Effects of Dietary Fat Source on Food Intake, Utilization of Nutrients and Capacity to Form Struvite Urolith in Adult Cats

Abstract

Our previous studies revealed that the dietary CP sources would affect the utility of nutrients as well as the capacity to form struvite crystals in adult cats. In the present study, effects of dietary fat sources on food intake, apparent digestibility of general components, nitrogen balance, plasma lipid concentrations and urinary excretion of struvite crystals were examined using healthy adult cats. Two dry diets containing either beef tallow or soybean oil as a main fat source were randomly allotted to 10 intact male cats in a cross-over design with five cats per group. Daily food intake was higher (P<0.02) in the beef tallow group. However, dietary fat sources did not significantly affect apparent DM digestibility, N retention, plasma concentrations of phospholipids, total cholesterol and peroxide lipids, urine volume and urinary pH, number of struvite crystals in urine, and urinary concentration of HCl-insoluble sediment. The present results suggest that not only the nutritional value but also the capacity to form struvite urolith is almost similar in both fat sources, whereas beef tallow was more palatable than soybean oil as a fat source of dry cat food.