In some pets, age-related cognitive impairment doesn’t affect day-to-day functions and would only be detected through validated cognitive testing. For other pets, the cognitive decline may be mild but noticeable to the owners. In the extreme, the impairment can be severe enough to cause cognitive dysfunction syndrome, similar to dementia in people, and be very obvious.
Some of the signs owners observe in senior pets, as reported to veterinary behaviorists, are shown in these figures.2 Cognitive decline and cognitive dysfunction exist on a spectrum, so their clinical signs overlap.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants include a wide range of substances that scavenge free radicals by either preventing their formation or removing them before they can cause damage. The body produces its own (endogenous) antioxidants; however, endogenous antioxidant capacity decreases with age and the production of free radicals increases with age, causing a dangerous imbalance (oxidative stress). Providing dietary antioxidants may help reestablish the balance and reduce oxidative damage.
Fish oil
In particular, the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) play critical neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory roles. Fish oil provides an excellent source of DHA and EPA.
Arginine
L-arginine is an amino acid that is metabolized in cells, including neurons, to form nitric oxide (NO). Neural activity during cognitive tasks is highly associated with increases in regional blood flow, which is primarily mediated by NO. L-arginine is also metabolized to agmatine, a neurotransmitter.
B vitamins
Certain B vitamins, especially thiamine (B1), pyridoxine (B6), folate (B9), and cobalamin (B12) are particularly important to neurodevelopment and cognitive function. B vitamin deficiency can lead to elevated blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which is a risk factor for cognitive impairment. B vitamin supplementation reduces the risk of deficiencies and homocysteine accumulation, thereby reducing one of the risk factors for cognitive impairment.
Ketones from medium-chain triglycerides
The adult brain is dependent on glucose for energy. Age reduces the brain’s ability to utilize glucose as an energy source, even when it’s available. Due to the brain's high energy demands, it is particularly vulnerable to inadequate energy supply resulting from altered energy metabolism. Reduced glucose metabolism in the brain starts a chain reaction that may eventually lead to brain cell death and non-reversible loss of brain mass, as well as physical and behavioral changes.
In the face of compromised glucose metabolism, neurons may need an alternative energy source to support normal function. Although brain glucose metabolism decreases with aging, brain ketone metabolism appears unaffected and lends itself to nutritional intervention. Ketone bodies can provide up to 60–70% of the brain’s energy during prolonged fasting and low glucose availability.6
Protecting Brain Health in Aging Dogs
Purina research has led to breakthrough discoveries for protecting brain health in aging dogs.
Targeted nutrition to address several brain-aging risk factors can help preserve cognitive function and support cognitive health in aging dogs.
By providing ketones from medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) as an alternative energy source for the brain, we can target the metabolic changes that contribute to cognitive decline. Purina research showed that senior dogs fed a diet containing MCTs made fewer errors on cognitive tests assessing awareness, perception, reasoning and adaptability, with improvement in memory beginning within 2 weeks. Senior MCT diet-fed dogs also performed better than control diet-fed dogs as the tasks became more complex.7
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