Pet Food Developed to Relieve Dog Arthritis

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Pet Food Developed to Relieve Dog Arthritis

Sun Sep 8, 7:05 PM ET

By Reaney

LEICESTER, England (Reuters) - Veterinarians have harnessed the power of New

Zealand green lip mussels to produce a dog food that helps to relieve

arthritis pain suffered by aging canines around the globe.

An many as one fifth of the 4.8 million dogs in Britain alone experience the

painful inflammation of the joints, which is particularly prevalent in large

breeds and older dogs.

But veterinarians and scientists at Waltham, the pet care side of U.S. candy

and food maker Mars Inc, said on Monday they had produced a food using New

Zealand green lip mussels to ease the suffering of man's best friend.

It includes an extract from the flesh of the mussels that has been processed

in a special way. It has been used for several years to alleviate the pain

of arthritis in humans.

" We know that over 50 percent of dogs over the age of eight start to develop

arthritis in various joints. It is usually their hips, knees and elbows, "

said Dr. Karyl Hurley, who presented her research to a British science

conference.

The veterinarian at Waltham's research center in Leicestershire, England

said that until now treatment has consisted of daily anti-inflammatory

drugs.

" However, there is evidence to suggest that the use of these drugs may have

adverse and distressing side effects including irritation, anorexia,

vomiting and ulcers, " she told the British Association for the Advancement

of Science ( news - web sites) conference.

In a U.S. trial, four out of five canines given a supplement of the extract

in the dog food showed an improvement in arthritic symptoms after six weeks.

Independent veterinarians assessed the flexibility and mobility of dogs

before the trial and six weeks afterwards. All of the dogs were on the same

diet but half received a supplement of the extract.

" The vets were not aware which dogs were on which diet. They were blinded to

what the results might be and had to re-score them. The results were

significant and showed a drastic improvement in the majority of dogs after

six weeks, " Hurley explained.

The dog food, which can be used as a supplement or fed to dogs for life,

will be available through veterinarians in Europe, Australia, Japan and the

United States.

Raw green mussels have been a part of the diet of the native Maori

population in New Zealand for years. The mussels are rich in Omega-3 fatty

acids which have strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Hurley advised pet owners to make sure their dogs are not overweight because

obesity contributes to painful joints. Moderate, low-intensity routine

exercise, particularly swimming are also helpful to prevent the disease.