Why nutrition and behavior in dogs are connected
Nutrition and behavior in dogs: the links
It’s not easy to correlate behavior with nutrition, but this link is very clear, and it’s perfectly logical being that behavior is regulated by precise hormones and neurotransmitters, whose function is regulated especially by diet.
Therefore, either foods are healthy and complete, otherwise specific organic structures cannot perform correctly their functions, and whatever mechanism they superintend gets more or less seriously jammed.
Nutrition and behavior in dogs: studies and research
In this regard, the huge increase in adverse reactions to food, such as, food allergies and intolerances, is under everyone’s noses, and all the research I’ve been lucky enough to complete – with the Research and Development group for which I am responsible – clearly demonstrates a negative relationship between certain pharmacological pollutants and the exponential growth of the various inflammatory diseases of dogs and cats. These pathologies are mainly represented by conjunctivitis, keratitis, otitis, dermatitis, gingivitis and stomatitis, gastritis, enteritis and colitis, chronic and/or recurrent, but – in ways that can be considered surprising – also occur manifesting well-defined behavioral disorders, all related to anxiety.
Nutrition and behavior in dogs: reactions
The first and perhaps most serious event related to the above described mechanism is the unpredictability. This problem is unfortunately quite common in dogs that often suddenly behave aggressively and unpredictably, especially when meeting other dogs, but also with children or people in general. This explains the number of people who – not being sure of their dog’s reaction – must keep their dog on a tight leash, thus increasing, among other things, socialization difficulties, with consequent suspicious or manifestly hostile tendencies.
Other frequent manifestations are impulsivity, constant restlessness, nervousness, often unmotivated continuous barking (a “normal” dog does not bark furiously at people he knows well), separation anxiety, fear of storms or fireworks, destructiveness, attention disorders, inappropriate territory marking (inappropriate defecation and urination), sleep disorders, obsessions, phobias, obsessive exploration (of the leg, the environment and people).
As you can see, the list is surprisingly long, but what I described above is very often caused by the presence of specific toxic residues in food, and more precisely in the bone of the animals resulting from intensive farming (especially chicken meal), and this is demonstrated by the fact that a diet that eliminates it, and which is rich in plants with antioxidants and immune-modulating effects, sees frequent regressions of the previously mentioned symptoms in a very short amount of time (one, two or three weeks).
Nutrition and behavior in dogs: helpful tips
Opt for fish, organic meat or meat derived from animals that are not intensively farmed, ask for the help of your veterinarian or your canine educator to facilitate the educational paths of your puppy or re-education of your adult dog, and so that you can obtain more clarification on which specific product to use and which manufacturers of dietetic foods you can count on, this without any risk to your pet and with a good chance of improving their physical and mental balance (as well as that of all who live with them…)
Forza10 Founder and Head of SANYpet’s Research and Development Department Veterinary surgeon and international expert in food-borne diseases
