Corn-based dog food processing and digestibility (2024)

Twelve Beagles (mean age 6.5 years) received experimental corn-based pelleted, baked and extruded foods plus a dextrose control. Each 14-day period used nine adaptation days and five collection days. Extrusion produced higher apparent digestibility and more favorable stool scores; extra resistant starch did not improve the in-vivo fermentation profile. The control caused diarrhea. These short-term results concern the tested formulations, not all foods made by each process.

Limitations

Small, single-breed laboratory population; short periods, not long-term disease outcomes.
Experimental recipes, including a problematic dextrose control; no exact current catalog formulation match.
Processing and fat application differed. The direction of digestibility findings is not a universal health ranking.

Funding & conflicts

Kansas Corn Commission funded the study. Authors declared no conflicts; affiliations included ingredient and pet-food companies.

Recipe applicability

No exact catalog formulation applicability has been established.

Sources & dates

Manufacturer statements describe the label; they are not independent clinical findings. Check your bag for the current formulation.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govpaper · retrieved Oct 23, 2026 · published Mar 30, 2024