Nestlé Purina is launching a new diet this month which, according to the company, helps delay the canine brain ageing process.
The diet, Pro Plan Senior 7+ Original, is enriched with medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Research carried out by Nestlé Purina and published online in the British Journal of Nutrition (here's the abstract), apparently demonstrates improvements in senior dogs' memory, learning capacity and ability to adapt to novel situations when fed on this MCT-enriched formula.1 According to the company, the MCTs provide neurons with a readily accessible source of energy to counteract the decline in glucose metabolism that occurs naturally in ageing dogs, thus maximising brain function with demonstrable improvements in cognitive function.
Veterinary surgeon, Barton Stephen, BVM&S MRCVS, veterinary columnist for The People said: "When treating brain ageing or CCD in senior dogs I believe we vets need to adopt a more holistic approach. We can treat diseases like heart failure and kidney disease and offer advice on exercise, joint care and weight control. All of these can improve quality of life and encourage a pain free existence, but until now we have had nothing proven to help dogs stay younger for longer. This innovative new dog food has the added advantage of staving off cognitive decline which owners find very distressing."
For more information on Pro Plan Senior 7+ Original and the Pro Plan, diet range, please contact your Veterinary Business Development Manager or contact Nestlé Purina PetCare, telephone: 0800 212 161 (Freephone)
Reference:¹ Dietary supplementation with medium-chain TAG has long-lasting cognition-enhancing effects in aged dogs. British Journal of Nutrition (Pan et al 2010)
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