How avocados may boost dog health [infographic] | OUPblog – OUPblog

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The Journal of Animal Science is the premier animal science journal and serves as the leading source of new knowledge and perspective in this area, publishing more than 500 fully reviewed research articles, invited reviews, technical notes, and letters to the editor each year.
Like all of us, dogs need fiber. In fact, canines will seek it out, and it’s no shock to see a dog gnawing on a carrot or crunching down apple-based treats. A high-fiber diet also helps dogs lose weight and maintain a healthy gut microbiome.
In a new Journal of Animal Science study, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign report that avocado meal, a readily available by-product of avocado oil processing, can boost the fiber content of dog food without leading to health issues.
Beagles in the 14-day experiment were given diets with either avocado meal, beet pulp, or cellulose as a fiber source. Although the cellulose diet was higher in protein, the researchers found that the avocado meal made for a good fiber, fat, and energy source. They also confirmed that gut microbes are able to effectively break down the fiber in avocado meal.
Importantly, the researchers put to rest the fear that avocado meal may contain a harmful fatty acid derivative called persin. Their analysis shows while persin is present in all parts of the avocado, the act of processing breaks down persin—so no persin ends up in avocado meal.
Looking forward, the animal scientists think a diet containing up to 18% avocado meal may be a good option for dogs—and further studies will show if other pets could benefit too.
Explore the infographic to learn more:
Take a further look into this topic with related articles from the Journal of Animal Science:
_{Featured image via Pixabay (public domain)}

This blog post is an edited version of the article “Nutritional and physico-chemical implications of avocado meal as a novel dietary fiber source in an extruded canine diet“, written by Amanda N Dainton, Fei He, Tanner W Bingham, David Sarlah, Katelyn B Detweiler, Heather J Mangian, Maria Regina Cattai de Godoy.
Madeline McCurry-Schmidt is a science writer with the American Society of Animal Science.
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