Maternal Diet [alpha]-Linolenic Acid during Gestation and Lactation Does Not Increase Docosahexaenoic Acid in Canine Milk1,2

Early studies of canine milk composition were limited to macronutrient analysis, and fatty acid analyses typically were not performed. An effect of dietary LCPUFA intake during gestation and lactation on milk composition is expected; however, this effect has not been specifically investigated, nor has a dose-response relationship been established. Bauer et al document the dietary effects of both 18-carbon precursors as well as LCPUFAs on canine milk when these fatty acids are included in gestation and lactation diets, and evaluate the possibility of a dose-response relationship with respect to dietary amounts of these fatty acids.