Supplements Help Boost Pets’ Health

Five New Pet Products Launched

by James South, M.A.

This month we are adding five more products to our new pet supplement line.

Pet owners simply cannot expect their pets to receive truly optimum nutrition from most of the commonly available pet foods on the market. (I have written a special report, “American Pet Food Scandal” that provides an in-depth look at the issue. Request a copy by calling Customer Service or e-mail us at customerservice@vrp.com.)

As that report makes clear, most pet food companies label their pet foods as providing “complete and balanced nutrition” based on meeting the AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) “nutrient profiles.” The nutrient profiles are simply a list of amino acids, vitamins and minerals, with a specified quantity for each nutrient.

For vitamins and minerals, the nutrient profiles specify so many milligrams of nutrient per kilogram of food. The AAFCO standards are based on “growth and reproduction minimums” and “adult maintenance minimums.” They make no claim to provide optimum or maximum nutrient levels. Since the animal feeding test that AAFCO allows as an alternative way to meet the “complete and balanced nutrition” standard only requires six of eight test animals to survive for a mere six months while eating the food being tested, it’s apparent that AAFCO’s concept of “minimum requirement” is minimal, indeed!

Therefore, pet owners simply cannot expect a significant, health-and-longevity-promoting level of nutrients to be present in their pet foods, even though various vitamins, minerals and amino acids (such as taurine) are listed on the label as being added into the food. There is simply no economic incentive for pet food companies to exceed the AAFCO minimums. And meeting those minimums is all they have to do to label their food as providing “complete and balanced nutrition.”

That is why pet owners who love their pets and want to promote their health and longevity must supplement their pet’s diets with intelligently formulated, high quality pet supplements.

Dog Vites
VRP has formulated a comprehensive basic multi-nutrient product for dogs. It contains not only the standard vitamins and minerals, but other “specialty’ nutrients not usually found in a pet multi.

These nutrients are provided at mid-range levels. They provide more than just RDA levels, but not at potentially excessive “super-mega” levels.

Each serving of Dog Vites powder provides 500 mg of desiccated liver, both for the taste dogs love, as well as for the storehouse of nutrients in liver. Dog Vites also has 250 mg of flax seed powder, a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Vitamin A and natural beta carotene provide immune-boosting and skin/eye benefits. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid and methylcobalamin (coenzyme B12) support healthy skin/coat, energy production, red blood cells, and brain neurotransmitter levels. Vitamin D3, the natural form of D, promotes strong bones and immune health. Natural vitamin E succinate provides antioxidant power. Although dogs can make their own vitamin C, studies have shown that many animals benefit from supplemental vitamin C, especially when under stress or exposed to toxins, so Dog Vites contains calcium ascorbate C.19, 20

Dog Vites contain a generous serving of betaine (trimethylglycine), which detoxifies homocysteine and provides methyl groups for liver health. Milk thistle extract (silymarin) also promotes liver health and detoxification. Lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine have been shown in recent animal studies to reverse many aspects of the metabolic degeneration that occurs with aging, and they’re both in Dog Vites.1-5 Rosemary extract provides unique phytonutrient antioxidant power.

While most pet foods provide their minerals in poorly absorbed inorganic oxide or sulfate forms, Vitamin Research Products’ Dog Vites contain “organic” forms. Zinc monomethionine, copper sebacate (which mimics copper SOD), boron amino acid chelate and chromium picolinate are all excellent forms of their respective minerals, and are used in Dog Vites. Selenium is provided by a 50-50 mixture of selenomethionine and methylselenocysteine, instead of the cheaper (and more toxic) sodium selenite used in most dog foods. Kelp in Dog Vites provides iodine and other ultra-trace minerals.

Cat Vites
VRPs’ Cat Vites are formulated with the unique needs of felines in mind. Many of the nutrients are the same as in Dog Vites, but at potencies more suitable to the smaller size of cats. B vitamins, calcium ascorbate C, D3, E succinate, vitamin A and natural beta carotene, zinc, boron, chromium, selenium, copper and kelp iodine are all present in Cat Vites. Betaine and milk thistle silymarin also provide feline liver support; 500 mg liver per serving provides good taste (if you’re a cat) and diverse nutrients.

Yet cats have unique dietary/ metabolic issues which are covered by Cat Vites as well. Cats are uniquely dependent upon dietary taurine, an amino acid most other mammals can make in their bodies. Without adequate taurine, cats will develop heart problems and blindness. Each serving of Cat Vites provides 150 mg taurine.

Cats have problems with ammonia metabolism, so Cat Vites include arginine, an amino acid member of the arginine-ornithine-citrulline cycle that disposes of ammonia from protein metabolism.

Cats also have problems with fatty acid metabolism that dogs don’t. Cats are naturally low in the enzyme D6D, which converts linoleic acid into gamma linolenic acid (GLA), the precursor for cell-essential arachidonic acid.6 Cat Vites therefore provide 20 mg GLA from borage oil in each serving, thus bypassing this critical “bottleneck” in feline fatty acid metabolism. Cat Vites also contains a 98.7 percent polyphenol green tea extract to provide extra neuroprotection and antioxidant power for cats.

Rejuva-Pet
VRP is also offering a unique “pet rejuvenation” product to complement the Dog Vites and Cat Vites for those who want really serious, cutting edge pet supplements. I’ve already “biotested” this one on one of my cats, Big Bob. He’s about 7 years old, obese, sedentary, and has had a hard life, with many injuries. After just one week of use, Bob was like a new cat. His fur, always coarse and dry, was smooth and silky. His energy levels rose dramatically. He was up earlier, slept less, and ran around our two-and-a-half-acre property like a young kitten, bursting with energy. He even looked slightly thinner.

Rejuva-Pet contains an array of nutrients rarely found in pet supplements. CoQ10, lipoic acid, and acetyl-L-carnitine provide a boost to mitochondrial energy metabolism. Small amounts of 7-keto DHEA and pregnenolone provide an antistress hormonal boost.

D-ribose and creatine pyruvate provide for the production of increased levels of adenosine phosphates (AMP, ADP, ATP), further boosting mitochondrial energy metabolism.7 Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is included to promote cellular regeneration.8 Milk thistle silymarin and taurine provide liver support. Red wine polyphenols and green tea extract provide unique antioxidant power. Rhodiola rosea extract provides energizing, anti-stress adaptogenic support.9 Germanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) is a safe and effective immune booster.10 Calcium-d-glucarate promotes more effective fecal elimination of metabolic and dietary toxins.11

Vinpocetine promotes enhanced cerebral blood flow, metabolism and neuroprotection.12 Liver powder is added for taste and its unique nutrient profile. For dogs or cats that are old, tired, run down, sickly or recovering from a major illness, injury or surgery, Rejuva-Pet provides the optimal nutrient support so sadly lacking in most modern pet food. Rejuva-Pet should also keep healthy pets healthy longer. A cat can potentially live healthfully for 20 to 30 years. How many of us have cats who healthfully survive beyond 10 to 15 years?

Natural Whole Food Concentrate For Dogs
One of the most popular products in the pet food market is a “whole food concentrate.” VRP has created what we consider an outstanding formula called Natural Whole Food Concentrate for Dogs.

Liver powder is the first ingredient. Flax seed powder provides important omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Xylitol improves dental health, improves breath odor and inhibits the growth of various microbes, including Candida albicans, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae.13 Rice bran extract, alfalfa grass, and chicory inulin all provide frutooligosaccharides (FOS).14 FOS have been shown to beneficially modify intestinal friendly bacteria in adult dogs, and also reduce fecal putrefactive toxins.15

Omega fish powder provides EPA and DHA, the ultimate omega-3 fatty acids, which may be helpful in promoting healthy skin/coat.6 Kelp and dulse provide a rich store of ultra-trace minerals, including iodine. Spirulina, alfalfa and barley grass provide chlorophyll and other phytonutrients. Blackberry powder provides important proanthocyanidin antioxidants. Rosemary extract is a great herbal antioxidant. Garlic provides natural antimicrobial action. Carrots provide multiple natural carotenes, and lecithin yields beneficial phosphatides, such as phosphatidylcholine.

One of our customer service representatives has been using this product with her two dogs for over a month. She has observed a tremendous boost in their energy and activity levels, and one dog has lost a lot of fat without change in food intake. Dogs seem to love this product, but most cats do not. We therefore recommend this product only for dogs.

Nutri-Joint For Pets™
A common problem with both dogs and cats in America today is a high incidence of joint problems. Arthritis, hip dysplasia, stiff joints, evident joint pain—all seem to plague America’s dogs and cats. The nutrients in VRPs’ Nutri-Joint for Pets™ are all proven to support healthy joints.

A newly published study has found “…that the combination of methylsulfonylmethane [MSM] and glucosamine provides better and more rapid improvement in patients with osteoarthritis”16 than taking either one alone. With MSM and glucosamine demonstrating such human benefits, Nutri-Joint for Pets includes significant quantities of both ingredients.

Chondroitin sulfate also helps support healthy joints,17 and Nutri-Joint for Pets provides chondroitin from two sources: bovine chondroitin sulfate and Collagen Type II™ extract. Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) have anti-inflammatory activity and so are included as well. Boswella serrata is a classic Ayurvedic herb that contains various anti-inflammatory boswellic acids, so it is also included in Nutri-Joint for Pets. Bamboo extract provides silicon, which is important for collagen formation.21 Calcium ascorbate C and natural vitamin E succinate provide antioxidant power to combat free radical damage, always a part of joint degeneration. Collagen Type II also provides hyaluronic acid, another natural stimulant and component of healthy collagen metabolism.18

Liver is added for the taste dogs and cats love. Vitamin Research Products’ Nutri-Joint has provided effective joint support for humans, and Nutri-Joint for Pets should serve equally well to promote life-long joint health in beloved pets.

References
1. Lykkesfeldt J. et al. Age-associated decline in ascorbic acid concentration, recycling and biosynthesis in rat hepatocytes -reversal with (R)-alpha-lipoic acid supplementation. FASEB J 1998, 12:1183-89.
2. Hagen T. et al. Feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid to old rats significantly improves metabolic function while decreasing oxidative stress. PNAS 2002, 99:1870-75.
3. Liu J. et al. Age-associated mitochondrial decay: Improvement of carnitine acetyltransferase substrate-binding affinity and activity in brain by feeding old rats acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-alpha-lipoic acid. PNAS 2002, 99:1876-81.
4. Liu J. et al. Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: Partial reversal by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-alpha-lipoic acid. PNAS 2002, 99:2356-61.
5. Hagen T. et al. Mitochondrial decay in the aging rat heart. Ann NY Acad Sci 2002, 959:491-507.
6. Watson T. Diet and skin disease in dogs and cats. J Nutr 1998, 128:2783 S-89 S.
7. Dean W. Mitochondrial Restoration, Part III. D-ribose and creatine increase mitochondrial energy production. www.vrp.com.
8. Dean W. A highly effective anti-aging supplement: ribonucleic acid. www.vrp.com.
9. South J. Rhodiola rosea: an adaptogen for all seasons. www.vrp.com.
10. Fugate L. An organic mineral complex with unique health benefits: germanium sesquioxide. www.vrp.com.
11. Anonymous. Calcium-D-glucarate. Alt Med Rev 2002, 7:336-39.
12. Dean W., Morgenthaler J. Vinpocetine: A superior cerebral metabolic enhancer and neuroprotector. www.vrp.com.
13. Pierini, C. Xylitol: A sweet alternative. www.vrp.com.
14. Hussein H. et al. Selected fructooligosaccharide composition of pet-food ingredients. J Nutr 1998, 128:2803 S-05 S.
15. Swanson K. Fructooligosaccharides and Lactobacillus acidophilus modify gut microbial populations, total tract nutrient digestibilities and fecal protein catabolite concentrations in healthy adult dogs. J Nutr 2002, 132:3721-31.
16. Usha P. and Naidu M. Clin Drug Invest 2004, 24:353-63.
17. Ronca F. et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of chondroitin sulfate. Osteoarth Cartilage 1998, 6 (suppl A):14-21.
18. Greco, R. et al. Hyaluronic acid stimulates human fibroblast proliferation within a collagen matrix. J Cell Physiol 1998, 177:465-73.
19. Trulson M. et al. Ascorbic acid antagonizes the behavioral effects of LSD in cats. J Pharm Pharmacol 1985, 37:930-31.
20. Pettenuzzo L. et al. Ascorbic acid prevents cognitive deficits caused by chronic administration of propionic acid to rats in the water maze. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2002, 73:623-29.
21. Murray, M. Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Roseville, CA: Prima Pub. 1996:229-231.

The information in this article is not intended to provide personal medical advice, which should be obtained from a medical professional, and has not been approved by the U.S. FDA.

Copyright 2004 by Vitamin Research Products, Inc.