Effect of neuroactive nutritional supplementation on body weight and composition in growing puppies

Nutritional factors can dramatically affect development of young animals during the early stage of life. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of a neuroactive nutritional supplement (NNS) containing DHA, taurine, carotenoids and vitamins on the body weight and body composition of growing puppies. A total of twenty-four 2-month-old Beagles were fed a nutritionally complete and balanced base diet and a control supplement daily during an initial 1-month baseline assessment, after which they were divided into control and treatment groups. They were fed daily either control or treatment supplements in addition to the base diet from 3 to 12 months of age. Lean body mass and fat mass were assessed using quantitative magnetic resonance scans at 0 (baseline), 3, 6 and 9 months of treatment. Total body weight and lean body mass did not differ between groups over time. The puppies in the treatment group showed a trend of reduced fat gain compared with those in the control group, and with a marginally significant difference at 6 months (P = 0·05). At 3 months, insulin-like growth factor 1 was higher (P = 0·02) in the treatment group compared with the control group. At 9 months, fasting lipid levels were lower (P < 0·05) and fat-oxidation metabolite 3-hydroxybutyrate was higher (P < 0·05) in the treatment group compared with the control group. These results may indicate that NNS has an impact on puppy growth and development, possibly by promoting fat metabolism; further investigation would be necessary to determine the full impact of this supplement on growth and development.