Bacteria in commercial raw pet foods: a 25-product survey

Laboratory study

The sampled raw foods sometimes contained potentially harmful bacteria. This was food testing, not a trial showing how often pets or people became ill.

Weese JS; Rousseau J; Arroyo L · Initial source appraisal · Reviewed 24 September 2026

Bacillus subtilis during an abrupt diet change in dogs

Controlled trial

This specific probiotic did not prevent the measured microbial changes during the tested food transition.

Oba PM; Swanson OR; Kang Y; Mioto JC; Menton JF; Vinay E; Millette M; Kelly MR; Swanson KS · Full-text editorial appraisal · Reviewed 24 September 2026

Fibre and biotic combinations in healthy dogs: what changed?

Controlled trial

Different fibre and biotic combinations changed digestion and stool measurements, but the trial cannot identify one ingredient as responsible.

Wilson SM; Kang Y; Marshall K; Swanson KS · Initial source appraisal · Reviewed 24 September 2026

Glucosamine and chondroitin for canine arthritis: a controlled trial

Controlled trial

Improvement was reported, but the design does not establish the isolated effect of either glucosamine or chondroitin.

McCarthy G; O’Donovan J; Jones B; McAllister H; Seed M; Mooney C · Full-text editorial appraisal · Reviewed 24 September 2026

Beet pulp, cellulose and Miscanthus in dog food: a fibre comparison

Controlled trial

Fibre source changed stool characteristics and digestibility; there was no single winner across every endpoint.

Donadelli RA; Aldrich CG · Full-text editorial appraisal · Reviewed 24 September 2026

Green-lipped mussel extract for dogs with joint disease

Randomised placebo-controlled trial

More dogs improved with the tested extract after eight weeks, but the overall clinical-score comparison did not reach the usual statistical threshold.

Full-text editorial appraisal · Reviewed 23 September 2026

Fish hydrolysate and melon concentrate for mild stress in dogs

Randomised placebo-controlled trial

A small trial found some changes in behaviour during mild stress tests. It did not demonstrate a clear improvement in owners’ overall anxiety ratings or in the cortisol response.

Full-text editorial appraisal · Reviewed 23 September 2026

Spirulina and pigment sources in koi: an eight-week feeding study

Controlled feeding study

An eight-week koi trial compared nine diets. Spirulina improved growth and skin redness relative to control; paprika and a synthetic astaxanthin additive also improved redness. Only two tanks received each diet, limiting confidence in how repeatable these findings are.

Repository full text checked

Black soldier fly meal in betta diets: a 60-day feeding trial

Controlled feeding study · Freshwater aquarium/laboratory

In a 60-day feeding experiment, juvenile bettas receiving a formulated diet containing 13% black soldier fly larvae meal reached a higher average final weight than fish receiving the control diet. Higher inclusion levels did not produce better growth. This supports further investigation of insect meal in betta food, but does not establish a universal feeding level or a benefit for other fish species.

Source methods and results checked; limitations discussed

Enriched Artemia for goldfish: growth and colour in a 90-day trial

Controlled feeding study · Freshwater aquarium/laboratory

A 90-day goldfish experiment compared a commercial food with the same food plus unenriched or enriched live Artemia. Fish receiving Artemia enriched with both spirulina and canthaxanthin had the highest final weight and favourable colour measures. Spirulina-only enrichment did not significantly increase final weight over the control. This is evidence about a particular live-feed strategy, not proof that every spirulina food improves growth or health.

Source methods and results checked; limitations discussed

Raw, lightly cooked and dry dog food: digestibility compared

Controlled feeding study

Selected foods differed in digestion and stool measurements. This short experiment does not establish which format produces better lifelong health.

Full-text appraisal pending

Bacteria and parasites in frozen raw pet foods

Laboratory study

Testing found several potential pathogens in frozen raw foods. These are food-sample results, not infection rates in pets or people.

Full-text editorial appraisal completed

Kidney diets for cats: what a two-year trial found

Randomised trial

A renal diet reduced uraemic episodes and kidney-related deaths in this trial. Overall mortality was not significantly different.

Full-text appraisal pending

Fish-oil-enriched food and weight bearing in dogs with arthritis

Randomised trial

A fish-oil-enriched food showed a promising movement result in dogs with arthritis, but owner assessments did not show a treatment difference. The analysis excluded six dogs who did not finish.

Full-text editorial appraisal completed

Do homemade dog-food recipes meet nutrient requirements?

Recipe analysis

Most sampled recipes fell short of at least one nutrient benchmark. This was an analysis of recipes, not a trial measuring illness in dogs.

Full-text appraisal pending

Homemade diets for dogs and cats: what laboratory testing found

Laboratory study

None of 100 internet recipes met all the protein, fat and mineral recommendations evaluated. Some metal concentrations also exceeded the study’s comparison thresholds, but no animals were fed the diets and clinical harm was not measured.

Publisher full text checked

Raw, pasteurised and heat-treated dog food: what changed?

Randomised trial

Eighteen healthy Beagles ate one of three versions of a similar recipe: raw, pasteurised or high-temperature sterilised. After eight weeks, the researchers found differences in protein digestibility, blood measurements and faecal bacteria. These results do not establish which processing method produces the healthiest dog over a lifetime.

Full-text editorial appraisal completed

Taurine, diet and heart disease in Golden Retrievers

Observational study

This study described Golden Retrievers with both low taurine and dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease affecting the heart muscle. Most dogs with follow-up heart scans improved after diet changes, taurine supplementation and clinical care. Because several treatments changed together and there was no untreated comparison group, the study cannot identify one responsible ingredient or separate the effects of each treatment.

Weight-loss diets and feeding strategies in cats

Randomised trial

Three supervised feeding approaches produced similar weight loss. Owner-reported hunger and satisfaction differed.

Full-text editorial appraisal completed

Raw feeding and the canine gut microbiome

Randomised trial

What an eight-dog feeding trial found about gut bacteria and stool quality, and what it cannot tell us about long-term health.

Full-text editorial appraisal completed