Increased dietary fiber can support weight management. Fiber adds very little usable energy (i.e., calories) to the diet, thus it can be used to reduce the overall metabolizable energy content of a diet.1,2 Fiber may also improve satiety.3-5
A Purina study with dogs showed that increased dietary fiber contributes to satiety.3
Dogs were fed either a low-fiber diet, as fed basis (2% crude fiber) or a high-fiber diet, as fed basis (9% crude fiber) during the morning feeding. During the afternoon feeding, both groups were fed an excess of the control diet and were allowed to eat until their appetite was satisfied.
Total daily calorie intake was significantly lower for dogs fed the high-fiber diet compared to low-fiber.3
Fiber in pet food usually comes from plant sources. Fiber can be classified as either soluble or insoluble, which simply describes whether it can dissolve in water (soluble) or not. Many natural fibers, such as beet pulp sourced from sugar beets, contain a mixture of soluble and insoluble components.