Research finds how to use distillers grains in dog food

Researchers from the Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil conducted two experiments using dog food containing DDGS at varying levels, both with or without the enzyme.

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photo by Andrea Gantz
photo by Andrea Gantz

Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) may become a more useful ingredient in dog foods if a particular enzyme is added to the recipe. Animal scientists found that the addition of the enzyme xylanase increased the digestibility of protein in dog food containing DDGS.

Researchers from the Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil conducted two experiments using dog food containing DDGS at varying levels, both with or without the enzyme. Dog food without DDGS served as a control. The results were published in Animal Feed Science and Technology.

Digestibility and palatability of DDGS with or without xylanase

In the first experiment, the scientists examined the digestibility of the dog foods.

Diets with 180 grams per kilogram of DDGS resulted in reduced digestibility of nutrients and energy compared to diets without DDGS. That level of DDGS also reduced the pH of dogs’ feces and the amount of dry fecal matter. However, including xylanase increased the digestibility of the food, as measured by the dry matter, crude protein and organic matter in the dogs’ feces.

The second experiment measured the palatability of the dog foods. The inclusion of 180 grams per kilogram of DDGS increases the palatability of the diets.

What are distillers dried grains with solubles?

When fermented, one bushel of corn yields about 2.6 gallons (9.8 liters) of ethanol fuel. However, a sizable portion of the corn is not fermentable. About one-third of that same bushel ends up as distillers dried grains with solubles. DDGS are AAFCO-defined and have long been used as a source of energy and protein in animal feed.

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