Dr Jill Cline with Basil.

New research from Purina PetCare shows that senior dogs suffering from the effects of old age can regain some of their youthful energy and mental functioning with the right diet.

Dr Jill Cline, an Animal Research Scientist and Senior Nutritionist for Purina PetCare in the US, was in New Zealand recently for a series of presentations to veterinarians and universities discussing the breakthrough research.

“It is a heartbreaking thing for dog owners to see their beloved pet, with whom they have shared so much over the years, show signs of memory loss and personality change,” Dr Cline said.

Dr Cline said that nearly half of the dogs in America are over age six, and a third of their owners report behaviour in their dogs that clearly shows the dogs’ diminishing mental functioning.

“Owners of senior dogs may start to notice their dog having trouble getting around the house, such as navigating stairs or around furniture, and forgetting such things as where their water bowl is, or how to go outside for toileting.

“The dog might also stare at a wall for minutes on end or press their head against it, or spend all day sleeping and not greet their owner like they used to.

“But what if we could help our older dogs remember the things that they knew when they were young, regain their interest in their surroundings and remember things they have been trained to do?”

Dr Cline said the study by Purina’s product technology centre monitored senior dogs that were fed a diet containing proteins called cytokines, found in certain types of botanical oils.

“In our study, dogs started to show signs of better memory within as little as two weeks. They were more active and curious than before the diet,” she told Rural Living.

“The dogs that ate the formula containing the cytokines were literally up to their old tricks in as little as two weeks. Their cognitive performance and ability were better, and some of these older dogs even learned new tricks.”

She said that as dogs age, their bodies become less efficient at processing energy and so don’t deliver the nutrients that they need for proper brain function.

“The cytokine protein targets brain neurons, effectively providing them with an alternate energy source that helps the dog’s brain function more like when they were younger, delaying the decline of brain function. To my knowledge, no dogs have been reported to have shown intolerance to these proteins so far.”

Dr Cline, who is responsible for developing and implementing global communication programmes that assist in the understanding of Nestle Purina’s nutrition science and technology among external contacts in the veterinary, retail, consumer and breeder communities, said a new pet food product based on the research will be released in New
Zealand before the end of 2009.