Effect of replacing chicken with goat meat residue (Ajamamsa residue) as a novel protein source on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, and faecal score in adult dog diets

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted in a switch-over experiment design over four months at the Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy. Four medium-sized, healthy adult dogs were assigned four isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets: A control diet containing 100 per cent chicken protein and three test diets where 25 per cent, 50 per cent, and 100 per cent of the chicken protein were replaced with chevon residue from Ajamamsa rasayanam preparation.Results showed no significant differences (p>0.05) in dry matter intake, faecal condition scores, and apparent digestibilities among the diets. The digestibility of crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, and nitrogen-free extract remained comparable across all treatments. These findings suggest that Ajamamsa residue (Goat meat/ Chevon residue) can serve as a viable alternative protein source for dog food, promoting sustainability by utilizing meat industry byproducts. This study contributes to the development of cost-effective, nutritionally adequate, and environmentally friendly pet food formulations reducing dependency on conventional animal protein sources such as chicken.