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The Stages of Dog Brain Development
0-3 weeks - Deaf, blind and totally dependent on the motherÂ
3-6 weeks - Exposure to the world and new sights, sounds and smells
6-8 weeks - The critical socialisation period. Begins to form bonds with humans
12-16 weeks - Learning experiences, the ‘fear imprint stage’
16-20 weeks - Brain is 80% of adult size, a personality emerges
20 weeks - 12 months - Brain becomes mature, emotions begin to settle
Generally, a dog’s brain will be fully developed at around two years old, with changes only occurring later on in the pup’s life.
As development continues, the brain will begin to age - the natural process of neural and tissue death will shrink the brain size down, and this has some noticeable effects.
Symptoms of brain ageing and cognitive decline in senior dogs include:Â
Personality changes
Delayed or reduced responses to stimuli
Confusion
Barking for no reason
Toileting accidents
By the age of 10, over 25% of dogs will show symptoms of brain ageing, with over 60% of dogs showing signs when aged 15 years or over.
The Best Brain Health Dog Food
As dog brain development never truly ends, finding a suitable diet to protect and nourish the brain during every life stage is crucial.
In puppies, rapid growth needs food and supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids, like the Brilliant Salmon Oil, as this is essential for a healthy brain and neural development.Â
Liver is an excellent source of folic acid, so finding a high-quality puppy food, such as K9 Optimum Puppy, which contains both liver and EPA/DHA, is essential to fuel their developing brain.
Antioxidants such as vitamin C are also important, as free radicals can cause oxidising injury to the body and brain tissues. Choline is another brain-boosting nutrient that is essential to all life stages and is found either as an additive to dog foods or naturally in ingredients such as eggs, chicken and salmon.
A good diet with additional supplements is the key to keeping your dog's brain healthy into adulthood, so pairing a brain-healthy adult food, such as the K9 Optimum, with additional supplementation of antioxidants and essential minerals, such as the ProDog Raw Revive Recovery and Protection is essential.
In elderly dogs, diet is extremely important for keeping their ageing brain healthy and engaged. A diet rich in vitamin C, E and omega-3 fatty acids can fight damage caused by free radicals and improve the symptoms of brain ageing and cognitive decline.
Adding a supplement to your old dog’s diet is also recommended, with the VetIQ Senior tablets being our top choice, as they add amino acids, a full vitamin spectrum and energy-promoting ingredients to keep your elderly pooch moving.
Brain Stimulating Dog Toys To Keep Their Brain Healthy!
When it comes to stimulation, toys are the best way to keep your dog’s brain engaged. Puzzle toys such as the Pet Brands Toadstool Hide N Seek Toy are a good option for this, as they are both fun and functional, teaching your pooch to problem solve.
This stimulation is just as important for older dogs as it is for younger ones, helping to keep their brain healthy by engaging different parts, while being lots of fun to play with.
Studies have shown that a lack of mental stimulation can affect the sensory receptors in the brain, which can have an impact on behaviour and even cause depression and anxiety in dogs.Understanding Dog Heart Health
The heart is a muscle that works to pump blood at pressure around your dog's blood vessels, carrying oxygen around the body - including the brain.
Keeping this vital organ healthy is key to maintaining your pup’s health, so they can live a full and happy life.
Unfortunately, some canines can have heart problems and some of the most common signs and symptoms include:
Breathlessness
Exercise intolerance/ tiring easily
Coughing
Swollen tummy (ascites)
Blue or pale lips/tongue
Generalised weight loss and muscle wasting
Collapse
Dogs who are elderly are susceptible to developing heart problems, and there are breeds that are more likely to either develop heart problems or inherit them genetically.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Boxers and Dobermans are just some of the many breeds prone to these issues. In particular, it's thought that over 50% of the population of King Charles Spaniels will have a heart murmur by the time they're five.Despite this, there are many ways you, as an owner, can look after your dog’s heart, whether they’re prone to issues or not.
The Best Heart Health Dog Foods
There are several important ingredients to look for in your dog's food that can help to keep their heart healthy.Â
Taurine is an amino acid that can usually be obtained from animal proteins. It is essential for heart health, enabling it to to pump effectively, so look for foods containing taurine, such as The K9 Optimum range, to contribute to a healthy heart at all life stages.
Omega-3 has been shown to help to stabilise heart cells and keep them healthy, so a diet rich in omega-3, which can be obtained from fish oil supplements such as the Lifestage Salmon Oil for Dogs, can help to protect both the heart and brain.Vitamins C and E have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks in dogs, so look out for those high on the ingredient lists when choosing supplements or food for your pooch.
Too much sodium can be dangerous, as it can raise their blood pressure and put extra strain on the heart. You can avoid high salt levels by checking the ingredients of any new foods, as well as limiting any human foods you’re treating your pooch to, and stay clear of high fat, high salt human treats!
As well as salt, a high fat diet can cause high cholesterol, which universally impacts the heart and how it works. While Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for your dog, dietary fat often leads to prolonged health issues, so checking the amount of dietary fat on the ‘constituents’ portion of your dog’s food packet can help to limit this, as well as highly restricting any high-fat human tid-bits.
Other Ways to Look After Your Dog’s Heart
There are other things you can do to help keep your dog’s heart healthy.
A few gentle walks a day can easily make all the difference in keeping them in tip-top shape all round. Keeping them calm and at a healthy weight can also reduce strain on the heart, so a calorie-controlled diet in elderly dogs and calming pheromones, which can be found in the Adaptil pheromone diffuser for anxious pups can help to protect their heart from excess strain.
Keeping your dog's heart and mind healthy by using diet, stimulation and exercise will help to keep them happy and thriving for as long as possible. Why not discover our range to find the perfect, tasty food for your dog today?