Newsletter - December 2011

The News At Home

Tori has given herself a job. She's a lazy little beast and has never shown interest in "working", but she's now decided that she's a guard dog. A fierce one. The kind of dog that you don't want to mess with because she can growl, you see.

Tori? Knows how to growl? Apparently, one dog in particular is upsetting to her when s/he walks past our house and Tori makes no bones about letting the world know. Her cheeks puff and she gives her version of a soft growl. It starts off as barking, intensifies to a rather hysterical pitch and then is replaced by such a soft growl that I wasn't sure I was hearing correctly. Her lips pucker rather than snarl upward. It's rather funny, but let's not tell her that. Why ruin her dreams? Better watch your step.

Nutrition Sharpens Your Dog`s Thinking Skills

We feed the best diet we can, buy them toys and give them attention. We accept the ageing process and love them even more (if that's possible) when they're old. But most people don't really give their dogs a chance to age well. I know it sounds harsh, but it's true and it's not because we don't want to do everything right. It's because most people aren't aware of the proactive measures they can take or even what to do as the dog starts to decline mentally. This mental decline is considered normal in all animals, so we just accept it and worry. The fact is that it doesn't have to be that way.

I speak passionately about antioxidants and you may be tired of hearing it, but bear with me one more time because this is important. So important, that I'm hoping you'll act on the information rather than just reading it.

In addition to the vital roles they play for general health and the anti-cancer properties they offer, antioxidants can help your dog's cognitive function.

I focus on anti-inflammatory foods for older dogs and always, always use these supplements. They can really help! CoQ10, vitamin E, Antioxidant Booster and wild salmon oil. Remember to look at lab assays if possible (we offer them on all product pages) because you want top quality if you hope to see results.

The Proof

University of California researchers found that the combination of an antioxidant diet and enrichment of the environment improved cognitive function in a study in dogs over a 2 1/2 year period. When testing groups of dogs with either an antioxidant diet or an enriched environment, results were promising, but not as good as when both were implemented. The diet included plenty of fruits, vegetables, vitamins and antioxidants and you can read about it here.

Several years ago, a study in dogs at the University of Toronto showed that a diet enriched with antioxidants improved cognitive function quite dramatically. There wasn't a focus on enriching the environment, yet diet alone had a big impact. Read about it here.

There are many, many more studies you can find and abstracts at pubmed.com Start feeding a better diet and use the supplemental antioxidants I've mentioned. Do it now. Start today. Your dog may just surprise you by ageing well.

Monica

"A dog is one of the few remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk" - O.A. Battista