Substitution of wheat bran by corn gluten feed without steep water in cats feed

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of substituting wheat bran (WB) by corn gluten feed without steep water (CGF) in cats feeds regarding the nutritional value of the diet, stool characteristics, time of food passage through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), intestinal gas production and concentrations of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in blood and faeces. Twenty eight cats were distributed in a randomized block design with four treatments (0, 2.6, 5.3 or 8.0% CGF, based on dry matter, substituting for WB) and seven replicates. Substitution of WB by CGF decreased (P0.05) the digestibility of other nutrients and apparent metabolizable energy. There was also no effect (P>0.05) on faeces moisture, faecal pH and score, food transit time in the GIT, intestinal gas area and SCFA concentrations in faeces, while blood concentrations of propionate were influenced differently by the different feeds and sampling times (P0,05) sobre a umidade das fezes, o escore e o pH fecal, o tempo de passagem do alimento no TGI, área de gás intestinal e concentrações AGCC nas fezes, enquanto as concentrações sanguíneas de propionato foram influenciadas de maneira diferente entre as diferentes dietas e tempos de coleta. Conclui-se que a substituição do FT pelo FCM, até 8%, pode ser feita de maneira segura em alimentos para gatos.