Many Canadians are working hard to keep their weight in check. But studies show our pets are also getting too portly.
A research team at the University of Saskatchewan is working on a special diet for dogs, with a common Saskatchewan crop as its base ingredient.
Dr. Lynn Weber and Jennifer Adolphe are part of a study at the University of Saskatchewan. They've created a special diet dog food that's made up of 30 per cent field peas.
"Peas are a low glycemic index carbohydrate source. So we're comparing the peas to rice, which is a typical carbohydrate source in pet food," says Adolphe.
"We're trying to look at the health benefits for dogs. Trying to control the way they process their glucose, release it into their blood, maybe decrease the amount of insulin they release and decrease the likelihood that they're going to become obese," says Dr. Weber.
At the start of the study, eight beagles were split into two groups of four. One group was fed the pea-based diet for three months, while the other group received the high-glycemic rice diet. The groups then switch diets for another three months. The dogs are being tested for body fat and heart function.
"Each dog kind of serves as its own control. And then with only eight dogs we can maximize the amount of information and see if the diets really do make a difference or not," says Weber.
So far, Adolphe says the results in the study are encouraging. "We are seeing that the peas are a lower glycemic index food in the dogs. We needed to validate that first. And next we're going to look at whether or not the pea food can help the dogs to lose weight."
They hope to have detailed results in the next few months. The study could lead to development of a pea-based weight-loss dog food. Helping portly pooches shed the pounds, while creating a new market for Saskatchewan farmers.
