252 Late-Breaking: Determining the total daily water intake in dogs fed a fresh, human-grade food compared to an extruded, dry kibble diet.

Abstract The aim of this study was to quantify and compare the effect of feeding a human-grade fresh food versus a dry kibble diet on total daily water consumption in adult dogs. Ten beagle adult dogs were used in a single cross over study to quantify and compare the effect of feeding a human-grade fresh food (71% moisture) versus a dry kibble diet (6% moisture) on total daily water consumption (free access + component of food). All dogs were fed to maintain body weight throughout the duration of the study. Dogs consuming the fresh diet consumed statistically significantly more food by total weight on average when determined on an as-fed basis (+348 grams; P < 0.0001), but they consumed less food when intake is evaluated on a dry matter basis (-17 grams; P < 0.0001). Dogs fed the dry kibble diet consumed more water ad libitum (+276 grams; P< 0.0001) when compared to the dogs consuming the fresh test diet, however dogs consuming the fresh food diet consumed significantly more total water daily on average per day (+88 grams; P < 0.0001). When calculating the amount of adequate water intake based on dry matter intake (2.5 mL per gram x dry matter intake), dogs consuming the fresh food exceeded their minimum requirements when compared to the dry food (141% vs 102%; P < 0.0001). These data demonstrate that dogs consuming a fresh food significantly increase their total daily water consumption versus a dry food which can be important in maintaining or improving the hydration status in dogs. This increase in total water consumption from consuming a fresh food can play a critical role for certain disease states that may predispose an animal to increased water loss, such as cancer, diabetes, hyperadrenocorticism, or renal disease.