Two major pet food manufacturers are introducing different therapeutic diets, one for feline and canine oncology patients and the other to promote healthy weight loss in dogs.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition will launch ONC Care, a Prescription Diet formulated to promote better food intake in oncology patients. The formula will be available in wet and dry varieties in March.
“With Prescription Diet ONC Care, we provide veterinary professionals with a powerful new tool they can confidently recommend to pet parents to keep their pets eating and help them maintain a good quality of life,” said Karen Shenoy, DVM, the U.S. chief veterinary officer at Hill’s.
The ONC diet’s highly digestible protein helps pets maintain muscle mass, energy and strength, according to the company. ONC includes a prebiotic blend formulated to nourish the gut microbiome and provide consistent stool quality. In addition, the kibble is designed to be softer and easier to chew.
Hill’s reported that no veterinary standard has been established for the nutritional needs of oncology patients and that no other therapeutic food is available for those pets.
Meanwhile, Nestlé Purina PetCare will release OM Metabolic Response+Joint Mobility Canine Formula in March. The dry Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diet reduces select pro-inflammatory cytokines and is formulated to help dogs lose fat and minimize muscle loss.
According to Purina, a six-month clinical trial demonstrated that dogs on OM lost significantly more body fat and had minimal lean body mass loss compared with dogs on a control diet.
“The metabolic diet has a unique nutrient profile, including a 3-to-1 protein-to-starch ratio, natural fiber, l-carnitine and isoflavones to support healthy weight loss, as well as a high level of omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine for joint and cartilage health,” said Jason Gagné, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition), the director of veterinary technical communications at Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets.