Effect of diet modification with iron-on haematological and biochemical parameters of non-anaemic puppies

Abstract

Dietary iron intake is vital for proper growth and development in puppies. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of diet modification with iron on haematological and biochemical parameters of puppies. A total of ten apparently healthy puppies weighing between 4.3 – 6.5 kg were used for this study. They were assigned to two groups of five dogs each. Group I was iron-supplemented, while group II served as non-iron supplemented control. Puppies in group I were fed diet modified with iron supplementation, while the group II puppies were fed with puppy food without supplementation. Result of this study revealed significant changes in haematological and biochemical parameters in the iron-supplemented compared to the control. Haemoglobin levels, erythrocyte counts, and the mean corpuscular volume showed significant increases (p0.05). Serum iron was elevated significantly (p0.05) in the iron-supplemented compared to the control group. However, the lipid profile, kidney function markers, oxidative stress biomarkers as well as the activities of the liver enzymes were comparable between the two groups (p>0.05). The findings of this research suggest that iron modified diets improved haematological parameters and iron status in puppies.