Nutrition and Aging in Dogs and Cats

AgingAging is often associated with chronicChronic inflammationInflammation and declining healthHealth. Both veterinariansVeterinarian and owners of agingAging dogsDog and catsCat are interested in nutritional solutions and strategies to prevent signs of age-related disease, increase longevityLongevity, and improve qualityQuality of life. Physiological decreases in muscle mass, decreased immunity, and a decrease in sense acuity are some of the changes often seen in otherwise healthy senior petsPet; however, there may also be an increase in risk for pathologies such as renal, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neoplastic diseases. AgingAging may also lead to cognitiveCognitive decline and even cognitiveCognitive dysfunctionDysfunction. Some nutritional strategies that may be helpful with the prevention and treatmentTreatment of age-related diseases include supplementationSupplementation with ω3 polyunsaturatedPolyunsaturated fatty acidsFatty acid and antioxidantAntioxidant nutrients that can help modulate inflammationInflammation and benefit osteoarthritisOsteoarthritis, renal disease, cancer, and more. SupplementationSupplementation with medium-chain triglycerides shows promise in the treatmentTreatment of canineCanine cognitiveCognitive dysfunctionDysfunction as these may be metabolized to ketone bodies that are utilized as an alternative energy source for the central nervous system. Additionally, a high intake of dietary phosphorus in soluble and bioavailable forms can lead to renal disease, which is of greater concern in senior petsPet. There are no published guidelines for nutritional requirementsRequirement specific to senior petsPet and as a result, products marketed for senior dogsDog and catsCat are highly variable.