Vitality Promoting Canine Cognitive Health

Chasing
Vitality
Promoting Canine
Cognitive Health
Doubay, a 12-year-old “pit
bull” terrier, shows signs of
serious cognitive dysfunction.
She wanders aimlessly through the
house, has trouble navigating stairs,
can’t follow simple commands, and is
unable to find a treat hidden under a
plastic cone. In a subjective assessment of Doubay’s condition and
faculties, her owner, an experienced
animal trainer, gave her a score of
one out of ten.
“More than ten years ago, we surveyed owners of senior-age dogs, and
it was clear that they just accepted
a number of markers that indicate
old age in their pets,” says Dr. Mark
Roos, Director of Global Nutrition and
Technical Communications at Nestlé
Purina Pet Care. “These include poor
mobility, sleep cycle disruption, and
soiling in the home.”
Deducing that the decline in physical activity could be partially caused
by declining cognitive function, senior research scientist Dr. Yuanlong
Pan and his team at Nestlé Purina
Research started to investigate opportunities for using nutritional
approaches to restore cognitive
function in older dogs. One of the
projects was to address the common phenomenon that indicated
that as mammals age, their brains
use glucose less effectively as a
source of energy, leaving their brains
deficient in energy, which leads to
cognitive decline.
“We wanted to see if there was
another source of energy or an alternate pathway to neuron cells,” Dr. Pan
says. “After years of research, we
found that medium chain triglycerides
[MCTs] are processed by the liver into
an alternate energy source, ketones,
that go to the brain and restore brain
function in old dogs.” This breakthrough research was published
in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Building on this research, Dr. Roos’
group and a project team developed Purina ONE Vibrant Maturity® 7+
Fuel the Brain of
Your Senior Dog
• Purina ONE SmartBlend Vibrant Maturity
7+ Senior Dog Food includes real chicken
plus enhanced botanical oils that naturally
nourish to help sustain your dog’s mind.
®
®
®
• It also contains a dual defense antioxidant
blend of Vitamins E & A along with minerals
zinc and selenium in a 100% complete and
balanced diet for your senior dog.
• The strategic ingredients help your dog
maintain a balance of body AND
brain function for a sustained
quality of life.
NGM_Purina_1013.indd 1
Senior Dog Food containing MCTs
in the form of enhanced botanical
oils. Now anecdotal evidence is consistent with the published study,
indicating that a formula with MCTs
is remarkably effective in restoring
brain function in older dogs.
After eating a diet rich in MCTs for
one month, Doubay is ably walking
up the stairs. She has regained her
ability to recognize the command
for “sit,” and quickly locates a treat
hidden under a cone. Her owner now
gives her an assessment of seven
and a half out of ten.
“Dogs typically start to show signs
of cognitive decline at about seven
years of age,” says Dr. Roos, “and pet
owners don’t have to accept that
condition.” By helping keep them
mentally and physically balanced
with Purina ONE Vibrant Maturity®
as they age, they will continue to
provide balance in your life. ¢
Purina ONE®
SmartBlend®
Vibrant Maturity®
7+ Senior
Dog Food
Visit PurinaONE.com/brightmind to find out more.
Created with Purina ONE by
9/12/13 10:52 AM