Metabolizable energy (ME) required for lactation of bitches and for growth of puppies were estimated using healthy Beagle dams (n = 9) and their puppies (n = 29). A dam was housed with her puppies in a special cage, and the dam and puppies were allowed to free access to dry food containing 3.69 kcal of ME/g dry matter. The puppies began to ingest food from wk 5 after birth, and were weaned from their dams by the end of wk 8. The body weight of dams decreased to 94% of that just after parturition in the first 2 wk, but recovered in the next 2 wk, and then gradually increased to 104% until weaning. The ME required for lactation widely varied with suckled litter size. When puppies received only dam's milk during the first 4 wk after birth, the ME required for lactation was 318kcal/Wp0.75 per day, where Wp is the body weight of puppies in kilograms, although it was more e asobtained by 302 kcal/d per puppy for Beagles. After puppies began to ingest dry food, the value decreased from 307 kcal/W/p^0.75 per day during wk 5 to 168 kcal/Wp^0.75 per day immediately before weaning, but was roughly 462 kcal/d per puppy for Beagles during this period. Conversely, ME intake of a puppy increased from 229 to 283 kcal/Wp0.75 per day during the suckling period for 8 wk, but was maintained at an almost constant level of 271 kcal/Wp^0.75 per day for 9 wk after weaning.

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Food preference of the guinea pig was investigated from several standpoints. When compared food preference among powder type diet and three different sizes of pellets, the guinea pig preferred the pellet to the powder type diet. However, no strong feeling of attraction was observed among three sizes of the pellets. To investigate the preference for smell, the commercial pellet diet, cabbage, lettuce, pear and dried fish were compared. The guinea pig preferred to the smell of pellet among food tested. Taste preference among foods except for the commercial pellet diet was also tested. The pref erence for the dried fish was higher compared with other foods. The guinea pig did not discriminate the ascorbic acid-free diet and the diets containing two levels (0.5 or 1 mg/g diet) of ascorbic acid. No preference for food color between white and green was detected. In conclusion, the guinea pig has an ability of food selection for taste and smell.

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