Ketogenic diet in small animal oncology patients

Sa？etak Recent studies indicate that the metabolism of tumour cells is characterized by changes in energy production through oxidative phosphorylation and fermentation, and it is presumed that their growth and development can be controlled by altering the energy substrate. Tumour cells have increased glucose consumption, even in aerobic conditions, most likely due to mitochondrial dysfunction, with increased glycolysis as a compensatory response. Therefore, dietary changes, such as a ketogenic high fat, medium protein and low carbohydrate diet, which induces oxidative metabolism while limiting glucose consumption, represents a possible nutritional approach causing selective metabolic stress of tumour cells. Nonetheless, the use of the ketogenic diet in human research has repeatedly proven to have beneficial effects. However, the use of a ketogenic diet in dogs and cats as in nutritional management during treatment or recovery in tumour patients has not been described in the existing veterinary scientific literature. The use of the MCT diet in epileptic dogs provided promising results. Adaptive metabolic mechanisms in cats and dogs through the effective clearance of ketone bodies and fast adaptation to fatty acids as the main energy substrate implies that there is a basis for the use of the ketogenic diet in small animal oncology patients. Nevertheless, without research to support this, it is presumptive to claim that the use of a ketogenic diet is without risk. According to the existing guidelines, the dietary plan for small animal oncology patients should include an individually adapted nutrition plan, with consideration of the clinical symptoms, prognosis, and concurrent pathologies