Hill's unveils diet to fight canine brain aging, age-related behavior changes

Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., announces a breakthrough in the fight againstbrain aging and age-related behavioral changes. Hill's® PrescriptionDiet® Canine b/d is the first and only nutritional pet food clinicallyproven to help combat signs of brain aging and improve the learning abilityof older dogs, according to the company. Prescription Diet Canine b/d containsa ground-breaking patent-pending combination of ingredients that providesa blend of antioxidants and nutritional cofactors including vitamin E andC, L-carnitine, lipoic acid and DHA and EPA fatty acids, the company says.

"This food helped combat the signs of brain aging by fighting freeradicals, helping to limit further free radical production and stabilizingcell membranes. Canine b/d may also lower susceptibility to brain age-relatedbehavior changes as exhibited by cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS),"says Lyn Huffacker, DVM, Ph.D., Hill's Nutrition Inc. As with the humanbrain, canine nervous system tissue is especially vulnerable to attack byfree radicals due to its high fat content and high demand for oxygen. Asthe brain ages, there is a significant neuronal loss and shrinkage of braintissue as well as increased free radical production; the brain also haslimited repair capabilities and cannot make new neurons to replace the damagedones, the company says. In response to damage, the canine brain may depositbeta-amyloid, which also generates additional free radicals. Furthermore,the brain has limited protective antioxidant defenses, such as glutathioneperoxidase to protect itself, the company says. It cannot naturally inactivateall the free radicals as they are generated. Over time, the oxidative damagecaused by toxic free radicals leads to reduced brain function, the companysays. These physical and functional changes may manifest themselves as behavioralchanges. Disorientation or altered sleep/wake cycle or activity levels andhouse soiling accidents are some of the behavioral signs associated withbrain aging. These changes are often characterized by the acronym DISH,the company says.

For fastest response call (800) 354-4557 .