Study Finds Fresh Dog Food Promotes Healthy Aging in Seniors

What health benefits can we measurably see when we feed human-grade food to our dogs? Researchers at Cornell University set out to quantify these benefits in a recent year-long study led by Dr. Heather Huson, associate professor of animal sciences.

This first-of-its-kind study took a look at the metabolic health of 22 senior Alaskan sled dogs fed either a fresh food diet or a traditional kibble diet. Within just one month, dogs fed the fresh food diet experienced a rapid and sustained metabolic shift marked by lower levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These harmful compounds are linked to aging and chronic disease.

This research confirms what pet parents have been observing for years — that fresh, whole-food diets help their dogs thrive. Dr. Joseph Wakshlag, one of the board-certified veterinary nutritionists involved in the study, emphasized that the magnitude and consistency of the positive impacts were "quick, sustained, and striking," indicating that switching older dogs to fresh food diets offers significant and rapid benefits to muscular health, neurological health, antioxidant defense, and more. Learn more about the study here.

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