TY - JOUR
AR - JFNM-2019-2-102
TI - Diets containing naturally occurring iron or naturally occurring iron plus supplemental ferrous sulfate both maintain normal hematological status in adult dogs
AU -  Anna K. , Shoveller
AU -  Debbie , Minikhiem
AU - Gail, Kuhlman
AU - Cara , Cargo-Froom
AU - Kathy , Boebel
JO - Journal of Food Nutrition and Metabolism
PY - 2019
DA - Fri 16, Aug 2019
SN - 2674-2411
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.JFNM.2019.02.02
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/diets-containing-naturally-occurring-iron-or-naturally-occurring-iron-plus-supplemental-ferrous-sulfate-both-maintain-normal-hematological-status_JFNM-2019-2-102 
KW - Dog, iron, anemia, hematology, supplementation
AB - Iron is an essential mineral for dogs due to its roles in physiological processes. The NRC recommends the
adequate intake for iron in adult dogs is 0.5 mg/kg of body weight. While iron should be present in high
enough concentrations in the diet to maintain normal hematological status and prevent iron deficiency
anemia, too much dietary iron can increase lipid oxidation in the food during preparation and storage,
subsequently reducing shelf life, palatability, and nutritional content of foods. In general, iron is
supplemented to diets to ensure that no dogs are deficient. The primary objective of this study was to
investigate the ability of a diet containing either 0 mg/kg or 80 mg/kg supplemental iron to support normal
hematological parameters in adult dogs. Twenty-two adult dogs were randomly assigned to one of two
treatment diets: Test Diet 1, Experimental maintenance formula with 115 mg/kg endogenous iron + 0 mg/kg
supplemental iron; and Test Diet 2, Experimental maintenance formula with 115 mg/kg endogenous iron +
80 mg/kg supplemental iron (ferrous sulfate). Dogs consumed treatment diets for 26 weeks, with clinical
assessments (e.g., hemoglobin concentration/total iron binding capacity) assessed throughout the trial (0, 2,
4, and 6 months). Baseline iron related endpoints were not different between diet treatments (P > 0.50),
except for mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations (P = 0.046). No differences were found for iron
related end points between the two diet treatments (P>0.05) at any time point. In some diets no supplemental
iron will be needed, based on the diet matrix, whereas others may require some supplemental iron. By
reducing iron inclusion in the formulations of canine diets, food stability and shelf life may be improved.
This reduction in supplemental iron can also reduce cost of formulation, benefiting food manufacturers,
consumers, and adult dogs.