Wellness

Friendly foods Some nutrients perform better with the right partners. Choosing when they meet can enhance nutritional value. Nutrition centres on the question of food compared with nutrients. Generally, a healthy diet is one that provides the right nutrients, in [...]

AGEs: a very apposite acronym If the UPF conversation is about the degree of processing, then the AGE conversation is about its biochemical cost. AGEs, a type of gerontotoxin (from the Greek geros, meaning “old age”), are recognised as significant [...]

Digestibility or bioavailability? Digestibility is the body’s ability to break food down into smaller molecules whereas bioavailability is the fraction of those molecules that are absorbed and utilised by the body. In other words, digestibility indicates the quantity of material [...]

Ultra Processed Foods We have known for some time that UPFs are bad for our health[1]. The Lancet has now published a major series of 104 studies examining the effects of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on human health. Taken together, these [...]

Antibiotics and gut health Recent veterinary studies have found that even short courses of antibiotics can have a lasting disruptive effect on the balance of the gut microbiome. Antibiotics save lives: no responsible dog owner would question their importance when [...]

Bioavailability – what is most bio-efficacious? We might assume when we feed our dogs that every ingredient on the label has a role to play. But we’d be wrong: not all of those ingredients are absorbed or utilised (bio-efficacious). Everything [...]

The blood-brain barrier The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system that profoundly influences overall health. A critical component of this axis is the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the integrity of which determines neurological health and cognitive function in dogs, affecting [...]

Nutrient Synergies and Antagonisms When a meal is greater than a sum of its parts As I've been studying nutrition and creating my own recipes, I've become increasingly interested in the concept of food synergy. Understanding how nutrients work together [...]

The Nose has it Gaining the edge: nutrition to sharpen sense of smell? Those who work with their dogs already appreciate their extraordinary power of smell: it’s a foundational pillar of their partnership. The ultimate tool of the quietly confident [...]

The Canine Athlete: Nutrition Mindset Using food to fuel stamina, resilience and performance We don’t always think of our dogs as athletes. Yet many of them are. In all shapes and sizes, be they gundogs traversing different terrains, sheepdogs following [...]

Chattering bacteria: quorum sensing The more I study nutrition and gut health, the more I marvel at how cleverly we are designed, and how much we depend on the living world within us – or should I say the world [...]

The Canine Gut-Brain Axis and why nutrition helps. The canine gut-brain axis is a complex communication network that connects the digestive system to the brain and influences most aspects of health and wellbeing. Essentially, this axis is an intricate bi-directional [...]

What’s in a Mushroom? The lesser-known compounds (and their effects) Many cultures, from traditional Chinese medicine to Japanese culinary heritage, have long recognised mushrooms for their medicinal qualities -  modern science is now revealing why those traditions were so effective. [...]

Restorative drinks This week, one of my dogs seemed a little under the weather. She has an autoimmune disorder which we try to manage through diet, in consultation with our vet. Perhaps unusually, we opted for a dietary plan over [...]

“The owner of a sporting dog should realize that proper nutrition is one of the most important factors influencing a dog's athletic performance.” Dog owners feed treats for different reasons. A 2023 study of treat motivations and behaviours[1] found that [...]

The gut microbiome Understanding and supporting the gut microbiome isn’t a fringe interest: it’s fast becoming a core part of modern canine care.   Once regarded as the body’s digestive assistant, the gut microbiome is now recognised as one of [...]

The shifting nutrition landscape Have you been bitten by the nutrition bug? There’s a good chance that you have, to one degree or another. After all, nutrition is a hot topic: the whole nutrition landscape is changing and as we [...]

Joint health is critical for maintaining mobility, comfort, and quality of life in our dogs. That’s not limited to ageing dogs with conditions like osteoarthritis (OA). Liigament injuries, joint instability, cartilage issues and inflammation can also impact younger and otherwise [...]

Hydrating drinks Now that we are facing some hot weather, hydration is top of the list: I'm really concerned to ensure that my very active dog does not become dehydrated. Especially because she doesn't appear to be very thirst-driven. But [...]

The importance of hydration "Water is the driving force of all nature." Leonardo Da Vinci   Hydration is a critical aspect of canine health, particularly for active and working dogs with high physical demands. Many existing studies have shown the [...]

Functional Foods In my “Functional Foods” post, I promised a list of studies showing how food has been used to a dog health. Studies I will keep updating this list as I discover more studies or as new studies emerge. [...]

What is functional food? For hundreds of years, herbs have been used as a medicinal remedy. Many of our medicines today originate from natural remedies, with the best-known example probably being aspirin, derived from the white willow tree[1]. Functional food [...]

Lutein for eyes and brains Lutein is thought of as the eye vitamin. And the brain vitamin. It is a xanthophyll carotenoid, renowned for its role in eye health, especially in filtering blue light and supporting macular pigment. Lutein is [...]

In a healthy body, free radicals and antioxidants are in balance. Free radicals are unstable molecules containing oxygen and an odd number of electrons. They "steal" electrons in a process known as oxidation, which is a normal process in [...]