DOG LONGEVITY THROUGH DIET

BY PEDRO MEJIA, PH.D. My Zone Blue

It’s not uncommon to hear about technological advances from tech innovators and Silicon Valley that try to extend human life beyond what we currently consider normal. From young blood transfusion and body parts replacement to body cryopreservation and gene editing, some seem to come straight out of a sci-fi movie.

The ethical issues of these endeavors are controversial and hotly debated, with as many supporters as detractors. But, regarding our dogs’ longevity, I think it’s safe to say that most of us agree on one thing: we all want our furry companions to stay with us for as long as possible.

Because of their status as family members, pet dogs enjoy many of the same perks that people do. Comfortable shelter, food security, access to vaccines/drugs/a relatively comprehensive health care system, and even a couch with Netflix at night are a few of their privileges.

As pet parents, we can proudly say that thanks to all the care we provide (and all the money we spend), our pets are much less likely to die from starvation, a treatable infection, an injury, or being eaten by a predator. As a result, our dogs live longer. However, the fact that some dogs can make it into their late 20s proves there’s still a lot of room for improvement.

But here’s the amazing thing, scientists now know that the lifespan of animals can be extended without any genetic or pharmaceutical intervention (or any other sci-fi-movie-like creepy technology). More im-

portantly, contrary to what many people believe, those extra years do not have to be filled with diseases and debilitating conditions. I’m not talking about immortal beings living in a grim, never-ending existence. Instead, I refer here to prolonging the healthy years of life, a.k.a. health span, the years a dog lives without disease. It’s about improving the quality of life, and it’s about aging gracefully. It’s putting more life into the years, not just adding more years to dogs’ lives.

The obvious question is, how can we make our dogs live longer and healthier naturally? Mounting scientific evidence demonstrates that dogs’ life and health span can be extended or shortened depending on what we feed them.

Take, for example, what some veggies and fruits can do to protect dogs’ health. Researchers at Purdue University studied the effect of dietary intake of veggies on cancer incidence, the leading killer of dogs. They found that Scottish Terriers consuming any type of vegetable (cruciferous, leafy greens, and/or orange-yellow vegetables) three or more times per week had a 70% reduction in the risk of developing and dying of bladder cancer. Interestingly, the more dogs consumed any type of vegetables, from 3 times a week up to 14 times a week, the more they were protected against bladder cancer.

Fruits also benefit dogs by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation that can damage organs and lead to cancer. This has been shown in multiple studies where dogs are fed blueberries and strawberries as food supplements.

Another powerful and perhaps counterintuitive strategy to keep your dog healthy and slow down aging is not food, but rather, the lack thereof. Intermittent fasting is the most robust and studied method that prolongs animals’ healthy years and lifespans. Experimental data has accumulated during the past 100 years, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach. Hundreds of scientific studies and publications agree on the positive effects of dietary restrictions on health.

And dogs are not the exception when it comes to reaping all the benefits of fasting. A publication in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association assessed the effect of reducing the amount of food of a group of Labrador Retrievers by 25%, allowing a control group to eat 100% of their food. The same diet was fed to all the dogs, but restricted dogs got less. What they found is fascinating despite such a simple “treatment.” The Retrievers in the food-restricted group lived around 2 years longer than those in the group eating a full amount of food. Also, in these dogs, the onset of clinical signs of late-life diseases appeared at a mean age of 12 compared to a mean age of 10 in the group fed normally. This means an average of 2 extra years of a healthy life! That’s the power of intermittent fasting.

Other studies have confirmed these findings. For example, one study demonstrated that dogs fed only once a day had superior overall health, as shown by better scores in nine aspects of health measured: dental, skin, orthopedic, gastrointestinal, kidney, cardiac, neurological, liver, and cancer. Not only one or two aspects but all of them! With no calorie counting, forbidden foods, or weighting and measuring rations, it’s an efficient, realistic, inexpensive, and practical method.

Based on this extraordinary science, my company My Zone Blue pet food, is dedicated to formulating dog diets that mimic the beneficial effects of fasting but without hunger. We also design functional treats with the optimal amounts of fruits, veggies, and other superfoods that prevent and support multiple health conditions.

Being a family of scientists and pet lovers, we spend a lot of time and effort researching the literature and providing a “digestible” version of the current knowledge on pet nutrition in our Bowl Conversations blog at https:// myzoneblue.com/blogs/my-zone-blue-blog

Extending the lifespan and, more importantly, the healthy years of our dogs seems now within reach with these simple and safe nutritional interventions. Virtually any dog-parent can easily take advantage of them and enjoy more quality time with their loved companion. ■