If you’ve ever wondered how dogs and cats stay looking young, you may want to pay attention to one of the major differences between their bodies and those of humans: their lack of collagen production with age, which leads to wrinkles, dry skin, and numerous other signs of aging. But luckily, there’s something that can help your dog or cat look younger—collagen powder. All you have to do is add it to your pet’s food once a day or twice a week! This article explains all about this simple method for making your pet feel younger than ever before!
Collagen: The Building Block of Life
Collagen is a protein that makes up some connective tissues, like bone and skin. It is also a key player in repairing and regenerating the body. Indeed, an aging human body loses collagen at a rate of one to two percent per year, but it can take three to four years to rebuild this amount. Hence our love affair with all things natural—i.e., collagen powder mixed with our morning latte or blended into an evening glass of wine. But what about our dogs and cats? Can they benefit from this healthy trend too?
A study published by Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine indicated that even though older animals have less dietary collagen than their younger counterparts, most elderly pets have sufficient levels of their own naturally-occurring form. As a result, supplementing your pet’s diet with additional animal-derived collagen may not be necessary unless they are injured or ill. Even so, collagen hydrolysate powders are being added to commercially available dog food products in order to boost nutritional intake and promote better health through higher levels of antioxidant compounds found in plants.
The Health Benefits
It's well-documented that our bodies produce less collagen as we age, which can lead to wrinkles and other signs of aging. So it's only logical that we find ways to feed our dogs some natural sources of this important protein to fight off these effects and keep them looking healthy. But is there really any benefit in using collagens supplements like Vital Essentials®?
1. Provides High-Quality Protein: Cats need to consume meat because they cannot produce their own complete amino acids from plants alone. Dogs, on the other hand, are able to do so, but require animal protein for their bodies to function properly--and cat hair is not enough! Collagen is a protein that we humans, and other animals with backbones, use to make skin, hair, cartilage and tendons. The elastin fibers that attach muscle to bone are also made from collagen.
This makes it an important nutrient for those of us who want strong hair and bones in our old age! Not only is it great as an anti-aging agent, but it also helps promote healthy joints. Because collagen is so important to all tissues, if you have issues with any organ or tissue like liver disease or kidney disease that destroys protein, taking collagen as a supplement may help rebuild some proteins while others get repaired.
All About Skin & Coat Health
Dogs have a higher risk of developing skin and coat conditions when compared to cats. Dogs are more susceptible to develop problems such as food allergies, flea allergies, bacterial and fungal infections, yeast infections, lichen sclerosis erythematosus (LS), dermatitis, and others. When they suffer from these conditions they may become anemic due to loss in blood supply. This is why it's important that you pay close attention to what your dog's eating habits are. One way you can help with this is by giving them something to consume like raw fish bones or a cartilage that has been ground up into powder form. You can also give them nutmeg which can not only make their coats shinier but it's believed that it also helps cure cancer!
