Cailin R Heinze’s research while affiliated with Tufts University and other places

Background Dogs with hepatocutaneous syndrome (HCS) have marked plasma hypoaminoacidemia, but its occurrence in dogs with chronic liver diseases not associated with HCS (non‐HCS CLD) is unknown. Objectives To determine if plasma hypoaminoacidemia occurs in dogs with non‐HCS CLD, compare plasma amino acid (PAA) profiles between dogs with non‐HCS CLD and HCS, and define a sensitive and specific PAA pattern for diagnosing HCS. Animals Data were collected from client‐owned dogs, a prospective cohort of 32 with CLD and 1 with HCS, and a retrospective cohort of 7 with HCS. Methods Prospective study. Dogs with chronic serum liver enzyme increases were recruited after hepatic biopsy. Plasma amino acid profiles were measured using high‐performance liquid chromatography. Plasma amino acid concentrations were compared between dogs with non‐HCS CLD and HCS. Regression analysis was performed to identify a unique PAA pattern for HCS diagnosis. Results Twelve dogs each with vacuolar hepatopathy or chronic hepatitis and 8 dogs with congenital disorders (primary hypoplasia of the portal vein or ductal plate malformations) were enrolled. Compared to non‐HCS CLD dogs, HCS dogs had significantly lower plasma concentrations of several amino acids. Regression analysis revealed that glutamine, glycine, citrulline, arginine, and proline concentrations less than 30% of the mean reference value had 100% sensitivity, specificity for diagnosing HCS. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Generalized plasma hypoaminoacidemia does not accompany non‐HCS CLD. Concentrations of 5 specific amino acids less than 30% of the mean reference value can serve as a noninvasive biomarker for diagnosing HCS.

Quality of life (QOL) in dogs with cancer is a key consideration in the assessment of cancer treatment options. Despite interest in dietary strategies to improve management of oncology patients, there have been very few clinical studies showing the impact of diet on adverse effects of chemotherapy in dogs. This study was a randomised, controlled, double‐blinded, multicenter clinical trial to investigate a high‐protein, increased‐fibre diet supplemented with omega‐3 fatty acids, for dogs with cancer undergoing standard‐of‐care chemotherapy. Client‐owned dogs with newly diagnosed grade 2 or higher mast cell tumours (or non‐resectable/incompletely resected tumours) or multicentric lymphoma were randomised to receive the test diet ( n = 24) or control diet ( n = 21) for 8 weeks. Primary outcomes were QOL assessments, faecal scores, and blood concentrations of C‐reactive protein and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1. Of 12 QOL parameters, 10 significantly improved from baseline to Week 8 in the test group compared with one in the control group. However, differences between the two groups were only statistically significant for ‘frequency of signs of illness’ ( P = .009). There were no significant differences in the incidence of any adverse events, including gastrointestinal adverse events or clinically significant differences in laboratory parameters or faecal scores between the two groups. The absence of an observed negative impact of the test diet, combined with the magnitude of QOL improvements associated with the diet, suggest that a larger trial is warranted.

Objective: To assess the clinical accuracy of 2 serum-based assays and 1 saliva-based assay for detection of adverse food reaction (AFR) in dogs without clinical signs of disease. Animals: 30 healthy client-owned dogs. Procedures: Dog owners completed an online survey to collect comprehensive information about their pets' diet history. From each dog, serum and saliva samples were obtained and submitted for AFR testing by means of 3 assays that assessed the immunoglobulin response to 24 foods. Assays A and B measured food allergen-specific IgE concentrations in serum, whereas assay C measured food allergen-specific IgA and IgM concentrations in saliva. Descriptive data were generated, and Fisher exact tests were used to assess the respective associations between positive test results and specific food ingredients to which dogs were exposed. Results: Assays A, B, and C yielded positive results for 26, 18, and 30 dogs, respectively. All dogs had positive results for at least 1 assay. The median (range) number of foods or ingredients to which dogs tested positive was 10.5 (0 to 24) for assay A, 1 (0 to 13) for assay B, and 12.5 (4 to 22; IgM) and 3 (0 to 24; IgA) for assay C. Positive test results were not significantly associated with prior food exposure. Conclusions and clinical relevance: Saliva and serum assays for AFR often yielded positive results for apparently healthy dogs and are not recommended for clinical use. Elimination diet trials remain the gold standard for diagnosis of AFR in dogs.

It is well established that tumour cells have metabolic differences when compared with normal cells. This is particularly true for energy metabolism in which dogs with cancer have been reported to have higher blood insulin and lactate concentrations than control dogs. Moreover, some human and animal studies suggest that the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signalling pathway may play a role in tumorigenesis and tumour progression. At present, IGF-1 has not been evaluated in dogs with multicentric lymphoma. In this prospective, cross-sectional study, blood levels of IGF-1, as well as other markers of energy metabolism—insulin, glucose, lactate, and β-hydroxybutyrate—were measured in 16 dogs with histologically or cytologically confirmed treatment-naïve lymphoma. These results were compared with 16 age-, sex- and weight-matched healthy controls. Dietary histories were collected, and protein, fat and carbohydrate intake were compared between groups. Results demonstrated that IGF-1, insulin, glucose and insulin:glucose ratio were not different between groups. However, lactate and β-hydroxybutyrate were higher in the dogs with lymphoma than that in the control dogs (1.74 ± 0.83 mmoL/L vs 1.08 ± 0.27 and 2.59 ± 0.59 mmol/L vs 0.77 ± 0.38 mmol/L, respectively). Median dietary protein, fat and carbohydrates did not differ between the groups. This preliminary study suggests that higher insulin and IGF-1 levels relative to controls may not be a consistent finding in dogs with lymphoma. The significance of increased β-hydroxybutyrate in dogs with lymphoma warrants further investigation in a larger prospective study.

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the carbohydrate content of grain-containing and grain-free dry cat diets and compare major protein and carbohydrate sources of these diets. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 77 randomly selected dry cat diets (42 grain-containing, 35 grain-free). Reported carbohydrate values were compared between grain-containing and grain-free cat diets. A subset of 25% of diets from each category (grain-containing and grain-free) was analyzed and nitrogen-free extract was calculated as an estimate of carbohydrate content. These calculated values were compared with reported values from the manufacturer. Animal- and plant-sourced ingredients were also compared between grain-containing and grain-free diets. Results Mean reported carbohydrate content of the grain-free diets (n = 35) was lower than the grain-containing diets (n = 41; 64 ± 16 vs 86 ± 22 g/1000 kcal; P <0.001). Reported carbohydrate values were higher than analyzed nitrogen-free extract (n = 20; 79 ± 30 vs 73 ± 27 g/1000 kcal; P = 0.024). Poultry ( P = 0.009) and soy (P = 0.007) were less common in grain-free diets than in diets containing grain. The alternative carbohydrate sources of chickpeas, lentils, peas, potato, sweet potato and cassava/tapioca were more common ( P <0.05) in grain-free diets than in diets containing grain. Conclusions and relevance This sample of grain-free diets had lower mean reported carbohydrate content than grain-containing diets, but there was considerable overlap between groups and individual diets’ carbohydrate/nitrogen-free extract content varied widely.

Background: In humans and rodents obesity appears to promote some cancers by increasing incidence, tumor aggressiveness, recurrence, and fatality. However, the relationship between obesity and cancer in dogs has not been thoroughly evaluated. Hypothesis/objectives: Whether body condition score (BCS) at the time of lymphoma (LSA) or osteosarcoma (OSA) diagnosis in dogs is predictive of survival time (ST) or progression-free interval (PFI). We hypothesized that an overweight body state at the time of cancer diagnosis would be associated with negative outcomes. Animals: Dogs with LSA (n = 270) and OSA (n = 54) diagnosed and treated between 2000 and 2010. Methods: Retrospective case review. Signalment, body weight, BCS, cancer diagnosis and treatment, relevant clinicopathologic values, and survival data were collected. Dogs were grouped by BCS (underweight, ideal, and overweight) and ST and PFI were compared. Results: Overall, 5.5% of dogs were underweight, 54.0% were ideal weight, and 40.4% were overweight at diagnosis. Underweight dogs with LSA had shorter ST (P = .017) than ideal or overweight dogs. BCS was not associated with ST for OSA (P = .474). Progression-free interval did not differ among BCS categories for either cancer. Conclusions and clinical importance: Obesity was not associated with adverse outcomes among dogs with LSA or OSA in this retrospective study; however, being underweight at the time of diagnosis of LSA was associated with shorter survival. More research is needed to elucidate the relationship between excessive body weight and cancer development and progression in dogs.

Objectives: To evaluate owner experiences and adherence to home-cooked diet recipes for dogs. Methods: Clients of a veterinary teaching hospital clinical nutrition service who had a home-cooked diet recipe formulated for their dogs between March 2011 and December 2013 were given a survey by email, postal mail and telephone. Survey questions addressed motivations, positive and negative aspects of feeding home-cooked diets and current feeding practices. Responses were compared to animals' medical records to determine adherence. Results: Of the 93 owners who were contacted, 53 (57%) completed the survey. Of the 53 respondents, 43 owners (81%) reported that they were still feeding an home-cooked diet or had fed an home-cooked diet until the time of their dogs' deaths. The most common motivation for feeding a home-cooked diet was suitability for specific medical needs. Of the 30 surveys that included a complete diet history, only four (13%) demonstrated exact adherence to home-cooked diet recipes. Clinical significance: Most respondents liked and continued to feed a home-cooked diet, but few owners adhered to prescribed recipes and many dogs required recipe modifications. It is important to counsel dog owners about benefits and drawbacks of feeding home-cooked diets, importance of recipe adherence and necessity for follow-up after diet formulation with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.

To determine the prevalence of nutrients less than or greater than accepted standards in commercially available enteral diets for cats, and to identify contamination incidence in enteral diets for cats. Prospective cross-sectional study. University teaching hospital. Seven commercial enteral diets for cats. Labels were evaluated to determine if diets were intended to be nutritionally complete and balanced. One diet under storage techniques partially representative of clinical conditions was sampled on days 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 of storage for aerobic bacterial culture. All 7 diets were analyzed for key nutrients and results were compared to Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Nutrient Profiles for Adult Cats for maintenance and National Research Council recommended allowance (NRC-RA). From label information, 4 diets were classified as complete and balanced and 3 diets were classified as not complete and balanced. All 7 diets had at least 1 nutrient less than the AAFCO minimums and the NRC-RA. The total number of nutrients less than AAFCO minimums ranged from 3 to 9 (median = 4), with iron, potassium, and manganese being the most common. Concentrations of some nutrients were undetectable. None of the samples tested had a positive aerobic culture at baseline (day 0) or on subsequent samples from days 1, 3, 5, and 7 under any storage condition. None of the diets analyzed met all of the minimum nutrient concentrations. While short-term feeding may not be of concern for an individual patient, clinicians should be aware of potential nutritional limitations when feeding enteral diets to ill or injured cats. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2015.

Providing nutritional support to exotic pet (EP) species such as birds, reptiles and small mammals presents a unique challenge for the practitioner. This chapter addresses the nutritional needs of exotic pets in practice need not be difficult, as long as protocols are in place for stocking, safe food preparation, expiration date monitoring, and product replacement as needed. It is imperative for hospital staff to have an appreciation for (i) different feeding strategies for exotic pets and how to address them, (ii) species-specific behaviour patterns and food intake and (iii) subtle changes in body condition and weight across the range of commonly kept exotic pets. Currently much of the approach to nutrition for exotic pets is based on extrapolation from domestic animals, but as more research is performed and the understanding of ethology and comparative gastrointestinal morphology expands, the ability to address nutritional needs at the species level will improve.

Objective: To evaluate marketing claims, ingredients, and nutrient profiles of over-the-counter diets marketed for skin and coat health of dogs. Design: Cross-sectional study. Sample: 24 over-the-counter dry and canned diets marketed for skin and coat health of dogs. Procedures: Data on marketing claims and ingredients were collected from diet packaging and manufacturer websites. Concentrations of selected nutrients were obtained by contacting the manufacturers and were compared against minimum values for Association of American Feed Control Officials Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult dog maintenance based on calorie content. Results: Most diets incorporated marketing terms such as digestive health, sensitive, or premium that are poorly defined and may have limited relevance to skin, coat, or general health. The types and numbers of major ingredients (ie, potential to contribute protein to the diet) differed. The total number of unique major ingredients in each diet ranged from 3 to 8 (median, 5.5), but the total number of unique ingredients in each diet ranged from 28 to 68 (median, 38). Concentrations of nutrients associated with skin and coat condition also differed widely. Conclusions and clinical relevance: Results indicated that the large variation among over-the-counter diets marketed for skin and coat health may cause confusion for owners during diet selection. Owners of a dog with dermatologic problems should consult their veterinarian to select a good-quality diet that meets specific nutrient goals.