Give Lysine To Dogs

Dogs In Canada Magazine -- » Old age and amino acids

Essential, that is, cannot be manufactured by the animal and must be supplied in the diet.

In dogs, the essential amino acids are arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Different foods provide different levels of the various amino acids, and most lack at least one, so various proteins must usually be combined to give a complete profile.

The dog cannot store extra amino acids for use later. Each must be supplied in the diet every day. If any amino acid is absent or not supplied in sufficient quantities, the body will degrade its own muscles to obtain the required amino acid.

Renal disease, cancer and cardiovascular disease are the top three causes of death in dogs. Obesity, osteoporosis and loss of lean muscle mass are common complications of older age. But some of these argue for lower protein levels (renal disease, cancer, osteoporosis), while others indicate a need for higher protein levels (loss of lean muscle mass, obesity). This is where amino acid profiles can play a role.

It is beginning to appear that lysine, one of the essential amino acids, may be able to play a beneficial role in balancing the conflicting needs of the conditions facing older animals. And another of the essential amino acids, arginine, may be beneficial in improving immune function and reducing inflammation in dogs with cancer, especially as a preventive of the unpleasant side effects of cancer treatments.

A high protein level can help save lean muscle mass, but it can at the same time exacerbate renal disease and osteoporosis. But instead of raising or lowering protein levels as a whole, adjustments in individual amino acids can be made.

In trying to develop weight-loss formulations, pet food manufacturers have found that dogs on high-fiber lower-protein diets did indeed lose weight, but also lost lean muscle mass. Adjusting the diet so that there was a higher lysine-to-calories ratio allowed the weight loss to continue, but halted the loss of lean muscle tissue. This strategy could also prove useful for those dogs suffering chronic renal failure, whose protein intake must be carefully monitored.

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