GI tract, and an altered gut microbiome. The microbiota in a dog's feces primarily consists of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacterium, with several genera present. Human dietary changes during evolution, including the domestication of dogs, have led to deviations from ancestral diets, potentially impacting the rise of cIBD. Domestic dogs' diets differ significantly from their ancestral wolf counterparts, with starch resistance to digestion being a notable difference. Probiotics, defined as live microorganisms conferring health benefits when administered in adequate amounts, are of increasing importance in maintaining canine health, particularly in treating cIBD. Since the gut microbiomes of captive wolves can become more similar to domestic dogs, it makes sense to explore free-ranging species like gray wolves as potential sources of new probiotic bacteria to replace microbiota lost due to domestication. Paenibacillus bacteria, like the Paenibacillus sp. ClWae2A isolated from a gray wolf, are promising probiotic candidates. These bacteria produce antimicrobials, enzymes for complex carbohydrate digestion, and other factors beneficial for monogastric animals like dogs. The research underscores the need for more precise identification and characterization of bacterial probiotics to address the heterogeneity among probiotic strains. Whole genome sequencing is essential for determining virulence, toxin, and antibiotic-resistance genes, as well as ensuring clear species and strain identification, which can aid in finding new probiotic treatments for cIBD in dogs. In conclusion, the study reports the isolation and characterization of a potential new probiotic bacterium, Paenibacillus sp. ClWae2A, from a gray wolf's GI tract. This bacterium inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, encodes enzymes for complex carbohydrate digestion, and expresses antimicrobials, suggesting its potential usefulness as a probiotic for domestic dogs with cIBD. 

McCabe J, Bryant JL, Klews CC, Johnson M, Atchley AN, Cousins TW, Dominguez A, Gabriel M, Middleton K, Bowles NA, et al. Phenotypic and Draft Genome Sequence Analyses of a Paenibacillus sp. Isolated from the Gastrointestinal Tract of a North American Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). Applied Microbiology. 2023; 3(4):1120-1129. https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol3040077 

Bottom line — Potentially useful if they can launch commercial products.

Just putting things in perspective …