FEEDING THE BRAIN:
PUTTING PURINA’S
NUTRITIONAL SCIENCEINTO PRACTICEHELPING PETS LIVE BETTER, LONGER LIVESThe Purina Institute is strongly committed to advancing
nutritional science to benefit pet health. We represent adiverse, global team of more than 500 scientists and petcare experts — including nutritionists, veterinarians,behaviorists, molecular nutritionists, biochemists,
microbiologists, and more — with a proven track recordof making nutritional discoveries that improve the livesof pets around the globe.

WHY SHOULD YOU TALK ABOUT NUTRITION WITH
YOUR CLIENTS?
Nutrition can be a powerful adjunct to quality veterinary medicine, yet only 22% of veterinarians initiate nutrition
conversations with their clients.1 In the absence of credible advice from their veterinarians, pet owners may get
conflicting information from a variety of sources (many of which are unreliable). If more veterinarians knew theirclients trusted them to provide advice on pet nutrition, how would it change these conversations?
At the Purina Institute, we value the diﬀerence you’re making to help pets live healthier lives. That’s why we’recollaborating with innovative pet care thinkers like you to elevate the topic of nutrition and take back theconversation.
On the following pages, you’ll find clinically relevant learnings from more than a decade of Purina research on
nutritional interventions for brain health. We’ve paired these findings with sample conversation starters that you
can put into practice every day.

Find more clinically relevant learnings at PurinaInstitute.com.
1

Source: Ipsos (2014). Vet Tracker US.

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HOW AGE AND FEEDING SCHEDULE AFFECT BEHAVIOR
Purina scientists have advanced the study of canine and feline cognition by studying mental processing in theareas of learning, memory and attention to establish foundational knowledge and determine opportunities forintervention.
Dogs have a circadian sleep/wake cycle, like humans, with higher levels of activity in the daytime thannighttime hours. Senior dogs still have circadian rhythms, despite reduced activity compared to adult dogs.
(Zanghi et al, 2008)
Similar to aged people, senior dogs are about 50% less active than early adult dogs; this may decrease their
daily caloric needs and increase their risk of obesity unless their feeding is adjusted. (Zanghi et al, 2012)
Senior dogs display alterations in nighttime sleep patterns, with more activity at night and earlier onset ofdaytime activity. (Zanghi et al, 2012 and 2013)
Feeding dogs twice daily, as opposed to once daily, increases the dogs’ awake time during the day by about
60 minutes and leads to a 20-30 minute earlier start to their days’ activity. (Zanghi et al, 2013)
Increased napping in dogs 11 years of age and older may be an early indicator of some memory loss.
(Zanghi et al, 2016)
Cognitive impairment may be present before behavioral signs are observed (Zanghi et al, 2016),
emphasizing the importance of preventive approaches to mitigate the risk factors for cognitive impairment.
The areas in the brain responsible for memory appear to be at least partially independent from those
responsible for learning and attention; if one type of memory or learning is aﬀected, it doesn’t necessarilymean that other functions are similarly aﬀected. (Zanghi et al, 2015)

FEEDING DOGS TWICE DAILY,
AS OPPOSED TO ONCE DAILY,INCREASES THE DOGS’ AWAKE TIME
DURING THE DAY BY ABOUT

60 MINUTES

AND LEADS TO A 20-30 MINUTE
EARLIER START TO THEIR DAYS’ ACTIVITIES.

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SAMPLE CONVERSATION STARTER:“Now that your pet is approaching senior age [or is a senior], you can expect to see some changes in his/her activity level and possibly some changes in [his/her] sleep cycle – such as more frequent napping.
Since [he/she] may be less active, we may need to adjust [his/her] food to prevent [him/her] fromgaining weight that could make conditions like arthritis worse. If you’re not already feeding [him/her]
twice daily, splitting [his/her] daily food into two feedings can help reduce the amount of change inactivity and help keep [him/her] more active and healthy.”

PUBLISHED PURINA RESEARCH:
Zanghi, B. M., de Rivera, C., Araujo, J., & Milgram, N. W. (2008, November). Circadian sleep/wake patterns and cognitive
performance in adult dogs change with age. Presented at Society of Neuroscience Conference, Washington, D. C.
Zanghi, B. M., Kerr, W., de Rivera, C., Araujo, J. A., & Milgram, N. W. (2012). Eﬀect of age and feeding schedule on diurnal
rest/activity rhythms in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 7, 339-347. doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2012.01.004
Zanghi, B. M., Kerr, W., Gierer, J., de Rivera, C., Araujo, J. A., & Milgram, N. W. (2013). Characterizing behavioral sleep using
actigraphy in adult dogs of various ages fed once or twice daily. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 8, 195-203. doi: 10.1016/
j.jveb.2012.10.007
Zanghi, B. M., Gardner, C., Araujo, J., & Milgram, N. W. (2016). Diurnal changes in core body temperature, day/night
locomotor activity patterns, and actigraphy-generated behavioral sleep in aged canines with varying levels of cognitive
dysfunction. Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms, 1, 8-18. doi: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2016.07.001
Zanghi, B. M., Araujo, J., & Milgram, N. W. (2015). Cognitive domains in the dog: independence of working memory fromobject learning, selective attention, and motor learning. Animal Cognition, 18, 789-800. doi: 10.1007/s10071-015-0847-3

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ANTIOXIDANTS, OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
AND BRAIN PROTECTION
The developing brain has unique nutritional demands to set the foundation for lifelong brain health. Metabolicchanges and risk factors associated with brain aging, age-related cognitive decline, and the resulting behavioral
changes can be targeted with nutritional interventions that support healthier brain aging.
Developing puppies need adequate dietary omega-3 fatty acids – particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)– to ensure healthy brain development. (Reynolds et al, 2006)
Puppies fed a diet supplemented with DHA completed a maze test over 25% faster than littermates fed acontrol diet, reflecting improved problem-solving ability and memory and setting the stage for a lifetime oflearning. (Reynolds et al, 2006)
Supplementing a senior dog’s diet with a proprietary blend of antioxidants, fish oil (a primary source ofomega-3 fatty acids), arginine and B vitamins improves problem-solving ability, goal-oriented behavior, anddecision-making. (Pan et al, 2018)
Supplementing an adult cat’s diet with a proprietary blend of antioxidants, fish oil, B vitamins and arginine
improves memory, learning, mental flexibility and problem solving in as little as 30 days. (Pan et al, 2013)

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SAMPLE CONVERSATION STARTER:“You may see a few gray hairs coming in on [his/her] muzzle, but there’s a lot more going on under thesurface. By the time your pet is 6 [dogs] or 8 [cats] years old, [his/her] brain is already changing – andsome of these changes are irreversible. But there are things we can do to help protect [his/her] brain
through good preventive care and nutrition. By boosting [his/her] diet with targeted nutrients – suchas antioxidants, fish oil, arginine and B vitamins – we can help protect brain function in [his/her] adultand senior years, and may be able to slow down or delay the onset of cognitive decline or dysfunction.”

PUBLISHED PURINA RESEARCH:
Reynolds, A. J., Waldron, M., Wilsson, E., Leavitt, Y., Dunlap, A., & Bailey, K. (2006). Eﬀect of long-chain
polyunsaturated fatty add supplementation on mental stability, problem-solving ability, and learned pattern retention
in young, growing dogs. 28. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294652556_Eﬀect_of_long-chain_polyunsaturated_fatty_add_supplementation_on_mental_stability_problem-solving_ability_and_learned_pattern_
retention_in_young_growing_dogs.
Pan, Y., Araujo, J. A., Burrows, J., de Rivera, C., Gore, A., Bhatnagar, S., & Milgram, N. W. (2013). Cognitive enhancementin middle-aged and old cats with dietary supplementation with a nutrient blend containing fish oil, B vitamins,
antioxidants and arginine. British Journal of Nutrition, 110, 40-49. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512004771
Pan, Y., Kennedy, A. D., Jӧnsson T. J., & Milgram, N. W. (2018). Cognitive enhancement in old dogs from dietary
supplementation with a nutrient blend containing arginine, antioxidants, B vitamins and fish oil. British Journal of
Nutrition, 119, 349-358. doi: 10.1017/S0007114517003464

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COGNITIVE DECLINE AND COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME (CDS)
Nutritional supplementation with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) provides a powerful adjunct to medical
therapy through two mechanisms: providing alternative energy sources for brain cells as well as direct anti-seizure
activity of MCT metabolites.
Providing the neurons with an alternative energy source — such as ketone bodies, derived from thebreakdown of MCTs — can help mitigate the glucose hypometabolism. (Pan et al, 2010)
A complete and balanced diet supplemented with MCTs can improve cognitive performance in dogs withage-related cognitive decline, including promoting memory, attention and trainability in as little as 30 days.
(Pan et al, 2010)
Dogs with CDS, regardless of the severity, benefit from a proprietary diet containing a blend of MCT oil,omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, antioxidants and arginine. Signs of improvement may be observed within
the first 30 days of feeding, with even more improvement noticed by 90 days. (Pan et al, 2018)

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or otherfamilyanimalsor other animals

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in approaching,interest in approaching,greeting or affection/peing
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SAMPLE CONVERSATION STARTER:“Although some changes in cognition can be expected with aging, accelerated changes in the brain
lead to behaviors associated with what is called cognitive dysfunction syndrome – such as wandering
at night, changes in social interactions with family members, and appearing confused or disoriented.
These aren’t signs of normal aging, and it’s critical that we take action now to protect brain function andtry to slow down the process so you and your dog can enjoy [his/her] senior years as much as possible.
One way we can do this is by feeding a diet that includes medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) and othernutrients that support brain function. Studies have shown improvement in senior dogs’ cognition andbehaviors with this approach.”

PUBLISHED PURINA RESEARCH:
Pan, Y., Larson, B., Araujo, J. A., Lau, W., de Rivera, C., Santana, R., Gore, A., & Milgram, N. W. (2010). Dietary
supplementation with medium-chain TAG has long-lasting cognition-enhancing eﬀects in aged dogs. British Journal of
Nutrition, 103, 1746-1754. doi: 10.1017/S0007114510000097
Pan, Y., Landsberg, G., Mougeot, I., Kelly, S., Xu, H., Bhatnagar, S., Gardner, C. L., & Milgram, N. W. (2018). Eﬃcacy ofa therapeutic diet on dogs with signs of cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS): A prospective double blinded placebo
controlled clinical study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 5, article 127. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2018.00127

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MEDIUM-CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDESFOR IDIOPATHIC EPILEPSY AND ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS IN DOGS
Nutritional supplementation with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) provides a powerful adjunct to medical
therapy through two mechanisms: providing alternative energy sources for brain cells as well as direct anti-seizure
activity of MCT metabolites.
More than two-thirds (71%) of dogs with refractory idiopathic epilepsy showed an overall reduction inseizure frequency when fed a complete and balanced diet supplemented with MCTs, with almost half of
those dogs showing a 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency and 1 in 7 dogs becoming seizure-free.
(Law et al, 2015)
More than three-quarters (81%) of dogs with refractory idiopathic epilepsy showed a reduction in thenumber of seizure days (the number of days in a month with seizures) when fed a diet supplemented with
MCTs. (Law et al, 2015)
The eﬀects of the MCT-supplemented diet were seen as early as the first day for some dogs. (Law et al, 2015)
The MCT-supplemented diet did not significantly aﬀect the plasma concentrations of phenobarbital or potassium
bromide. (Law et al, 2015)
In conjunction with anti-epileptic drugs, dietary supplementation with MCTs can reduce seizure frequency
in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. (Law et al, 2015)
Nutrition may serve as a valuable adjunct to traditional medical therapy in the management of dogs withthis chronic neurological condition.
Dogs with idiopathic epilepsy can also exhibit ADHD-like behaviors – predominantly high excitability andchasing behavior, resulting in low trainability scores. (Packer et al, 2016)
Feeding epileptic dogs a complete and balanced diet with 5.5% MCT oil reduced two ADHD-like behaviors(chasing behavior and stranger-related fear). (Packer et al, 2016)
Dogs with idiopathic epilepsy are more likely to develop cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) at a younger
age. (Packer et al, 2018)

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SAMPLE CONVERSATION STARTERS:“Your dog has been diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy, and will require regular medication to try to keep
[his/her] seizures under control. I also recommend that we change [his/her] diet, because a combinationof medications and nutrition has been shown to help reduce seizures. Studies have shown that adding
medium-chain triglycerides to an epileptic dog’s diet reduces seizures as well as some of the ADHD-likebehaviors that may also be seen with epilepsy.”OR“Your dog’s epilepsy isn’t as controlled with medications as I’d like to see it, so I’m recommending that
we make a change to [his/her] diet because a combination of nutrition and anti-epilepsy medications
may work better for reducing seizures than the medications alone.”OR“Your dog is showing some of the behavioral changes that are often associated with epilepsy. I’d liketo make a change to [his/her] diet to include medium-chain triglycerides and other nutrients thathave been shown to improve some of these behaviors as well as reduce seizures in epileptic dogs.”

PUBLISHED PURINA RESEARCH:
Law, T. H., Davies, E. S., Pan, Y., Zanghi, B., Want, E., & Volk, H. A. (2015). A randomised trial of a medium-chain
TAG diet as treatment for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. British Journal of Nutrition, 114, 1438–1447. doi: 10.1017/
S000711451500313X Erratum in: British Journal of Nutrition, (2016); 115:1696.
Packer, R. M. A., Law, T. H., Davies, E., Zanghi, B. M., Pan, Y., & Volk, H. A. (2016). Eﬀects of a ketogenic diet on ADHDlike behavior in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior, 55, 62-68. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.11.014

OTHER REFERENCES:
Packer, R. M. A., McGreevy, P. D., Salvin, H. E., Valenzuela, M. J., Chaplin, C. M., & Volk, H. A. (2018). Cognitive
dysfunction in naturally occurring canine idiopathic epilepsy. PLOS One, 13, e0192812. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192182

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ADDRESSING BRAIN HEALTH THROUGH THE GUT AND MICROBIOME
The brain maintains bidirectional communication with the gut (via the gut-brain axis) which is mediated, inpart, by the gut microbiota. Altering the gut microbiota through nutritional interventions has the potential tofacilitate cross talk between the brain and gut, and to influence behavior. As researchers continue to discoverlinks between dysbiosis and health conditions such as cognitive changes and anxiety, new roles for nutritionin brain health will emerge.
In a blinded crossover study, anxious behaviors improved in 90% of anxious dogs supplemented with a
specific strain of Bifidobacterium longum. (McGowan, 2016)

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SAMPLE CONVERSATION STARTER:“Anxiety in dogs is real. There are medications available, and positive reinforcement training can help
manage [his/her] anxious reactions to some triggers. There is also growing scientific evidence that the
gut has more impact on brain health and behavior than we’ve previously thought. There’s evidence inpeople and in dogs that diet-induced changes in the gut can trigger changes in a number of behaviors,
including anxiety.”

PUBLISHED PURINA RESEARCH:
McGowan, R. T. S. (2016). Oiling the brain or Cultivating the gut: Impact of diet on anxious behaviors in dogs.
Proceedings of the Nestlé Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit, March 31-April, Florida, 91-97.

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