Pawanpreet Sing's MSc Defence

Due to the increasing global demand for dietary protein, it is necessary to investigate protein alternatives with regard to both meeting nutritional requirements and environmental impact. Pulse ingredients are an attractive protein alternative used in grain-free or plant-based canine diets. However, in recent years pulses have been speculated to be associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the effects of incremental pulse inclusion from 0 to 45% in micro and macronutrient balanced diets on canine cardiac and metabolic health. After 20 weeks, the inclusion of dietary pulses did not have negative effects on cardiac function, sulfur amino acid status, body composition or hematology and biochemistry indices in adult dogs. These results support that pulse ingredients are safe to include in canine diets, specifically a combination of pulses up to 45% inclusion in nutrient-balanced diets does not contribute to DCM in healthy adult dogs.