Various accelerometers offer to monitor sleep efficiency in dogs, but the underlying proprietary algorithms are not usually revealed. The aim of this pilot study was to achieve insights on the performance of an omnidirectional accelerometer to document sleeping and resting periods in dogs with a simple binary cut-off (0 cpm; ≥1 cpm) and the interference of movements. All data were acquired with a neck collar-mounted accelerometer (Actical®; Philips Respironics Inc., Murrysville, PA, USA) that provides access to raw data. Ten privately owned dogs (6 dogs with and 4 dogs without movements during sleep) were monitored shortly before, during and after their sleeping and resting periods. Experienced observers documented any visible movement and the corresponding behavioral state continuously for each minute as apparent sleep (eyes closed, regular breathing pattern), rest (eyes open), awake and alert. Total observation time was 2633 min, and 32 sleeping and resting periods were monitored. Zero accelerometer counts per minute documented the combined sleeping and resting periods with a sensitivity of 94.0% and specificity of 96.1% but could not differentiate between apparent sleeping and resting with eyes closed or open. Mild movements during sleep did not interfere with the recordings. The pilot data obtained in this study supports further investigation of this approach to document sleeping and resting periods over prolonged periods in individual dogs.

Excess phosphate (P) intake through inorganic P (Pi) addition is known to cause various adverse health effects while declaration of use and amount in pet food in the EU is not regulated. Distinction between organic phosphate (oP) from feed ingredients and Pi with standard laboratory methods is impossible. Most Pi sources are highly soluble after 1 min in water (Psol1). Measuring fractions of P according to solubility by the method of Lineva et al. (2019) can be used to estimate Pi addition. Heat processing reduces the fraction of Psol1 in meat. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of heat- and pressure processing on complete wet diets with Pi addition. An experimental cat diet with loaf-type consistency was prepared. One sample without additives, one with a complete mineral-vitamin premix without Pi to balance and 16 samples with such premixes plus Pi addition from four different commonly used sources (H3PO4, NaH2PO4*H2O, KH2PO4, CaHPO4) were tested in various combinations and concentrations. Ca/P ratios were adjusted in ranges between 1/1 and 2/1 and for three samples above 2/1. Part of the samples was kept raw and stored frozen, the rest was canned individually according to specifications common for the canning process. The samples were analysed by the method of Lineva et al. (2019), measuring fractions of soluble P in water and 0.4% HCl after 1 and 90 min in raw and canned samples. The results showed a strong correlation between Pi addition and measured amount of Psol1 in the raw samples. However, Psol1 strongly decreased in the identical canned samples. High amounts of Psol1 are found in commercial pet food. The findings of this study indicate that the amount of added Pi in commercial pet food is probably even higher than can be expected by measuring Psol1.

The gingival contour plaque index (GCPI) is a method for measuring gingival margin plaque in dogs. The scoring approach usually characterizes accumulation of dental plaque via a "clean" baseline attained by toothbrushing of conscious animals. However, toothbrushing is a rare pet owner-led practice. Instead, the introduction and/or use of dental interventions is far more likely when a dog's teeth are in a somewhat "dirty" state. In line with such an assumption, 2 studies were conducted to gauge the efficacy of a single feeding instance of several different dental chews following either 7 or 5 days of intentional plaque accumulation. Each singly fed dental intervention led to a statistically significant removal of plaque compared to the no chew control (P ≤ 0.007). This adapted approach to employing GCPI offers a new opportunity to assess the plaque removal efficacy of oral care products, a novel clinical measure of principal value and relevance to the oral health of dogs in the real world.

ObjectivesInterest in feline kinetic gait variables has increased substantially. This study aimed to assess repeatability and intersession reliability of kinetic gait analysis in healthy cats using a pressure-sensitive treadmill.MethodsHealthy client-owned cats (n = 9) and cats housed at the cattery of the Chair of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics (n = 5), without orthopedic abnormalities based on history, examination, and subjective gait analysis, were enrolled. Cats (mean body weight: 5.2 ± 0.9 kg, age: 4.1 ± 1.7 years) were acclimated to a pressure-sensitive treadmill system (FDM-T-CanidGait®, zebris Medical GmbH, Isny, Germany). Treadmill velocity was adjusted individually for comfortable walking. For data acquisition, cats were placed on the treadmill and repositioned if they jumped off (total duration: 10 min, 5 × 2 min). The first five sequences with six valid gait cycles were selected. Data acquisition was repeated after 2 weeks at the same speed. Average maximal pressure, loaded paw surface, step and stride length, step width, stance and swing phase percentages, hind reach, step-stride ratio, and symmetry indices were calculated. Repeatability was assessed with linear mixed-effects models and intersession reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Reliability was categorized as excellent, good, moderate, or poor, with statistical significance set at a p-value of < 0.05.ResultsMost parameters did not differ significantly between time points, except for the average maximal pressure of the left hindlimb (p = 0.037) and hind reach of both hindlimbs (p ≤ 0.001). ICCs demonstrated good to excellent reliability (0.885–0.988) for all variables, except for symmetry indices (moderate reliability; forelimbs: 0.547, hindlimbs: 0.676).Conclusion and relevanceA pressure-sensitive treadmill provides repeatable feline gait measurements with good to excellent intersession reliability for most variables and moderate reliability for symmetry indices, offering a reference for future studies. Further studies involving larger cohorts are needed to confirm these results and support broader clinical application.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease in dogs with severe impact on their welfare. The multimodal management of OA includes feeding therapeutic diets and nutraceuticals to slow down OA progression. Collagen hydrolysates (CH) are a nutritional supplement that may exert anabolic effects on osteoarthritic joint cartilage as well as disease-modifying effects. After oral intake, CH is absorbed, mainly as amino acids, di- and tripeptides that are transported amongst others to the joint. In addition to reducing cartilage degradation, CH metabolites may reduce synovial inflammation and subchondral bone sclerosis during OA. Preliminary evidence in dogs suffering from the consequences of OA support the clinical efficacy of CH with reported reductions in lameness. However, effects on biomarker level of cartilage metabolism and inflammation are inconclusive. Additionally, current studies show a lack of standardised dosing regimens and the use of not validated outcomes. Future work should therefore elucidate further on the bioavailability of CH in dogs in order to establish adequate dosing recommendations. Furthermore, high-quality placebo-controlled randomised controlled trials are essential to dstudies have evaluated the cetermine the clinical efficacy of CH to reduce lameness, prevent OA progression and thereby improve the level of evidence.

One of the prerequisites for successful organ xenotransplantation is a reasonable size match between the porcine organ and the recipient's organ to be replaced. Therefore, the selection of a suitable genetic background of source pigs is important. In this study, we investigated body and organ growth, cardiac function, and genetic diversity of a colony of Auckland Island pigs established at the Center for Innovative Medical Models (CiMM), LMU Munich. Male and female Auckland Island pig kidney cells (selected to be free of porcine endogenous retrovirus C) were imported from New Zealand, and founder animals were established by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Morphologically, Auckland Island pigs have smaller body stature compared to many domestic pig breeds, rendering their organ dimensions well-suited for human transplantation. Furthermore, echocardiography assessments of Auckland Island pig hearts indicated normal structure and functioning across various age groups throughout the study. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis revealed higher runs of homozygosity (ROH) in Auckland Island pigs compared to other domestic pig breeds and demonstrated that the entire locus coding the swine leukocyte antigens (SLAs) was homozygous. Based on these findings, Auckland Island pigs represent a promising genetic background for organ xenotransplantation.

Objective Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in humans and dogs. Due to its chronic progressive nature, the predominant clinical signs after a certain point are pain and immobility. The similar pathogenesis allows conclusions to be drawn from canine to human OA. Current treatments are limited and often attempt to treat OA symptoms rather than improve joint structure and function. Collagen hydrolysates as oral supplements are a promising therapeutic option to achieve this advanced therapeutic aim in both species. The effects of oral supplementation were therefore investigated in canine OA patients. Method In a systematic, placebo-controlled, double-blind interventional study in 31 dogs with naturally occurring OA, the efficacy of oral supplementation of specific bioactive collagen peptides (BCP) was tested in comparison to the approved combination of the active substances omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. The dogs were examined on a horizontal treadmill with 4 integrated piezoelectric force plates at the beginning and end of a twelve-week test period. At both points, the owners completed a specific questionnaire containing the validated Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) and the dogs were fitted with accelerometers to record total daily activity data. Results Only the oral supplementation of BCP resulted in a significant improvement of several kinetic parameters measured using a force-plate fitted treadmill, and the quality of life assessed by CBPI, while accelerometry was unaffected by the intervention. Conclusion The results of this three-month BCP supplementation study using objective measurement parameters in dogs with naturally occurring OA demonstrate an efficacy, suggesting the therapeutic use of BCP in canine OA patients and demonstrating the relevance of this collagen hydrolysate formulation for the treatment of OA in human patients as well.

Abstract Conservative therapy options in canine osteoarthritis (OA) are largely limited to pain relief, which can be associated with undesirable effects. Beneficial effects of a specific BCP have been demonstrated in equine OA patients and in in-vitro studies with canine chondrocytes based on an increase in cartilage matrix molecules and downregulating of inflammatory cytokines and degenerative matrix metalloproteases1,2. A positive impact of specific BCP on joint cartilage was also detected by magnetic resonance imaging3. In a double blinded, placebo-controlled field study, effects of a 12 wk supplementation with this specific BCP vs. n3-fatty acids plus vitamin E (n3FA) on the gait were investigated in dogs with OA. The assessment of pet owners on the quality of life (QoL) was evaluated using the validated Canine Brief Pain Inventory4 Score. Privately owned adult dogs (n = 31) previously diagnosed with OA were randomly allocated to group BCP (PETAGILE, GELITA, Germany), n3FA, or placebo (PLA). The supplements were dosed according to body weight (BW; ≥ 200 mg BCP or PLA/kg BW; ≥ 550mg n3FA + 2mg vitamin E/kg BW). Inclusion criteria were a BW between 10 and 60 kg and restricted use of anti-inflammatory medication or nutraceuticals. Initially and after 12 wk, the dogs were examined on a custom-made treadmill equipped with 4 modified Kistler pressure plates. Differences between the groups, time points as well as the affected and contralateral limbs were evaluated using a generalized linear model. The improvement in QoL was greater in BCP than n3FA and PLA. The treadmill, as more objective method5, showed a significant difference of vertical force (PVF), vertical impact and standing phase between affected and contralateral limbs in group BCP. The improvement of the applied pressure, measured as relative difference of PVF, was significantly better in BCP as in PLA. In the placebo group, all measured parameters tended to worsen whereas in group n3FA no systematic differences between both time points were detected. The results of this study demonstrate that oral administration of a specific BCP can slow down the progression and improve clinical signs after only 12 wk in canine OA patients. Therefore, this safe nutritional therapy option should be considered in dogs with OA. References:[1] Dobenecker, B., Reese, S., Jahn, W. et al. (2018). J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr, 102, 16-23. [2] Schunck, M., Louton, H., & Oesser, S. (2017). J Anim Sci, 7, 254 [3] McAlindon, T. E., Nuite, M., Krishnan, N. et al. (2011). 19(4), 399-405. [4] Brown et al. (2008). J Am Vet Med Assoc, 233(8), 1278-1283. [5] Brown et al. (2013) J Vet Int Med, 27(1), 22-30.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the combination of a water-soluble calcium (Ca) source (CaCl2) with a water-soluble phosphorus (P) source (NaH2PO4*2H2O, diet soluble, SOL) in comparison to a water-insoluble P source (CaHPO4*2H2O, diet insoluble, INS) on apparent digestibility and renal excretion of Ca and P in dogs. The Ca intake was 226 mg/kg bodyweight (bw), the Ca/P ratio 1.9/1 in SOL and 2.0/1 in INS. The percentage of Ca from CaCl2 was 60% in SOL and 33% in INS. Eight adult Foxhound-crossbred dogs FBI, (3-5 years, bw 24-32 kg) were available. Standard digestion trials were carried out (10 days adaptation, 5 days total faecal collection). Spontaneously excreted urine was collected pre- and postprandially. In vitro water solubility of P in the mineral premixes was determined. The Ca digestibility was negative in both trials without significant differences between the groups. Apparent P digestibility was increased in group SOL (26% vs. 20% in INS). In both groups, P content in urine was higher pre- compared to postprandial, with higher concentrations in group SOL. The same was true for the P/Crea ratio. The water solubility of P in the mineral premixes used in the trials showed considerable differences: The P in premix INS was insoluble in water after 1 and after 90 min. By contrast, the P in the premix SOL was highly soluble (98%) after 1 minute. After 90 min, however, the P solubility decreased to 43%, suggesting the formation of insoluble CaP salts, presumably from CaCl2 and NaH2PO4*2H2O. In conclusion, in the present study, apparent Ca digestibility in dogs was not affected by the solubility of Ca and P, while P digestibility and renal P excretion increased.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an increasingly frequent disease in geriatric cats, representing the leading cause of death in this species.Reports about the increasing prevalence of CKD exist also in human medicine.The intake of nutrients, notably phosphorus, can affect renal health.Dietary supply with phosphate can influence concentrations of phosphate and factors of the phosphate homeostasis in blood and urine, possibly causing adverse health effects.Investigating nutritional factors involved in the cause and aggravation of kidney damage in more detail is of high importance not only for feline health.The cat is already successfully used as model for various human diseases which highlights its potential role as translational model for phosphate toxicity in humans.Effects of the food additives H 3 PO 4 and NaH 2 PO 4 on phosphorus homeostasis were investigated in comparison to a control diet.Adding these highly available phosphate additives to the diet of healthy cats for 28 days caused a significant increase in serum phosphate, calcium, and FGF23 as well as in renal phosphorus excretion.Consequently, the use of both phosphate additives in food processing needs to be critically re-evaluated due to the high availability of these sources and therefore their potential adverse health effects.With up to 80 % prevalence, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is one of the most common chronic diseases in geriatric cats [1,2], and represents the leading cause of death in this species [3].Reports of the increasing prevalence of CKD in the last decades also exist in human medicine [4].It has been shown in various species, including humans and cats, that the supply of nutrients, notably phosphorus, can affect renal health [5][6][7].To investigate nutritional factors involved in cause and aggravation of kidney damage in more detail is therefore of high importance not only for feline health.The fact that the cat has been successfully used as a model for human diseases in several studies [8][9][10][11][12] supports its potential role as translational model for human medicine.

Raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) are widely used as unconventional diets for dogs and cats at different life stages, despite concerns regarding nutritional adequacy and microbial contamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate both the nutritional and hygiene quality profile of RMBDs purchased in Germany. For this purpose, crude nutrients were assessed in 44 RMBDs and compared to declared values. In addition, selected minerals were determined in 31 RMBDs labelled as complete and compared to the minimum requirement (MR) for intended species and life stages. Aerobic colony count (ACC) and Enterobacteriaceae were used to assess the hygiene quality of 37 commercial RMBDs, while the presence of Salmonella spp. was examined in 10 products. Fat and protein content exceeded tolerated deviation from declared values in 33% and 45% of RMBDs, respectively. Each RMBD showed at least one concern regarding nutrient content. The RMBDs had high fat contents (mean 69, range 33–95 g/Mcal) that were negatively correlated with protein (r = −0.74, p < 0.0001). Considerable contaminations by ACC and Enterobacteriaceae were found (2.61 × 108 ± 3.63 × 108 and 3.61 × 106 ± 8.39 x106 CFU/g, respectively). A higher count of Enterobacteriaceae was detected in a frozen RMBDs made of poultry or carcasses from different animals, compared to the thawed counterpart (p = 0.003), as well as compared to other sources, such as beef, horse, and lamb, regardless of the storage condition. Salmonella spp. were found in 2/10 RMBDs. This study confirmed that feeding commercial RMBDs might pose a risk to pet health.

The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is often maintained in managed care. Although values for plasma concentrations of minerals and vitamins have been published for this species, limited studies investigate the effects of diet changes on these values. Plasma concentrations of selected vitamins (A [and the provitamin A carotenoid β-carotene] and E), minerals (Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, inorganic P, Se, and Zn), and total protein (TP) were measured in a zoo collection of greater flamingos in November 2018 (n = 48) and in November 2019 (n = 52), 30 d after a change from the summer diet, which was the same in both years, to different winter diets. Chloride, cholesterol, and triglycerides were only measured once in 2019. The nutrient profiles of the two complete diets (labeled and analyzed) differed considerably, especially for the canthaxanthin concentration. The plasma concentrations of β-carotene (P < 0.0001), Cu (P < 0.0001), Fe (P < 0.0001), Mg (P < 0.0001), and Se (P < 0.0001) were significantly higher and vitamin E (P < 0.0001), Ca (P = 0.0014), Mn (P < 0.0001), Na (P = 0.0005), and TP (P < 0.0001) were significantly lower in 2018 than in 2019. Four minerals (Cu, Fe, Mg, and Zn) were measured using both spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and all of these minerals showed significant (P < 0.05) differences between the two methods. Based on the results of the study, both the influence of diet and the detection method used for circulating nutrients must be considered when interpreting the plasma vitamin and mineral concentrations in greater flamingos.

Abstract Quantitative differences in calcium and phosphorus metabolism between domestic species exist and can be visualised using data on calcium and phosphorus intake and faecal excretion. The parameter for analysing the results was defined as Δ = dietary calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) ratio – faecal Ca/P ratio. In previous studies, hindgut fermenters had significantly higher Δ values than ruminants (sheep, cattle, goats), which was explained by the high calcium digestibilities in hindgut fermenters in contrast to highly efficient phosphorus recycling in ruminants. The first hypothesis of the present study was that different types of ruminants (grazer, browser, intermediate feeder) would show differences in Δ as a proxy for quantitative calcium and phosphorus metabolism. The second hypothesis was that camelids as functional, but not taxonomic ruminants would show Δ values similar to ruminants. We used herbivorous zoo animals (17 species, hindgut and foregut fermenters), which were kept on their regular diet without variation for 1 week. Then, faecal samples were obtained from the individual animals. Feed items and faecal samples were analysed for calcium and phosphorus, and dietary and faecal Ca/P ratios as well as Δ were calculated. A comparison of the species groups (one‐way ANOVA on ranks, p < 0.05) showed that zoo hindgut fermenters had significantly higher Δ values (0.67 ± 0.34) than camelids and zoo ruminants (–1.07 ± 0.35 and –1.87 ± 1.56). There was no significant difference between camelids, grazers (–1.49 ± 1.31), browsers (–1.63 ± 0.88) and intermediate feeders (–2.11 ± 1.76). The ruminant species from this study had markedly lower Δ than domestic ruminants from literature data. Especially intermediate feeders had low Δ, possibly due to more efficient phosphorus recycling than the domestic ruminants.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of faecal dry matter (DM) excretion on faecal losses of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) without potentially confounding factors. Dogs were fed two levels of the same basal diet (cooked pork, rice, gelatine; 8.5 ± 0.7 and 12.6 ± 1.2 g DM/kg BW). Mineral supplements were added separately for identical Ca and P supply independent of DM intake (Ca 226 and P ~170 mg/kg BW). Digestion trials (10 days adaptation, 5 days quantitative faecal collection) were carried out. Digestibility of DM averaged 87% in both trials. Faecal DM and mineral excretion increased highly significant (DM 1.1 ± 0.3 to 1.7 ± 0.2 g/kg BW, p = 0.00005; Ca 185 ± 34 and 233 ± 22 mg/kg BW, p = 0.00119; P 99 ± 23 to 127 ± 12 mg/kg BW, p = 0.00212), revealing a highly significant correlation. Apparent digestibility of Ca was positive in the first trial and negative in the second leading to a slightly negative Ca retention in the latter one. The results suggest that in dogs (i) factors influencing Ca and P absorption can only be compared if faecal DM excretion is identical and (ii) Ca requirements may be affected by DM intake and digestibility.

Background: FGF23 is an acknowledged parameter to assess kidney health. As chronic kidney failure is one of the most common diseases in aging cats, dietary influences on renal health warrant investigation. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate potential correlations between dietary sodium chloride and FGF23. Methods: In a total of two trials, 11 cats were included. In the first trial, the cats were fed a complete and balanced control diet; in the second trial, sodium chloride was added (8 g/kg/DM)). Blood, urinary, feed, and faecal samples were analysed for major minerals. FGF23 and creatinine were measured in blood and urine samples. Results: Serum phosphate and FGF23 were unaffected by high sodium chloride intake, thus showing no correlation between serum FGF23 and sodium concentrations. Apparent phosphorus digestibility was significantly increased, however, by high sodium chloride intake, whereas apparent digestibility of calcium was unaffected. The present study confirms differences in FGF23 and sodium chloride interaction in cats compared with other species. Further research regarding the correlation between sodium chloride and phosphate homeostasis is warranted.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, university teaching had to be kept up in spite of severe contact restrictions. Virtual teaching of animal nutrition was implemented at the Veterinary Faculty of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Germany, for both lectures and practical courses. Live online classes were held via Zoom®, and recordings were accessible afterwards. Animal nutrition is taught in the 5th and 6th term of the veterinary studies, followed by an oral state exam about subjects from both terms. In this study, the success of classroom vs. virtual teaching in veterinary animal nutrition was evaluated by comparison of exam results. Two exam cohorts (2019, before the pandemic; 2020, with one term of virtual teaching during the pandemic) were evaluated. The results indicated no significant difference of teaching method on the grades. However, there was a significantly higher probability of students not taking or failing the exam in the 2020 exam cohort, suggesting a general effect of the pandemic on the students. Additionally, two surveys were distributed among the students during summer term 2020 and winter term 2020/21, when virtual teaching due to the pandemic had been implemented for the first time. The survey results provide insights into the students' view of benefits and problems of virtual teaching in animal nutrition at the LMU. The majority was in favor of the live online format for lectures and courses in computed-based ration calculation, whilst feedstuff demonstrations were preferred in classroom setting.

BACKGROUND:The impact of dietary phosphorus (P) excess, especially on renal and cardiovascular health, has been investigated in several species, but little is known in dogs.OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to examine effects of different P sources on concentration and postprandial kinetics of selected parameters of P homeostasis in dogs.METHODS:Eight beagles received one control diet (P 0.5% dry matter [DM]) and three high P diets (poultry meal, NaH2PO4, and KH2PO4; P 1.7% DM) for 18d. Urine samples were collected pre- and postprandially while faeces were collected quantitatively for 5d and analysed for minerals. On day 18, blood was sampled 1h pre- and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5 and 7h postprandially.RESULTS:Pi (KH2PO4, NaH2PO4) but not organic P caused an increased apparent P digestibility and significantly influenced kinetics of serum FGF23, parathyroid hormone, P, CrossLaps and bonespecific alkaline phosphatase, demonstrating a disrupted calcium (Ca) and P homeostasis with potential harm for renal, cardiovascular and skeletal health.CONCLUSIONS:Results of feeding Pi to dogs indicate distinct disturbances of Ca and P metabolism, in contrast to organic sources. The use of Pi in food can therefore not be considered as safe. Further research, especially on dose and long-term effects, is warranted.

Objective Complete foods and renal diets for dogs and cats available on the German market were analyzed for their concentrations of total phosphorus as well as highly soluble and therefore highly available phosphorus due to the possible effects of this element on the animal's health. Material and methods A total of 133 complete foods for healthy dogs and cats, 8 snacks and 43 diets for patients with chronic kidney disease were analyzed for total phosphorus and the fraction of phosphorus soluble in water after 1minute (P-sol1). Results In the tested compound food, the amount of phosphorus in relation to the recommended daily allowance ranged from 90 to 740%. More than 90% of the products supplied twice the required amounts; in 6 dog feeds the nutritional maximum wasexceeded. For almost 75% of the products, the recommended daily allowance for phosphorus was already met vollby (P-sol1). More than 50 % of the tested renal diets contained more than twice the recommended amounts for healthy individuals and with this also exceeded the legal limits. Even in the renal diets, the amount of P-sol1 alone exceeded the recommended daily allowance for this element. Conclusion This work demonstrates that compound food and renal diets available on the German market may contain a multiple of the recommended or legally permitted phosphorus concentrations. Therefore, a considerable number of products may be expected to not meet the expectations of customers and veterinarians.