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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Duckweed (Landoltia punctata) in dog diets decreases digestibility but improves stool consistency

W. Y. Brown A C , M. Choct A and J. R. Pluske B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Environmental and Rural Science – Animal Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

B School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: wbrown@une.edu.au

Animal Production Science 53(11) 1188-1194 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN13198
Submitted: 22 July 2013  Accepted: 26 August 2013   Published: 17 September 2013

Abstract

In the present experiment, duckweed is evaluated as a novel protein source for dogs by incorporating Landoltia punctata into dog diets at 10%, 20% and 30%. The inclusion of duckweed resulted in significant (P < 0.001) linear decreases in DM, gross energy and crude protein digestibility. The addition of the exogenous enzyme phytase significantly (P = 0.03) improved crude protein digestibility in the diet of 30% duckweed inclusion. The inclusion of duckweed in the diets had no significant effect on palatability, but resulted in firmer stools (P = 0.003).

Additional keywords: aquaculture, canine nutrition, Lemnaceae, pet food, sustainable agriculture.


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