281. Evaluation of Raw and Extruded Diets on Cognitive Performance in Senior Dogs.

Abstract

As the companion dog population ages, interest in nutritional strategies to support health and longevity has increased. Age-associated cognitive decline is a growing concern, with implications for welfare and translational research to humans. While nutritional interventions have been proposed to mitigate cognitive decline, limited research has evaluated the impact of raw diet inclusion on cognitive outcomes in senior dogs. This study assessed the effects of commercially available raw and extruded diets on cognitive performance in aging dogs. Purebred senior dogs (≥ 7 years of age; ≥ 20kg body weight; IACUC #24-035) were assigned to either a traditional extruded diet (EXT; n = 5) or a raw diet (RAW; n = 5) for 28 days. Testing was conducted on days 0 and 28 (± 1 day) using a memory-based task with increasing delays (0, 15, and 30 seconds). Variables measured included error rate, first-choice accuracy, and time to correct selection. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS OnDemand for Academics. Data were analyzed using mixed models (PROC GLIMMIX) and chi-square tests (PROC FREQ), with significance set at 5%. At the 0 second delay, both groups exhibited decreased first-choice accuracy (P = 0.21) and reduced time to correct selection (P = 0.01), accompanied by an increased error rate (P = 0.02), on day 28 compared to day 0. With the introduction of delays, performance improved in both groups, as evidenced by reduced completion time and error rates. At the 15 second delay, RAW dogs exhibited a numerical increase in first-choice accuracy from day 0 to day 28 (20% to 25%), whereas EXT dogs declined (27% to 17%: P = 0.89). Additionally, RAW dogs exhibited a 50% reduction in error rate (P = 0.14) and reduced time spent at this delay (P = 0.008), suggesting improved performance under moderate cognitive challenge requiring implementation of working memory. EXT dogs exhibited no change in error rate (P = 0.96) or completion time (P = 0.09) from day 0 to day 28. At the 30 second delay, both groups improved first-choice accuracy (RAW: +40%, P = 0.06; EXT: +25%, P = 0.042) and reduced error rates (P = 0.001) on day 28 compared to day 0. Time to correct selection was also decreased on day 28 for both groups (P = 0.01). Collectively, these finding suggest that short-term raw diet inclusion may confer modest cognitive benefits under increased task difficulty, potentially influencing aspects of working memory or attentional control. Further research is warranted to confirm the effects and elucidate underlying mechanisms.