Rye and triticale may serve as viable alternatives to wheat in extruded dog foods without compromising digestibility, fecal quality, blood chemistry or palatability. According to research results published in the journal BMC Veterinary Research, dogs fed diets containing 30% rye or triticale performed similarly to dogs fed wheat-based diets across most health and digestive measures. The study also identified several formulation considerations tied to rye’s fermentable fiber profile.
Researchers from Selçuk University in Konya, Turkey evaluated 21 adult Golden Retrievers using extruded diets formulated with either wheat, rye or triticale as the primary grain source. Chicken meal served as the animal protein source in all formulas. Eighteen dogs completed digestibility testing, while 21 dogs participated in palatability assessments.
The diets were formulated with 30% inclusion of wheat, rye or triticale. Rye diets also included slightly higher levels of corn gluten meal to maintain similar protein content across formulations.
Considering digestibility, dogs fed rye diets showed significantly higher dry matter and organic matter digestibility than dogs fed wheat or triticale diets. Crude protein digestibility did not differ significantly among treatments.
The authors suggested extrusion processing may have contributed to the favorable results by reducing anti-nutritional factors commonly associated with rye. They also noted that modern rye varieties may contain lower levels of soluble arabinoxylans and enzyme inhibitors than older cultivars.
The research may help address lingering concerns about rye inclusion in pet food. Historically, rye has been underused in companion animal diets because of worries about palatability and viscosity issues in monogastric species, the researchers noted. However, the dogs in this study showed no significant preference differences among the three grain types.
The authors reported preference rates of 33.81% for wheat, 34.76% for rye and 31.27% for triticale, with no statistically significant differences.
Rye as functional ingredient in dog food
As gut health continues to be an important consideration for pet owners, rye’s fiber composition may warrant additional attention, the scientists said. Rye contains relatively high levels of arabinoxylans, fructans and beta-glucans, compounds associated with intestinal fermentation and short-chain fatty acid production.
Although fecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations did not differ significantly among diets, rye diets numerically increased butyrate concentrations compared to wheat and triticale. Butyrate is considered an important energy source for colon cells and is associated with gastrointestinal health and microbiome support.
Researchers observed butyrate concentrations of 11.46 mmol/kg dry matter in the rye group, compared with 6.23 mmol/kg for wheat and 4.20 mmol/kg for triticale. The difference did not reach statistical significance, which the authors attributed partly to the small sample size.
From a stool quality perspective, formulators may need to balance fermentation benefits against moisture effects. Rye reduced fecal dry matter compared to triticale, although fecal consistency scores remained similar across all diets. The authors attributed the lower fecal dry matter to rye’s fermentable fiber content and increased intestinal fermentation.
None of the grain sources negatively affected measured blood parameters, including glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine or liver enzymes. All values remained within normal reference ranges for healthy adult dogs.
Triticale in dog food formulations
The study also introduced triticale as a relatively unexplored ingredient in canine nutrition. Triticale, a wheat-rye hybrid, performed similarly to wheat in most measured categories. Researchers suggested the grain could provide formulators with a cost-effective and potentially more sustainable option that does not directly compete with human food demand to the same degree as wheat.
The authors cautioned that the trial involved only one breed over a 56-day feeding period and used a relatively small sample size of six dogs per diet in digestibility testing.
Their findings provided evidence that rye and triticale can offer functional, along with nutritional, benefits in canine diets, particularly as the industry continues reevaluating grain-free formulations and alternative ingredients.
