Manejo nutricional em cães diabéticos: revisão

O diabetes mellitus (DM) consiste em um distúrbio metabólico caracterizado por hiperglicemia persistente. Embora a maioria dos cães diabéticos apresentem o diabetes mellitus do tipo 1, o diabetes mellitus do tipo 2 também pode afligir especialmente aqueles obesos. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo investigar como o manejo nutricional pode auxiliar na terapia do DM2 canino em relação à modulação do processo inflamatório em cães obesos. Realizou-se uma revisão de literatura a partir das seguintes palavras-chave: diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, adipokine, adiponectin, inflammation, obesity, dogs. O presente trabalho conclui que o manejo nutricional é uma ferramenta imprescindível na terapia do DM2 canino, uma vez que se controlando a hiperglicemia, pode-se mitigar as consequências do processo inflamatório desencadeado em pacientes obesos. Portanto, as dietas ricas em proteínas e em fibras são benéficas no aumento da massa magra corporal e na redução da hiperglicemia pós-prandial, gerando bem-estar animal e favorecendo a qualidade de vida em pacientes caninos.

Oat beta-glucan as a dietary supplement for dogs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of oat beta-glucan supplementation on metabolic, physiological, immunological and nutritional variables in adult dogs. Fourteen dogs were fed a control diet or a diet supplemented with 1% beta-glucan during 71 days. Serum concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol and lipoprotein fractions, as well as plasma concentrations of peptide YY and ghrelin, were determined. In addition, coefficient of total tract apparent macronutrient digestibility (CTTAD), food intake and fecal output, score, and pH were evaluated. For evaluation of immunological variables, serum concentrations of interleukin-4 and interferon gamma were determined on days 0, 57 and 71, which corresponded to blood collection prior to beta-glucan supplementation, and at 7 and 14 days post first and second dose of vaccination (Pneumodog^®, Merial, Campinas, Brazil), respectively. Animals fed the supplemented diet showed (P<0.05) lower serum concentrations of total cholesterol and low and very low density lipoproteins, lower coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, mineral matter and ether extract, higher fecal output and lower fecal consistency, as well as a tendency (P = 0.07) of decreasing the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility of crude protein. Moreover, the supplemented diet resulted in lower number of red blood cells, hematocrit percentage and hemoglobin concentration 21 days post-vaccination as well as lower serum concentration of interleukin-4 seven days post-vaccination (P<0.05). It is concluded that oat beta-glucan extract can be used as a dietary supplement for dogs at a dose of 10 g/kg of food, being effective in reducing blood concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-c and VLDL-c as well as CTTAD of nutrients, demonstrating a potential to be used in the feeding of obese animals. In addition, by reducing the predominance of a Th2 response, oat beta-glucan can positively modulate the vaccine response of animals.