Ever notice that dogs and their guardians often look alike? Well, it turns out we actually resemble one another in other ways, including a shared problem with weight control.

“The rate of obesity in dogs is incredibly high,” says Dr. Lynn Weber, assistant professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences. “It’s definitely the number one cause of disease and/or loss of quality of life in pets right now.”

The many side effects associated with pet obesity include a predisposition to arthritis and joint problems as well as kidney and heart problems — a familiar list of ailments for many humans who are overweight.

Since people and their pets share the same weight-related problems, Weber and PhD student Jennifer Adolphe are curious to test whether a dietary tool used to help combat and prevent obesity in humans could be just as effective for dogs.

The tool is glycemic index (GI), a popular topic in human health, and the major focus of a WCVM-based study. “High GI foods break down and release glucose into the blood really quickly. They cause these huge peaks in blood glucose and then, therefore, huge peaks in insulin,” explains Weber. “It’s believed that one of the common complications of constantly eating high GI or highly processed type foods is a predisposition to obesity and diabetes.”

Low GI diets, on the other hand, promote healthy weight loss and weight control by preventing the spikes in glucose and insulin levels and promoting feelings of fullness.

“From a human perspective, (guardians) with dogs that lose weight should see less disease, lower mortality and a longer life span. We don’t feel their quality of life, but I think we can really see it if they’re not as energetic or as lively and playful,” points out Adolphe.

The three-year project, which involves a multi-disciplinary group of researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, will zero in on the effects of different carbohydrate sources and processing methods on glycemic, insulinemic and cardiovascular responses in dogs as well as their

intestinal health. The goal is to formulate a prototype dog food and gauge its effectiveness in treating and preventing obesity.
The research team will begin by monitoring the GI responses of research dogs to various carbohydrate sources including rice, corn, sorghum and peas. Using that information, they’ll formulate and test a prototype dog food containing the lowest GI carbohydrate on research dogs as well as local pets.

“We’re predicting that because peas have a low GI, the dogs will have a good health response to them,” says Adolphe. The low GI food will also contain vitamins, minerals, protein and a fat source and will take two forms: a whole food and a kibble form.

The PhD student adds that a major strength of the WCVM-based study is its inclusion of research dogs as well as pets: “We want to see if the results we find in the research dogs can be replicated with people’s pets in a real-life setting. That will make our results much more applicable to pet (guardians).”

The study is a collaborative effort that will tap the expertise of faculty from WCVM as well as the U of S College of Agriculture and Bioresources and the university’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition.

“The driving force behind this project is actually Jennifer,” explains Weber. “She completed a Master’s degree related to human nutrition, but she wanted to take her knowledge in humans and actually switch it to animals.”

Adolphe first approached WCVM animal nutritionist Dr. Marion (Meg) Smart about a possible doctoral research project that combined Adolphe’s love of research, nutrition and dogs. They contacted Dr. Murray Drew of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources who directed them to Weber: “It worked out best that Lynn take me on as her graduate student but still have Meg and Murray very involved in the project,” explains Adolphe.

She adds that the research team has grown to include Drs. Tawni Silver, Andrew Van Kessel, and Susan Whiting. “I’m just really excited that we’ve got a great team of people who each have an area of expertise — I think it’ll make for a strong, strong project.”

With an initial grant from the WCVM’s vitamin settlement research fund, the project expanded when additional financial backing from Saskatchewan Pulse Growers allowed them to apply for a matching grant from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Development Program. Horizon Pet Foods, a locally-owned manufacturing firm, also offered “in kind” donations including raw materials and facilities for dog food production.

“It’s pretty amazing,” says Adolphe. “The time frame and the scope of the study are a lot larger now, and we’re able to do a laboratory-based controlled trial where we can control the variables a lot more.”

Weber believes that the low GI diet will offer a healthy alternative to pet guardians. “People are becoming more aware of what goes into dog foods. Pets are being valued as part of the family, and people are willing to spend more money on their pets if they can get quality foods that allow their pets to live longer, healthier lives. I love dogs and anything that can help dogs, I think, is wonderful.”

According to Adolphe, the study is also significant for humans. “Even though we’re doing the research in dogs, they can be used as a model for human nutrition. My training about food production and nutrient requirements — all those kinds of things would be applicable.”

Weber and Adolphe agree that dogs and humans possess many biochemical similarities, and the results of this study may be extremely valuable to both. “Obesity is a huge problem in humans and pets,” says Adolphe, “and nutrition can play an important role in treating it.”

Weber also foresees the opportunity for more extensive research. “We actually have our eyes on something even bigger. Everything we’re talking about came first from human health, but we can take it and apply it back,” says the WCVM researcher. “I think the more information you have, the better. Human testing is extraordinarily expensive, but that’s the eventual goal.”

As for Adolphe, this study provides her with the chance to combine all of her interests and make the transition into the animal nutrition world. “I just always loved animals but was never sure how to pursue that in terms of a career. Now people are really starting to realize how nutrition plays a huge role in human and animal health. It’s the ideal time to focus on this area.”

—Lynne Gunville is a freelance writer and editor whose career includes 25 years of teaching English and communications to adults. She and her husband live at Candle Lake, SK.
Reprinted with permission of Vet Topics, news publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Companion Animal Health Fund. Visit www.cahf.usask.ca to sign up for Vet Topics’ online newsletter.