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Animals
Special Issues
Pet Nutrition and Health
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Pet Nutrition and Health

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Companion Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 9247

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiao Xiao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Interests: animal science; intestinal microbiology; gut–liver axis; gastrointestinal health; multi-omics; metabolism
Prof. Dr. Caimei Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Interests: animal science; intestinal microbiology; antibiotic replacement; pet science; pet nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guangtian Cao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Standardisation, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: animal science; antibiotic replacement; brain–gut axis; gastrointestinal health; multi-omics; standardization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the bond between humans and pets has become deeper than ever. Pets are no longer just animals kept at home; they are considered integral members of the family. This shift in perception has led to a corresponding increase in the attention paid to their overall well-being, with pet nutrition and health emerging as crucial aspects. As pet ownership continues to rise globally, so does the prevalence of various health issues among our furry companions. For example, many diseases, such as obesity, intestinal bowel diseases, and metabolic disorders, have become common problems in pets, which is partially attributed to inappropriate diets and a lack of proper nutrition knowledge among pet owners. These trends highlight the urgent need for in-depth research to better understand the relationship between pet nutrition and health. In addition, various extrinsic stresses, such as heat, cold, pathogen infections, and environmental change, are pivotal stimuli for pets to induce pathophysiological alterations and gut barrier disruptions based on the gut–liver axis, leading to reduced growth performance and even increased mortality. The precision nutrition and functional feed additives are becoming the two major methods used to decrease the adverse influences of detrimental stresses and promote the health of pets. This Special Issue will focus on describing the interactions between the nutritional strategies on the health of pets from the perspective of intestinal microbiota, antioxidant capacity, immune responses, metabolome, and other biomarkers. Moreover, a number of research strategies have been applied for a deeper understanding of nutrition and health, including high-throughput sequencing, metabolome, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), animal models, etc. Different green feed additives, including probiotics, plant extracts, organic acids, etc., have been paid much attention in pet industry applications. However, understanding how these novel ingredients interact with pet metabolisms, immune systems, and growth is essential for formulating balanced and healthy pet foods. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcomed. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: pet nutrition and health, new feed additives and host haemostasis, the evaluation of the quality and safety of pet foods, and multi-omics analysis for gastrointestinal health and metabolism.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Xiao Xiao
Prof. Dr. Caimei Yang
Dr. Guangtian Cao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pet
  • nutrition and health
  • feed additives
  • multi-omics
  • intestinal homeostasis
  • animal models
  • metabolism

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4276 KB  
Article
Dietary Supplementation with Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis Modulates Immunity, Serum Metabolome, and Intestinal Homeostasis in Cats
by Meiting Zhang, Haocheng Xu, Tianfeng Zhang, Jia Kang, Zhihao Xu, Peng Wu, Yu Niu, Yonghao Shi, Yifan Zhong and Caimei Yang
Animals 2025, 15(20), 2971; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15202971 - 14 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1523
Abstract
In recent years, as the number of cats has increased, the intestinal health of cats has receied increasing amounts of attention. Probiotics have positive effects on maintaining intestinal homeostasis. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of probiotics Bacillus licheniformis (B. [...] Read more.
In recent years, as the number of cats has increased, the intestinal health of cats has receied increasing amounts of attention. Probiotics have positive effects on maintaining intestinal homeostasis. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of probiotics Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) on cat immunity, inflammation, antioxidants, intestinal barrier and microbiota, and serum metabolites. Thirty-six cats (over one year old, 3.48 ± 0.71 kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups and fed with a basal diet (CON group), a basal diet + B. licheniformis (BL group), and a basal diet + B. subtilis (BS Group). The experiment lasted 35 days. Fecal scoring indicates that B. licheniformis and B. subtilis can improve fecal scores. Serum analysis indicated that the addition of both substances increased levels of IgA, IgM, T-AOC, and SOD, while reducing levels of the pro-inflammatory factor TNF-α. Moreover, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that B. licheniformis and B. subtilis altered the fecal microbiota composition, characterized by the elevated abundance of Bacillus. Adding B. licheniformis to the diet increased the level of Faecalibacterium and decreased the level of Mogibacterium. Serum metabolomics revealed that levels of L-Glycine and Sn-Glycero-3-phosphocholine exhibited marked elevation in both the BL and BS groups, respectively. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that differential metabolites in the BL group were mainly enriched in amino acid metabolism pathways, while those in the BS group were chiefly concentrated in lipid metabolism pathways. However, this study acknowledges the limitations of its exclusive use of Ragdoll cats and its 35-day intervention period. It highlights the need for future research involving diverse breeds and longer durations. Overall, the data highlight B. licheniformis and B. subtilis as cat nutritional supplements that improve immunity and maintain intestinal health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pet Nutrition and Health)
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22 pages, 2394 KB  
Article
Postbiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CECT 9161 Influences the Canine Oral Metagenome and Reduces Plaque Biofilm Formation
by Adrián Florit-Ruiz, Laura Rago, Antonia Rojas, Bellahanum Guzelkhanova, Adrià Pont-Beltran, Araceli Lamelas, María Carmen Solaz-Fuster, Juan F. Martinez-Blanch, María Enrique López, Guillermo García-Lainez, Bob T. Rosier, Richard Day, Teresa Rubio, Rhiannon Batchelor and Sophie L. Nixon
Animals 2025, 15(11), 1615; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111615 - 30 May 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5234
Abstract
Periodontal diseases are highly prevalent in dogs and intricately interconnected with the composition and functional attributes of the oral microbiota. The demand for non-invasive interventions to support oral health presents an opportunity for functional ingredients. The novel postbiotic heat-treated (HT) Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CECT [...] Read more.
Periodontal diseases are highly prevalent in dogs and intricately interconnected with the composition and functional attributes of the oral microbiota. The demand for non-invasive interventions to support oral health presents an opportunity for functional ingredients. The novel postbiotic heat-treated (HT) Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CECT 9161 inhibited growth and biofilm formation of oral microorganisms in vitro. The in vitro growth of saliva-derived biofilms was also inhibited and revealed microbiome modulation. Two doses of the postbiotic (LOW: 5 mg dog/day, HIGH: 25 mg/dog/day) were assessed in a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, 57-day clinical trial involving 60 dogs. Associations were found between the postbiotic, reduced plaque formation, and modulation of the oral microbiome, including increased abundance of genes involved in denitrification, heme and catechol biosynthesis, and oxidative stress reduction. The results suggest that HT Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CECT 9161 may support oral health in dogs by modifying the microbiome of supragingival plaque and reducing plaque formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pet Nutrition and Health)
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Review

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38 pages, 2347 KB  
Review
Advances in Functional Pet Food Research: Health-Driven Ingredients, Nutritional Targets and Evidence-Based Claims
by Sujira Vuthisopon, Pitiya Kamonpatana, Khwanchat Promhuad, Atcharawan Srisa, Phanwipa Wongphan, Anusorn Seubsai, Phatthranit Klinmalai and Nathdanai Harnkarnsujarit
Animals 2026, 16(8), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16081222 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 836
Abstract
Functional pet food has grown rapidly, in line with the accelerated humanization of pets, growing attention to relations between diet and health, and mounting sustainability awareness. The article provides a critical overview of recent developments and new trends in functional pet food, combining [...] Read more.
Functional pet food has grown rapidly, in line with the accelerated humanization of pets, growing attention to relations between diet and health, and mounting sustainability awareness. The article provides a critical overview of recent developments and new trends in functional pet food, combining data from published works, patents and market-driven innovative companies. The current trends depict a transition from single-nutrient fortification to integrated nutrition interventions through modulation of gastrointestinal health, immunity, metabolism, cognition and age-associated conditions. Special attention is dedicated to probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, polyphenols and novel protein sources, as well as innovations in processing and delivery technologies. The review highlights ongoing issues on the relevance of study design, available long-term safety information and our capacity to mechanistically underpin claims with respect to function. Because this review maps clusters of innovation and clusters of underdeveloped knowledge, it offers a roadmap for the translational pathway from scientific discovery to commercialization. The results highlight a call for harmonized methods, longer duration studies and integrative omics-based approaches in order to improve the evidence basis formulation and responsible marketing of future functional pet food products following credible, safe and sustainable strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pet Nutrition and Health)
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30 pages, 398 KB  
Review
Plant-Derived Functional Ingredients in Pet Nutrition: Phytochemical Classification, Mechanisms, Efficacy, and Application in Dogs and Cats
by Atcharawan Srisa, Pitiya Kamonpatana, Khwanchat Promhuad, Phanwipa Wongphan, Anusorn Seubsai, Phatthranit Klinmalai and Nathdanai Harnkarnsujarit
Animals 2026, 16(7), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16071034 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 799
Abstract
This review classifies plant-derived functional ingredients in pet food according to phytochemical groups and application forms, including direct oral supplementation and incorporation into complete diets. Polyphenols and plant extracts exert prominent antioxidant (singular), anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and microbiome-regulating effects. Microalgae and omega-3 sources support [...] Read more.
This review classifies plant-derived functional ingredients in pet food according to phytochemical groups and application forms, including direct oral supplementation and incorporation into complete diets. Polyphenols and plant extracts exert prominent antioxidant (singular), anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and microbiome-regulating effects. Microalgae and omega-3 sources support lipid metabolism, cardiovascular function, and skin integrity. Cannabinoids demonstrate dose-dependent responses in dogs, while cats generally tolerate long-term administration and exhibit notable benefits in chronic pain management. Combinations of botanical extracts with complementary bioactives and fermented botanical preparations exhibit multi-target functionality, with dogs showing pronounced biochemical and microbiome modulation, whereas cats display more behavioral and functional improvements. Phytochemicals operate through integrated multi-level regulation, including activation of antioxidant enzymes, modulation of inflammatory cytokines and T-lymphocyte ratios, microbial metabolic shifts toward short-chain fatty acid production, and regulation of lipid metabolism. Dogs demonstrate marked effects on hepatic function, reproductive resilience, microbiome diversity, CD4+/CD8+ balance, and cholesterol control. In contrast, cats show greater benefits in inflammation reduction, pain relief, intestinal integrity, and long-term safety. These species-specific responses underscore the importance of precision formulation and highlight the emergence of plant-based “pharma-pet nutrition” integrating nutritional and biochemical strategies for targeted health promotion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pet Nutrition and Health)
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