Preparation, storage stability and palatability of dry rendered spent hen meal based dog pet food

Pet foods for grower and adult pet dogs were prepared by pallet process incorporating dry rendered spent hen meal (SHM). The pet foods packed in LDPE bags and stored at ambient temperature (35±2°C) up to 90 days. The thiobarbituric acid (TBA), tyrosine values, free fatty acid content and acid value and total bacterial counts increased gradually during storage but E. coli, Salmonella spp, Clostridium spp, Staphylococci spp and fungi were not detected during storage. The pet owners rated the pet foods as good. The body weight of the pet dogs did not decrease during the feeding trial of one month and the health condition of pets was good. The digestibility of the grower and adult pet food was 72.64 and 69.06 per cent, respectively. The cost of production of pet food for grower and adult was Rs.31.30 and Rs.26.2/kg, respectively. The results indicated that pet food with good nutritive quality and palatability to grower and adult dogs can be prepared by incorporating spent hen meal which can be stored up to 90 days at ambient temperature.