Adult
Efficacy
SANIMED Adult is tailored to the lower nutritional requirements of adult dogs of
all breeds (National Research Council, 2006). Growth does not take place during
the adult phase and increased monitoring of the body condition should occur. The
sources of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are of a high quality and as a result,
digestion improves and thereby also defecation. The extra crude fibre content, of
which a portion is moderately fermentable, promotes the integrity of the colonic
mucous membrane, stimulates intestinal motility and the expelling of well formed
stools (Hallman et al., 1995).
SANIMED Adult is rich in the polyunsaturated fatty acids from the omega-3 family,
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In combination
with the high Vitamin E supply, the high intake of EPA will stimulate the adult dog’s
immune function (Kearns et al., 1999).
Causes of natural death or euthanasia in dogs are mostly cancer, disorders of
the musculoskeletal system, kidney and liver failure and heart function disorders.
SANIMED Adult is compiled to decrease the risk of the most significant diseases.
To reduce the risk of cancer, SANIMED Adult contains extra Vitamin E to combat
the formation of free radicals and oxidative damage (Jewell et al., 2000; Zicker et
al., 2006). This food is also rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids from the omega-3
family, which also discourage the occurrence of cancer (Ogilvie et al., 2000).
Furthermore, the high content of omega-3 fatty acids leads to the synthesis of
eicosanoids, which act as an inhibitor against inflammation, therewith suppressing
osteoarthritis (Schoenherr, 2005) and atopic reactions (Baddaky-Taugbøl et al.,
2005). The risk of kidney failure is reduced through extra Vitamin E (Demirbas et al.,
1993), the high content of EPA (Brown et al., 1998) and in particular, through the
low phosphorus content (Beynen, 2006). SANIMED Adult contains a low protein
level which reduces ammonia and urea production, providing relief to the liver and
kidneys. In addition to this, the proteins have a high biological value and are easily
digestible. SANIMED Adult has a low sodium content to control blood pressure,
and thereby, contributes to the maintenance of the heart function (Rush et al.,
2000).
The condition of an adult dog’s body determines, to a large extent, their life
expectancy. An excessive condition increases the risk of cancer, disorders of the
musculoskeletal system, diabetes, kidney and liver failure and heart function
disorders (German, 2006). The specific composition of SANIMED Adult reduces
the risk of the mentioned diseases, but the body condition of the dog should be
monitored. The condition depends on the food intake and, to a lesser extent, on
movement. An ideal body condition increases the animal’s lifespan (Kealy et al.,
2002) and reduces the risk of osteoarthritis (Kealy et al., 1997) and cancer (Perez
Alenza et al., 1998). An individual dog should be fed SANIMED Adult in such an
amount that their ideal condition is achieved and maintained.