The first investigations on body composition of puppies go back as far as 1889, but most studies have been random samples of a few animals kept under unknown conditions. For factorial calculation of requirement figures, data on body composition during growth are essential. In addition, reliable knowledge concerning body composition is extremely helpful when establishing new methods such as dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for puppies. For obvious reasons, total body analysis of puppies and young dogs should not be repeated more often than strictly necessary. Therefore in our study we compared some new data on Great Danes with data from the contemporary literature (Crabo et al. 1970, Gold 1960, Höfling 1989, Kienzle et al. 1985, Meyer et al. 1985, Sheng and Huggins 1971, Stadtfeld 1978, Thomee 1980) and earlier data (Bunge 1889, Dippelt 1910, Dröge 1913, Eckert 1913, Fontes and Thivolle 1925, Gerhartz 1908, Lintzel and Radeff 1931, Moulton 1923, Orgler 1910, Radeff 1930, Thomas 1911, Toverud and Toverud 1931). We focused our attention on the effect of age on body composition, the possible systematic effects of breed size and the possible differences between earlier data and contemporary findings.

 

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Materials and methods.

Six healthy Great Danes aged 6 mo were available for the investigation. Total body analysis was carried out as described earlier (Kienzle et al. 1991). The body was minced, lyophilized, fat extracted with light petrol, dried and ground. The following analyses were done: crude protein by Kjeldahl (N × 6.25), fat by light petrol extraction, major minerals and trace elements (after wet digestion) by atomic absorption spectrometry (Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn), flame-emission spectrography (Na, K) or photometrically (P, with molybdate and ammonium vanadate in HNO₃), fatty acids by gas chromatography and amino acids by ion-exchange chromatography. Puppies with an expected adult weight of 20 kg and more were considered as large, others as small or medium. download disini