Gastrointestinal transit time is faster in Beagle dogs compared to cats
Objective: To characterize gastrointestinal transit times (GITTs) and pH in dogs, and to compare to data recently described for cats.
Animals: 7 healthy, colony-housed Beagles.
Procedures: The GITTs and pH were measured using a continuous pH monitoring system. For the first period (pre-feeding), food was withheld for 20 hours followed by pH capsule administration. Five hours after capsule administration, dogs were offered 75% of their historical daily caloric intake for 1 hour. For the second period (post-feeding), food was withheld for 24 hours. Dogs were allowed 1 hour to eat, followed by capsule administration. Both periods were repeated 3 times. The GITTs and pH were compared to published feline data.
Results: The mean ± SD transit times in dogs for the pre- and post-feeding periods, respectively, were esophageal, 3 ± 5 minutes and 13 ± 37 minutes; gastric, 31 ± 60 minutes and 829 ± 249 minutes; and intestinal, 795 ± 444 minutes and 830 ± 368 minutes. The mean ± SD gastrointestinal pH in dogs for the pre- and post-feeding periods, respectively, were esophageal, 6.6 ± 0.6 and 5.7 ± 1.0; gastric, 3.0 ± 1.4 and 1.8 ± 0.3; intestinal, 7.9 ± 0.3 and 7.7 ± 0.6; first-hour small intestinal, 7.6 ± 0.5 and 7.1 ± 0.4; and last-hour large intestinal, 7.9 ± 0.6 and 7.7 ± 1.0.
The first-hour small intestinal pH and total transit times varied between dogs and cats depending on feed period (P = .002 and P = .04, respectively). Post hoc analysis revealed significantly shorter total transit times in dogs pre-feeding (P = .005; mean ± SD for cats, 2,441 ± 1,359 minutes; for dogs, 828 ± 439 minutes) and post-feeding (P = .03; mean ± SD for cats, 3,009 ± 1,220 minutes; for dogs, 1,671 ± 513 minutes). Total transit time for dogs was also shorter pre- versus post-feeding (P = .003).
Clinical relevance: GITT is faster in Beagles compared to cats, but gastrointestinal pH is similar when fed the same diet.
“Gastrointestinal transit time is faster in Beagle dogs compared to cats.” M Katherine Tolbert, et al. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2022 Sep 5;1-7. doi: 10.2460/javma.22.07.0287.
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