Effects of exchange of dietary medium chain triglycerides for long-chain triglycerides on serum biochemical variables and subjectively assessed well-being of dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that exchange of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) for long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) in the diet of dogs with well-managed exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) changes serum biochemical variables and to subjectively assess the well-being of dogs with EPI in response to experimental diets. ANIMALS: 21 dogs with EPI and 6 healthy control dogs. PROCEDURE: The effects of 3 diets containing 0%, 16%, or 35% of the total fat content as MCTs were examined in a randomized controlled double-blind crossover trial. The 3 diets were fed for 12 weeks each. Dietary effects were evaluated by both subjective and objective variables. RESULTS: Analysis of subjective data revealed no significant difference in appetite, attitude, drinking behavior, volume of feces, defecation frequency, color of feces, consistency of feces, flatulence, or borborygmus among dogs fed the 3 experimental diets. A high MCT content in the diet was associated with significantly higher serum vitamin E, cholesterol, triglyceride, retinyl stearate, retinyl palmitate, and total vitamin A concentrations in dogs with EPI and significantly higher serum vitamin E concentrations in control dogs, compared with low MCT content. High MCT content in the diet was also associated with significantly lower concentrations of serum linoleic acid (C18:2n-6]) in dogs with EPI and in control dogs, compared with low MCT content. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A high MCT content in the diet leads to increases in serum concentrations of cholesterol and certain fat-soluble vitamins. However, no effect was found on the subjective well-being of the dogs as evaluated by their owners.