CANINE NUTRIGENOMICS: THE NEW SCIENCE OF FEEDING YOUR DOG FOR OPTIMUM HEALTH by W. Jean Dodds DVM & Diana Laverdure

Author:W. Jean Dodds, DVM & Diana Laverdure [W. Jean Dodds, DVM & Laverdure, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dogwise Publishing
Published: 2014-12-29T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

A Nutrigenomics Approach to Canine

Behavior and Cognitive Aging

Dogs have been “man’s (and woman’s) best friend” for thousands of years. In fact, dogs are thought to be the first animal species domesticated by humans, about 15,000 years ago. While they were likely first selectively bred to perform specific jobs, such as hunting, shepherding and guarding, it’s thought that for about the last 2,000 years dogs have primarily served as companions (Durham University, 2012). As anyone who has been “owned” by a dog knows, the human-canine bond runs deep (as deep as our genes, as we have pointed out!), and for the most part the relationship is mutually beneficial and rewarding. But tinkering with the genome of any species has its price. Dogs, after all, are a species of canid—social predators that include wolves, foxes, coyotes and jackals (Jensen ed., 2009).

Considering that dogs “speak” a different language than humans, they have adapted amazingly to domestic life. Cross-breeding of dogs over thousands of years has produced more than 400 domestic breeds that today bear little genetic and behavioral resemblance to their wild ancestors (Durham University, 2012). But even though our dogs often seem to understand us better than our closest human friends, they are still not “furry people,” and they sometimes exhibit problem behaviors—including aggression, disobedience, destructive behavior, excessive barking, running away and house soiling—considered disruptive by their human caretakers. Sadly, millions of dogs a year are relinquished to shelters, with an estimated three to six million euthanized due to “behavior problems.” Even those that manage to avoid euthanization often face a grim future; once a dog has been labeled with behavioral issues, it is difficult for him to overcome the stigma. Approximately 20% of adopted shelter dogs are returned, and many are euthanized (Bosch et. al, 2007).

Unfortunately, when a dog “misbehaves,” nutrition is rarely considered as a possible contributing factor. But, with what we now know about the ability of food to communicate with the genome, we need to take a closer look at how this relationship affects a dog’s behavioral health as well as his physiological health. While little clinical research has been conducted in this area, evidence shows that dietary components can modulate the behavior of both humans and animals (Bosch et. al, 2007). This chapter is dedicated to exploring those components.

If your dog exhibits sudden behavioral changes, please be sure to have him examined by his veterinarian to rule out an underlying medical condition. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD), for example, can lead to anxiety, lack of sociability, house soiling and many other behavioral changes, while hypothyroidism, which we’ll cover in the next chapter (and wrote about in The Canine Thyroid Epidemic), is associated with abnormal behaviors such as anxiety, phobias, irritability and attention-deficit disorder. Since thyroid disorder is closely tied to behavioral changes, we also recommend a full thyroid panel to rule out this cause. We also advise examining non-diet related environmental influences, such as your dog’s dynamic within the “pack” (i.e., family unit), his background (e.g., whether

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