Understanding pet immune system nutrition is crucial for every dog and cat owner who wants to ensure their furry companion's long-term health and well-being. Like humans, pets' robust immune systems are their first line of defence against various pathogens and diseases. This article delves into the intricate relationship between nutrition and immunity in dogs and cats, exploring how specific nutrients can bolster your pet's natural defences. By focusing on pet immune system nutrition, we can help our four-legged friends lead healthier, more vibrant lives.
Nutrition and the Immune System
It can also recognise abnormally growing cells within the body and prevent their proliferation. Can we strengthen it with food? Absolutely, let's see how.
The Immune System
The immune system defends dogs‘ and cats’ bodies against viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. It begins to develop as early as foetal life and grows through birth, lactation, and encounters with antigens in the environment. This system consists of two parts: the innate, or non-specific, immune system and the adaptive, or specific, immune system.
The first, non-specific, comprises the cellular component and anatomical barriers, such as the skin and gastrointestinal mucosa, whose integrity and health are vital for the body's defence. The second comprises B and T lymphocytes, highly specialised cells capable of producing antibodies and eliciting particular immune responses.
Malnutrition and Immunity
When one speaks of malnutrition, one always thinks of thin, cachectic animals.
In reality, even normal-weight or, more often, overweight subjects are malnourished. Malnutrition is a nutritional deficiency of a single or several substances that persists over time and is associated with subclinical or clinical metabolic changes.
Nutritional deficiencies affect the immune system in various ways, weakening it and making it less active. We can, in fact, see a drop in immunoglobulin production, a decrease in circulating T lymphocytes or even significant alterations in the integrity of natural barriers.
Key Nutrients
Let's examine the essential nutrients that improve the immune system's health, which should always be in our pets' bowls.
Protein
Protein is the most crucial part of the diet for carnivorous animals such as dogs and cats. They support many vital mechanisms, such as maintaining muscle mass and tissue repair and, as we shall see, allowing the immune system to function correctly. They must always be essential to our animals' daily ration. Proteins comprise amino acids, which we can imagine as small bricks that combine in different sequences to form various proteins.
Some of these amino acids are essential, i.e., they must be supplemented in the diet because the animal cannot synthesise them independently, while others are non-essential.
Therefore, our dogs‘ and cats’ diets must always contain all the indispensable amino acids. Among the many, we mention those with the most significant impact on the health of the immune system:
- Arginine: always essential in cats, semi-essential in other animal species, particularly in times of illness or stress. It is significant for collagen synthesis during wound repair and has an immunoregulatory function.
- Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that becomes semi-essential during illness or injury. In fact, these times, amino acids such as alanine and glutamine are released from muscle tissue to become a fuel source for enterocytes, intestinal cells, and active white line cells such as leukocytes and macrophages.
- Taurine is a non-protein sulphur amino acid that is essential for the cat. It is in high concentrations in the immune system's cells, mainly lymphocytes. Although the role of taurine within the lymphocyte is not entirely clear, taurine-deficient diets can lead to atrophy of the lymph nodes and spleen and a decrease in circulating lymphocytes.
- Lipids, more commonly referred to as fats, are an important energy source for dogs or cats but can also significantly influence immune function. Several studies show that the type of lipids in an animal's diet can affect the immune system's reactivity.
The administration of medium-chain triglycerides, e.g. contained in coconut oil, improves the immune response in case of bacterial infections. Another important group of lipids that influence the activity of the immune system are the essential fatty acids Omega 6 and Omega 3. The immune system cells can synthesise non-essential fatty acids but must rely on circulating lipids for essential ones. For this reason, the lipid composition of immune cells reflects the fatty acid composition of lipids in the diet.
Omega 3
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, have numerous beneficial effects and can reduce inflammation. They are effective in multiple diseases, such as arthrosis, heart disease, kidney failure, and oncological diseases. Proper supplementation should never be missing from our dogs‘ and cats’ bowls. They are primarily of marine origin, such as fish or krill oil, but choosing top-quality products that are certified and free of heavy metals is crucial.
Minerals and Vitamins
Minerals and vitamins, present in minute quantities in food, make life possible. They are indispensable for some metabolic reactions in the body and are also involved in modulating immune responses. Let us examine some of the essential substances for the well-being of the immune system.
Selenium, vitamin E and vitamin C
Selenium and vitamin E work in synergy, involving an antioxidant enzyme, glutathione-peroxidase, which can influence the body's immune activity.
Vitamin C, which intervenes in the re-utilisation of vitamin E, also directly affects the body's immune responses: vitamin C deficiencies make the body more vulnerable to attack by external agents, and it is a good idea to supplement during the most critical periods.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A deficiency is well documented as a cause of loss of effectiveness of the non-specific and specific immune systems. Although it is difficult to have such deficiencies with commercial food, they are much more frequent with DIY and unbalanced home diets.
B-vitamins
The B vitamins are always described as a single complex, but the most important for the immune system is vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine. A deficiency of this vitamin is associated with alterations in cell-mediated and humoral immune responses.
Copper, zinc and iron
Deficiency in these three elements is associated with more or less severe alterations in the immune response.
Research suggests that many nutrients, such as copper and zinc, may be required over current dietary recommendations in chronic diseases to replace losses. For this reason, supplementing these elements may be particularly beneficial in chronic disease cases to strengthen the immune system.
Caring for the Gut Microbiota
One must mention the gut microbiota when discussing nutrition and the immune system. The health of the intestinal microbiota, i.e., collecting all the microorganisms present in the intestines of dogs and cats, is indispensable for properly functioning immune responses.
Indeed, it is the first interface between food and the immune system. A healthy microbiota can produce numerous molecules that support the formation and function of the immune system's cells and ensure a correct response.
Hence, this allows defence against ingested pathogens and tolerance to harmless food antigens. When there is dysbiosis, i.e. an alteration of the microbiota, food intolerances are much more common. A fresh, rich, varied diet is the best way to care for the gut microbiota and make it strong and healthy.
Nutrition as part of the cure
Nowadays, it is unthinkable not to care for our dogs' and cats' diets. Nutrition is our first preventive weapon, strengthening our animals' immune systems so that they are less susceptible to attack from external agents.
Conclusion
In conclusion, pet immune system nutrition plays a pivotal role in maintaining the overall health and longevity of our beloved dogs and cats. By ensuring a balanced diet rich in essential proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, we can significantly enhance our pets' ability to fight off diseases and maintain optimal health.
Remember, a well-nourished pet is healthier, and investing in proper pet immune system nutrition is an investment in your furry friend's future. As responsible pet owners, we must provide the best nutritional foundation for our companions, enabling them to thrive and enjoy life to the fullest.
Thank you for reading the article to the end. Your reading contribution was significant to us.
Affiliate Disclosure: The Frenchie Breed website may receive a small commission from the proceeds of any product(s) sold through affiliate and direct partner links at no cost to you.
Post a Comment