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Animals
Special Issues
Dietary Supplement in Companion Animals
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Dietary Supplement in Companion Animals

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2026 | Viewed by 3148

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yi Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: companion animals; nutrients; nutritional requirements; feed additives; metabolism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Increasing attention has focused on companion animal nutrition, welfare and safety; these aspects can be greatly improved by dietary components, which significantly affect the physiology and behavior of companion animals. Inappropriate diet components could lead to stress and consequently threaten companion animal health, as energy consumption and immune response are highly enhanced. Thus, a suitable proportion of nutrient elements in the diet is crucial to companion animal nutrition, welfare and safety.

This Special Issue, “Dietary Supplement in Companion Animals”, will publish original research articles and reviews on the latest research findings regarding the impact of dietary components on the nutrition of companion animals. These mainly include different levels and types of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, as well as functional components, such as probiotics, prebiotics, plants and their extracts, organic acids, etc.

We are very interested in research that strengthens our comprehension of the physiological and biochemical mechanisms by which dietary components improve the nutrition and health status of companion animals. In addition, studies on promising and innovative dietary additives and functional foods that are beneficial to improving the sustainability, welfare and safety of companion animals are welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Impact of dietary components on nutritional regulation and metabolic improvements of companion animals as revealed by integrated multi-omics analyses.
  • Molecular mechanism of dietary components in immunomodulation and stress resistance of companion animals.
  • Impact of dietary components on the sustainability, welfare and safety of companion animals, as well as on the environment.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Dr. Yi Wu
Guest Editor

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

  • companion animal health
  • companion animal welfare
  • nutrients
  • feed additives
  • immunity
  • metabolism
  • gut microbiota

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4960 KB  
Article
The Effects of Dietary Enterococcus faecalis HHP003 Supplementation on Gut Microbiota Composition and Gut Health in Cats with Mild Diarrhea
by Qin Wang, Yanyi Zheng, Wenyu Huang, Feitong Liu, Lingling Zhao, Siyuan Xue, Huiwen Zeng and Yi Wu
Animals 2026, 16(9), 1366; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16091366 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 384
Abstract
As a probiotic lactic acid bacterium, E. faecalis regulates intestinal flora, strengthens the intestinal barrier, and enhances immunity in the host. However, as a new strain isolated from healthy feline gut, E. faecalis HHP003 has an unclear effect on feline intestinal health. Twenty [...] Read more.
As a probiotic lactic acid bacterium, E. faecalis regulates intestinal flora, strengthens the intestinal barrier, and enhances immunity in the host. However, as a new strain isolated from healthy feline gut, E. faecalis HHP003 has an unclear effect on feline intestinal health. Twenty cats with mild diarrhea were randomly assigned to two groups: one group received the standard diet (MD), while the other group received supplemental E. faecalis HHP003 (EF). Meanwhile, 10 healthy cats were enrolled as a healthy control group (CON). After 42 days of intervention, the EF group exhibited significantly reduced serum inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-1β), as well as decreased levels of calprotectin and lipopolysaccharide, compared with the MD group (p < 0.05). The intestinal microbial diversity was altered in the EF group, with increased Chao and Shannon indices (p < 0.05). Specifically, the relative abundances of Bacillota, Bacteroidota, and Ruminococcaceae were significantly higher in the EF group than those in the MD group (p < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis identified 697 differential metabolites and nine KEGG metabolic pathways (p < 0.05) between the EF and MD groups. Furthermore, the study identified significant associations between the gut microbiota and selected serum metabolites. In summary, E. faecalis HHP003 supplementation was associated with reduced serum inflammatory responses, improved intestinal inflammation and barrier markers, and altered gut microbiota and serum metabolite levels in cats with mild diarrhea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Supplement in Companion Animals)
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Review

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19 pages, 611 KB  
Review
Nutrition Research in Aging Dogs and Cats: What We Know and What We Need to Do
by Xuan Cai, Hui Mao and Lihui Zhu
Animals 2026, 16(4), 571; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040571 - 12 Feb 2026
Viewed by 2241
Abstract
The population of dogs and cats is rapidly increasing, and their lifespans are extending due to advances in veterinary medicine and increased owner awareness. As a result, companion animals are also gradually entering an aging society. Research on the nutritional needs of aging [...] Read more.
The population of dogs and cats is rapidly increasing, and their lifespans are extending due to advances in veterinary medicine and increased owner awareness. As a result, companion animals are also gradually entering an aging society. Research on the nutritional needs of aging dogs and cats remains limited. Key factors contributing to this gap include unclear biomarkers of aging, fragmented research efforts, and a lack of experimental models using healthy aged animals. By reviewing recent publicly available literature on aging biomarkers in dogs and cats, this study identifies biomarkers with practical value for aging research. It further analyzes reported physiological changes, nutritional requirements, and common dietary supplements for senior pets, and summarizes large-scale research programs focused on aging dogs and cats. Capitalizing on rapid advances in artificial intelligence, this paper proposes three key recommendations: developing aging biomarkers based on non-invasive sampling methods; accelerating the establishment of nutritional guidelines for healthy aging dogs and cats; and promoting personalized nutrition research for aging pets through cross-border and cross-regional collaboration. This study aims to consolidate existing knowledge on nutrition for aging dogs and cats, identify current research gaps, suggest directions for future studies, and provide evidence-based recommendations to support healthy aging in dogs and cats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Supplement in Companion Animals)
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