Much like humans, dogs can begin to forget basic things in later years. In humans, this problem is known as Alzheimer’s disease, and in dogs it is called canine cognitive dysfunction (CSD). If you have an older pet, and you notice that he wakes up often during the night, behaves disoriented or gets lost in the house or barks for no reason, it can be a sign that your dog is suffering from this disease.
In most cases, the progression of CSD is gradual and often the early symptoms are attributed to the simple consequences of aging. In order to determine whether your dog actually suffers from this disease, it is necessary to take the pet to a veterinarian who will perform tests to determine whether this is really the case. If the diagnosis is confirmed, there are several recipes that can help to overcome it. There are various puzzles as well as changes in diet that can slow the progression of this disease, and you can read about it below.
Also, even if your dog does not suffer from CSD, you can react preventively even while he is a puppy and preserve the health of his brain in later years.
Food – like humans, dogs can undergo changes in the brain such as accumulations of beta-amyloid and oxidative damage. Scientists have concluded that these changes may be related to the development of CSD. In humans, antioxidants are often used to treat people with similar diseases, and doctors have come up with promising results by using antioxidants in the treatment of dogs in the treatment of their version of Alzheimer’s. According to their study, older dogs that were given food enriched with antioxidants showed progress in just 2 weeks, ie improved spatial skills and improved learning. When this diet was additionally combined with mental stimuli such as walking, living with another dog and repeating training, the effects of this study were even greater. According to their study, older dogs that ate fortified foods showed significantly better results than dogs that ate regular foods.
If you decide on this way of feeding your dog, of course it is necessary to consult a veterinarian, but it is good to know that a typical antioxidant contains vitamins C, E and L as well as lipoic acid, but also vegetable and fruit extract.
Vitamin E – for smaller breeds of dogs, the recommendation is up to 100 mg per day, for larger up to 400 mg.
Vitamin C – is considered a safe vitamin, but it usually requires higher doses to make its effects visible. For dogs, the recommendation is 50 to 100 milligrams a day, depending on its size.
Fruits and Vegetables – Giving fruits and vegetables daily can give great results for your pet’s mental and physical health. About 10% of your dog’s total diet should be fruits and vegetables. It is also advisable to consult a veterinarian, because certain types of fruits and vegetables can burden your pet’s stomach, and some have a higher amount of sugar, which is also not good for your pet.
Prevention for puppies and younger dogs – it’s not a bad idea to start a richer diet with your dog while he is still young. Although the study was done on older dogs, you can start earlier with this diet and thus reduce the risk that your dog will suffer from CSD in old age. Research has shown that puppies that eat fish oil-based foods have better results than non-puppies when it comes to training and memory. It is also known that puppies whose mother ate this type of food during pregnancy later developed faster nerves and brain. Therefore, if you have a pregnant female, you can prepare food based on fish oil for her two or three times a week. If you prepare the food yourself, you can add a little salmon oil to it. If you give your pet dry or purchased food, do not give them fish more than once a week.
Overall, a healthy lifestyle includes social engagement and activities, along with an adequate intake of antioxidants that can reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease in both dogs and humans. For this reason, in order to preserve both your own and your pet’s health, consider sharing foods based on fish oils, vegetables and fruits with your pet.
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Source: srbijadanas.com