Duckweed (Landoltia punctata) in dog diets decreases digestibility but improves stool consistency

Abstract

In the present experiment, duckweed is evaluated as a novel protein source for dogs by incorporating 'Landoltia punctata' into dog diets at 10%, 20% and 30%. The inclusion of duckweed resulted in significant (P < 0.001) linear decreases in DM, gross energy and crude protein digestibility. The addition of the exogenous enzyme phytase significantly (P = 0.03) improved crude protein digestibility in the diet of 30% duckweed inclusion. The inclusion of duckweed in the diets had no significant effect on palatability, but resulted in firmer stools (P = 0.003).