Body Weight Development in Adult Dogs Fed a High Level Resistant Starch Diet

This study investigated the effect of Dodamssal rice, which has a high content of resistant starch, on obesity and hematologic properties in dogs. In Experiment 1, 24 spayed dogs were divided into three feeding groups: normal-fat basal diet (control), high-fat diet with 12% normal amylose type rice (hNAR), and high-fat diet with 12% high amylose type rice (Dodamssal rice; hHAR). In Experiment 2, 8 spayed dogs were assigned to a normal amylose type rice (NAR) group and a high amylose type rice group (HAR) with a normal-fat basal diet. After 24 weeks, an increase in weight and blood cholesterol was observed in both high-fat diet groups for Experiment 1. Specifically, an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase was observed over time in the hNAR group compared with that of the control; however, no such patterns were present in the hHAR group. Further, a significant weight-loss effect was observed in the HAR group in Experiment 2 at 4 weeks. The effect on body weight was due to the reduced digestibility of amylose and thereby lower dietary ME content. Overall, this confirmed that Dodamssal rice had a positive effect on weight loss in dogs, and these results suggest that Dodamssal rice has potential value as a raw ingredient for preventing obesity in dogs.