Minimum dietary methionine requirements in Miniature Dachshund, Beagle, and Labrador Retriever adult dogs using the indicator amino acid oxidation technique

The objective of this study was to determine the minimum requirement (MR) for methionine (Met), when cyst(e)ine (Cys) is provided in excess, in adult dogs of three different breed sizes using the indicator amino acid (AA) oxidation (IAAO) technique. In total, 12 adult dogs were used: 1 neutered and 3 spayed Miniature Dachshunds (4.8 ± 0.4 kg body weight [BW], mean ± SD), 4 spayed Beagles (9.5 ± 0.7 kg BW, mean ± SD), and 4 neutered Labrador Retrievers (31.8 ± 1.7 kg BW, mean ± SD). A deficient Met basal diet with excess Cys was formulated. Dogs were fed the basal diet randomly supplemented with different Met-Alanine (Ala) solutions to achieve final Met concentrations in experimental diets of 0.21%, 0.26%, 0.31%, 0.36%, 0.41%, 0.46%, and 0.66% (as-fed basis). After 2 d of adaptation to the experimental diets, dogs underwent individual IAAO studies. During the IAAO study day, the total feed was divided into 13 equal meals; at the sixth meal, dogs were fed a bolus of l-[1-13C]-phenylalanine (Phe), and thereafter, l-[1-13C]-Phe was supplied with every meal. The total production of 13CO2 during isotopic steady state was determined by the enrichment of 13CO2 in breath samples, and the total production of CO2 measured using indirect calorimetry. The mean MR for Met and the upper 95% confidence limit (CL) were determined using a two-phase linear mixed-effects regression model. For Miniature Dachshunds, the MR for Met was between the first two dietary Met concentrations and is, therefore, between 35.7 and 44.1 mg.kg BW-1·d-1 (0.21% to 0.26%, as-fed basis; no requirement could be determined on a metabolic BW basis). For Beagles and Labrador Retrievers, the MR for Met was 57.5 and 50.4 mg.kg BW-1·d-1, 107.7 and 121.8 mg/kg BW^0.75, or 0.338 and 0.360%, respectively (as-fed basis). The upper 95% CL of Met requirements was 77.9 and 72.4 mg.kg BW-1·d-1, 147.8 and 159.6 mg/kg BW^0.75,or 0.458 and 0.517% for Beagles, and Labradors, respectively (as-fed basis). When pooling data from Beagles and Labrador Retrievers, the MR and upper 95% CL were 56.0 and 75.8 mg.kg BW-1·d-1 or 118.4 and 150.5 mg/kg BW^0.75 or 0.360% and 0.482% (as-fed basis). In conclusion, the MR and the upper 95% CL for Met are different for Dachshunds when compared with Beagles and Labrador Retrievers. Using this low-protein diet, the estimated upper 95% CL Met requirement for Beagles and Labrador is higher than those recommended in the National Research Council (NRC), but NRC is similar to the estimated upper 95% CL for Dachshunds.