Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Whole Lamb Omasum on Gut Health and Metabolism in Shiba Inu Dogs

The growing pet economy boosts demand for fiber-enriched functional foods to improve canine gut motility and metabolic health. However, low-bioavailability commercial fibers often falter in high-energy diets. Whole lamb omasum—from grass-fed sheep omasum and gastric contents—repurposes a discarded byproduct for waste reduction and sustainable livestock production. This study evaluated the short-term effects of WLO supplementation on gut health and metabolism in healthy adult Shiba Inu dogs. Twelve dogs were randomly assigned to control or WLO groups in a randomized controlled trial. WLO supplementation significantly reduced fecal scores by 8.91% (p < 0.05), increased apparent crude fat and fiber digestibility by 3.70% and 11.55% (p < 0.05), and elevated serum IgA by 35.79–36.15% and T-AOC by 30.53–35.71% (p < 0.05). Serum metabolome revealed 13 between-group and 8 within-subject differences related to lipid and endocrine modulation. Fecal microbiota analysis indicated enrichment of the Bacillota phylum and Blautia genus (p < 0.05). These findings support WLO as a functional food that enhances gut and metabolic health in small-breed dogs.