Food for Thought

Ever watch your older dog wander aimlessly around the house? Does he seem not to recognize you when you walk in to the room? These may all be signs that your pet is experiencing a condition known as Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, CDS, the canine form of Alzheimer disease. This malady can sever the loving ties that an owner has for its pet and lead to an untimely demise for an aging member of the family. There are medications, such as Anipryl, that have assisted many pets but now a diet may also help to turn the lights back on for a pet with dimming mental faculties.

Now foods are being developed that may also help to shield the aging brain from the damaging effects of time. England’s Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition has developed a new antioxidant diet that has shown great promise for CDS as well as different forms of cancer and other age related changes. The food works by capturing free radicals that damage the pet’s DNA. In a two-month period of time, felines feasting on this specially formulated food show a 17% reduction in DNA damage and dogs had a 2% improvement.

Foods are being developed that may help shield the aging brain from the damaging effect of time.

This diet is presently unavailable but in the mean time, you can help your senior pets stay as healthy as possible by watching their weight, feeding them a well balance diet, and providing appropriate exercise. Try keeping a diary of the subtle changes that are occurring to your pet and bringing this information to your veterinarian’s attention when you visit. For a senior, it is recommended that you make these visits twice yearly. Why twice a year? Because it is “Your Pet…Health Matters.”