Oral Palatability and Owners’ Perception of the Effect of Increasing Amounts of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in the Diet of a Cohort of Healthy Dogs and Cats

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is regarded as a functional food due to its valuable nutritional profile and components with potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulatory properties. However, the use of Spirulina in companion animals is still largely unexplored. Additionally, the palatability of nutraceuticals can be a primary factor in determining compliance with the protocol when they are used as complementary feed. The aim of this study was thus to assess the palatability and owners’ perception of the effects of increasing amounts of Spirulina tablets in client-owned dogs and cats for a 6-week-long trial. Overall, the animals well accepted the supplementation of Spirulina, with no significant side effect detected. Owners appeared willing to adopt dietary Spirulina supplementation in the future for their pets, especially owners of senior dogs. ABSTRACT: The nutraceutical supplementation of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in dogs and cats has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the dietary supplementation of increasing amounts of Spirulina for 6 weeks is palatable to pets and to assess the owner’s perception of such supplementation. The owners of the 60 dogs and 30 cats that participated in this study were instructed to daily provide Spirulina tablets starting with a daily amount of 0.4 g, 0.8 g, and 1.2 g for cats as well as small dogs, medium dogs, and large dogs, respectively, and allowing a dose escalation of 2× and 3× every 2 weeks. The daily amount (g/kg BW) of Spirulina ranged from 0.08 to 0.25 for cats, from 0.06 to 0.19 for small-sized dogs, from 0.05 to 0.15 for medium-sized dogs, and from 0.04 to 0.12 for large-sized dogs. Each owner completed a questionnaire at the time of recruitment and the end of each 2-week period. No significant effect on the fecal score, defecation frequency, vomiting, scratching, lacrimation, general health status, and behavioral attitudes was detected by the owners’ reported evaluations. Most animals accepted Spirulina tablets either administrated alone or mixed with food in the bowl. Daily supplementation of Spirulina for 6 weeks in the amounts provided in this study is therefore palatable and well tolerated by dogs and cats.