A Good Diet Can Increase a Dog's Lifespan

Researchers have discovered the key to a healthy balanced life for dogs and as you may have guessed, it is all in the "gut".

Recent studies have found that dogs and humans have what are called gut microbes that control the metabolism. When these microbes malfunction or the metabolism is unbalanced, they are known to create diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

The findings were recently published in the Journal of Proteome Research, where a study was conducted in which 24 dogs with each pair having one dog with a restricted intake and the other with an unrestricted intake. According to research findings, dogs with restricted intakes live approximately 2 years longer than those with an unrestricted intake. Those same dogs also had less problems with diseases for example diabetes, obesity and osteoarthritis.

There were several long term differences noticed by the research team at the Imperial College London, Nestle Research Center (NRC) and Nestle Purina in dogs with restricted dietary intake as opposed to dogs with unrestricted diets such as age related illnesses and diseases that appear in senior dogs.

Researchers have concluded that there is a change in the makeup of the gut microbes between dogs with restricted diets and those with unrestricted diets. The dogs on unrestricted diets are shown to have unhealthy urine. The urine did not show a sufficient amount of choline, which is essential in metabolizing fat. Choline is a gut microbe and if the metabolism is not properly balanced could possibly lead to obesity, which may lead to diabetes.

Researchers have also concluded that when a dog's diet is changed to a healthier restricted diet, it changes the gut microbial activity as well which in turn improves the dog's health and increases their lifespan. The results of this study were found by accident the researchers were conducting studies on the average life span of animals focusing on larger animals in particular.

Researchers are pleased with the results and suggest that the findings can also be applied for the human metabolism particularly as they age and there are dietary changes.

The findings will be used to improve nutritional properties of food for dogs and to give them a more balanced diet maximizing their health and increasing the lifespan.

Sources:
Staff Writer "Dogs Lived 1.8 Years Longer On Low Calorie Diet: Gut Flora May Explain It" Science Daily
URL:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070419160140.htm