The present invention relates to a composition for administration to ruminant animals in their drinking water to reduce transport stress. The composition comprises a carbohydrate capable of acting as an energy source and/or carbon source for amylose degrading bacteria such as dextrose, a source of magnesium and selected trace elements. The composition is effective in stimulating cellulose digestion in the rumen, in an increasing net available energy and reducing physiological stress. In turn, this leads to greater disease resistance and calmer animals as well as a greater utilisation of the available diet, or creates an energy sparing effect for existing diets.

The invention is directed to tetrahydrocurcuminoid-metal complexes. The complexes can be included in compositions that further include additional nutraceutical antimicrobials, antioxidants, and immune boosters. The tetrahydrocurcuminoid-metal complexes can be administered to animals to increase animal health, reduce stress, reduce oxidative stress, maintain health, improve health, improve immunity, improve vaccination efficacy, increase feed conversion rate, decrease pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, or any combination thereof in an animal. The tetrahydrocurcuminoid-metal complexes of the invention exhibit enhanced bioavailability relative to the individual, non-complexed components.

The present invention provides an acylated derivative of an amino acid for use in preparing an animal feed additive. The acylated derivative of the amino acid or a racemate, stereoisomer, a geometric isomer, a tautomer, a solvate, and a feed-acceptable salt thereof of the present invention has a structure represented by formula (I).

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The acylated derivative of the amino acid or the racemate, the stereoisomer, the geometric isomer, the tautomer, the solvate, and the feed-acceptable salt thereof provided in the present invention may be used as an animal feed additive, and has a good effect of improving production performance of animals.

A core-shell structure (1) comprising a core (2) of titanium oxide and a shell (3) essentially comprising, preferably consisting, of an oxide of an element selected from a group consisting of zinc, copper, vanadium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, tungsten, silver and mixtures thereof. A method for making a core-shell structure, in particular a core-shell structure (1) as described above, and the use of a plurality of such core-shell structures (1) as a food additive, a feed additive, in a feed stuff or as a medicament.

The present invention includes a nutritional supplement composition that may be used for livestock and the like, as well as to a livestock feed mixture containing same. Also included are methods of preparing the nutritional supplement composition, the livestock feed mixture, as well as methods of providing nutrition to livestock and the like. The livestock feed composition comprises: (a) a solid particulate livestock feed material and (b) a solidified particulate mixture of (i) free fatty acid and (ii) a calcium salt of a fatty acid, the calcium salt of a fatty acid being present in a molar ratio amount in the range of from about 25% to about 55% of the amount of the free fatty acid. The preferred mixture is a solid having an onset melt point of between about 140 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and a hardness of from about 5 to about 15 Shore A units at 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

A basic zinc chloride particulate matter and a preparation method therefor. The basic zinc chloride particulate matter mainly consists of basic zinc chloride particles. In the basic zinc chloride particulate matter, D.sub.10>100 μm, and D.sub.95>450 μm. The basic zinc chloride particles do not contain adhesives. The basic zinc chloride particles contained in the basic zinc chloride particulate matter are approximately spherical, and the basic zinc chloride particles with the particle diameter>500 μm in the basic zinc chloride particulate matter accounts for 1% or less of the total mass of the basic zinc chloride particulate matter.

Dietary supplements comprising at least one probiotic and at least one of animal digest, dried brewers yeast, vitamin C; vitamin E, beta carotene, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, and sodium selenite. The probiotics and other ingredients are present in the supplement in amounts sufficient to enhance the palatability of the probiotics and compositions containing the probiotics, enhance the immune system to augment the beneficial effects of the probiotics, or extend the life of the probiotics.

A prepared cat food has chicken meat and mouse meat, the chicken meat in at least ten times the mass of the mouse meat, vitamin supplements, and one or more mineral ingredients. The mouse meat in a substantially lesser mass than the chicken meat induces the cat to consume a greater volume of the prepared food than the cat would consume without the presence of the mouse meat, thereby supplying the cat with a greater volume of chicken meat, vitamin supplements and mineral ingredients than cat would consume in a product without the mouse meat.

The present invention relates to the use of a diet or foodstuff comprising linoleic acid in an amount ranging from 7 g/Mcal to 9 g/Mcal for sustaining or improving skin quality of a healthy pet. In some embodiments, the diet or foodstuff further comprises zinc in an amount of about 50 mg/Mcal. It further pertains to a diet or foodstuff comprising linoleic acid in an amount ranging from 7 g/Mcal to 9 g/Mcal for use in a method for treating a pet animal affected with a skin disorder or disease.

The present invention is concerned with increasing protein intake in a ruminant animal by supplementing the diet of the ruminant animal with urea phosphate. There can also be supplementation with a water soluble sulfur-containing salt such as ammonium sulfate. Urea can be administered together with urea phosphate. The composition provides a slow release form of urea that avoids inducing ammonia toxicity in the animal and is water soluble for administration to the animal in drinking water.