The pet food sector is increasingly focused on extending the healthy years of cats and dogs, with nutrition, veterinary care and age-related health products becoming important areas of development.
As pets live longer, maintaining their quality of life in later years is becoming a greater priority for owners. This is shifting attention from lifespan alone towards healthspan, the period an animal remains in good health and maintains its physical capabilities as it ages.
For pet food manufacturers, this creates opportunities to develop products that address the changing nutritional requirements of older animals. However, existing senior pet food formulations do not always reflect the specific needs of ageing cats and dogs, and further research is required to establish appropriate nutritional targets.
Much of the available research into senior pet nutrition is limited by the age of the data or a lack of peer-reviewed validation. A stronger evidence base could help manufacturers develop more targeted formulations and substantiate claims about the benefits of their products. It could also support greater differentiation between standard senior diets and products designed to address particular age-related nutritional needs.
Maintaining muscle mass is one area of interest, alongside mobility, coat condition and general wellbeing. Nutritional requirements can vary according to an animal’s age, breed, size and health status, meaning that a single approach to senior nutrition may not suit every pet.
The focus on longevity is also extending beyond nutrition. Veterinary medicine is exploring treatments designed to address aspects of biological ageing in companion animals. LOY-002, an investigational treatment developed by Loyal for dogs aged 10 and older, has received conditional approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Genetic research is providing another avenue for investigation. Studies involving Genflow Biosciences have examined a longevity-associated gene variant in older Beagles, reporting differences in outcomes including survival, muscle mass and coat condition.
Genflow Biosciences plc (LON:GENF, OTCQB:GENFF, FRA:WQ5) is a UK-based biotech firm with R&D facilities in Belgium focused on developing novel therapeutic approaches that potentially halt or slow the aging process in humans and dogs supporting longer, healthier lives
