Championing research focused on discovery in companion animal nutrition and physiology to advance the health and well-being of dogs and cats

加拿大宠物食品市场是一个价值数十亿美元的市场。出口宠物食品是支持加拿大农业食品行业和提高国家GDP的重要机会。尽管市场规模很大，但对狗和猫的研究落后于人类和农业动物。拟议的研究将回答以下主题的基本问题：1）蛋白质质量应用于狗粮配方，2）减少狗和猫的焦虑，3）狗和猫的脂肪酸营养和代谢，以及4）微量营养素和多酚，以增强狗和猫的代谢和支持免疫功能。这项研究是Shoveller计划的延续，包括全球专家，以促进思想的多样性和科学的稳健性。这项研究的结果将提供关于如何优化膳食蛋白质和氨基酸含量以实现上级蛋白质质量的知识，此外还将这些概念传达给兽医和宠物主人。我们还将提供新的营养工具，可以减少狗和猫的焦虑，并确定动物将对这些技术作出反应，其结果对宠物主人来说是显而易见的。我们将调查包括植物，中链甘油三酯，和动物为基础的膳食脂肪，与知识如何提供这些将改变犬和猫的新陈代谢。我们还将研究多酚如何与脂肪酸（n6：n3比例）相互作用，以及微量营养素（胆碱和肉毒碱）如何影响免疫功能。行业合作伙伴Champion Petfoods已经确定，他们的产品旨在最佳地支持狗和猫的独特新陈代谢，并打算围绕这项研究的结果创新他们的产品，提供独特的价值主张。这种强大的，持续的工业-学术合作伙伴关系将支持Champion Petfoods的研发工作，这些成果的成功应用将促进全球对加拿大宠物食品的需求，改善我们对宠物主人的建议，并改善狗和猫的健康和福祉。该项目为快速发展的宠物食品行业培养和教育未来的科学家和技术人员提供了一个重要的机会。

The Canadian pet food market is a billion-dollar market. Exported pet food is a major opportunity to support the Canadian agri-food industry and boost the nation's GDP. Despite the size of the market, research on dogs and cats lags behind humans and agricultural animals. The proposed research will answer fundamental questions in the following themes: 1) protein quality application to dog food formulation, 2) reducing anxiety in dogs and cats, 3) fatty acid nutrition and metabolism in dogs and cats, and 4) micronutrients and polyphenols to enhance metabolism and support immune function in dogs and cats. This research is a continuation of Shoveller's program and includes global experts to promote diversity of thought and scientific robustness. The results of this research will provide knowledge on how to optimize dietary protein and amino acid content to achieve superior protein quality, in addition to conveying these concepts to the veterinarian and pet owners. We will also provide new nutritional tools that can reduce anxiety in both dogs and cats and identify animals that will respond to these technologies, with outcomes noticeable to pet owners. We will investigate the inclusion of plant, medium-chain triglycerides, and animal-based dietary fat, with knowledge of how providing these will alter both canine and feline metabolism. We will also investigate how polyphenols interact with fatty acid (n6: n3 ratio) provision and how micronutrients (choline and carnitine) can affect immune function. The industry partner, Champion Petfoods, has identified that their product offering is intended to optimally support the unique metabolism of both dogs and cats and intends to innovate their products around the results of this research that offer a unique value proposition. This strong, ongoing industrial-academic partnership will support the R&D efforts of Champion Petfoods and the successful application of these results will promote the global demand for Canadian pet foods, improve our recommendations to pet owners, and improve the health and well-being of dogs and cats. This project represents a significant opportunity to train and educate several future scientists and technologists for the rapidly-growing pet food industry.