Assessment of the relationship between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times measured by use of a wireless motility capsule system in dogs

Carol S. Boillat Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.

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Frédéric P. Gaschen Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.

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Giselle L. Hosgood Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.

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 BVSc, PhD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.71.8.898
Volume/Issue:
Volume 71: Issue 8
Online Publication Date:
01 Aug 2010
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Abstract

Objective—To assess the relationship between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times measured by use of a wireless motility capsule (WMC) system in healthy dogs.

Animals—31 healthy adult dogs that weighed between 19.6 and 81.2 kg.

Procedures—Food was withheld overnight. The following morning, a WMC was orally administered to each dog, and each dog was then fed a test meal that provided a fourth of the daily energy requirements. A vest was fitted on each dog to hold a receiver that collected and stored data from the WMC. Measurements were obtained with each dog in its home environment. Regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times.

Results—Gastric emptying time (GET) ranged from 405 to 897 minutes, small bowel transit time (SBTT) ranged from 96 to 224 minutes, large bowel transit time (LBTT) ranged from 427 to 2,573 minutes, and total transit time (TTT) ranged from 1,294 to 3,443 minutes. There was no positive relationship between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times. A nonlinear inverse relationship between body weight and GET and between body weight and SBTT best fit the data. The LBTT could not be explained by this model and likely influenced the poor fit for the TTT.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—A positive relationship did not exist between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times. Dogs with the lowest body weight of the cohort appeared to have longer gastric and small intestinal transit times than did large- and giant-breed dogs.

Abstract

Objective—To assess the relationship between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times measured by use of a wireless motility capsule (WMC) system in healthy dogs.

Animals—31 healthy adult dogs that weighed between 19.6 and 81.2 kg.

Procedures—Food was withheld overnight. The following morning, a WMC was orally administered to each dog, and each dog was then fed a test meal that provided a fourth of the daily energy requirements. A vest was fitted on each dog to hold a receiver that collected and stored data from the WMC. Measurements were obtained with each dog in its home environment. Regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times.

Results—Gastric emptying time (GET) ranged from 405 to 897 minutes, small bowel transit time (SBTT) ranged from 96 to 224 minutes, large bowel transit time (LBTT) ranged from 427 to 2,573 minutes, and total transit time (TTT) ranged from 1,294 to 3,443 minutes. There was no positive relationship between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times. A nonlinear inverse relationship between body weight and GET and between body weight and SBTT best fit the data. The LBTT could not be explained by this model and likely influenced the poor fit for the TTT.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—A positive relationship did not exist between body weight and gastrointestinal transit times. Dogs with the lowest body weight of the cohort appeared to have longer gastric and small intestinal transit times than did large- and giant-breed dogs.

Contributor Notes

Dr. Boillat's present address is the Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland.

Dr. Hosgood's present address is the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

Supported in part by Nestlé-Purina.

Address correspondence to Dr. Gaschen (fgaschen@lsu.edu).
Cover American Journal of Veterinary Research
American Journal of Veterinary Research
Publication Date:
01 Aug 2010
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