Your Pets Need Antioxidants Too
Antioxidants are substances that made waves in human health. But studies have shown that pets benefit from them too. Pets, just like their masters, are also prone to free radicals and their damaging effects. And these free radicals are the most common causes of pre-mature aging and several diseases.
Antioxidants neutralize hazardous molecules in the body and eventually protect them from harmful elements. Antioxidants can be found in several foods, vitamins, and minerals, which contain enzymes rich in antioxidant properties. Examples of common antioxidants are Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. Minerals zinc and selenium are rich in them too. Enzymes like flavonoids, carotenoids, and the coenzyme Q10 are also popular antioxidants.
But the sad truth about antioxidants is the fact that most pet foods available in stores don't carry them.
The solution is to give your pets homemade foods that are rich in these helpful elements.
To implement a homemade diet for your dogs or cats, you have to make some research and ask your vet for suggestions.
Small quantities of fruits and vegetables added in your dog or cat's diet will help a lot in giving them the necessary antioxidants to help them combat diseases. Dogs can consume as much as 30% of grains and plant products in their food. They are not as strict carnivores as cats, which can only manage around 10%. To give your pets fruits and vegetables, make sure to blend them well using a food processor and add them to their usual meal.
Examples of vegetables that have good antioxidant contents are broccoli, peas, and spinach. For fruits, it's apples, avocados, and blueberries. Other choices include cabbage, green beans, celery, sweet potatoes, squash, kale, chard, beetroots, asparagus, and cauliflower. Most of these items are highly available in the supermarket. So there's no reason you can't give your pets at least one of them every meal. Green leafy vegetables are always your best bet.
Seeds are also good choices of antioxidants too, as they are rich in selenium and zinc. You can use Braxil nuts, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Aside from those minerals, seeds also contain Vitamin E and healthy oils. You can feed large dogs with one seed each day. Cats and smaller dogs can only manage small amounts every after a few days.
Don't give your pets raw onions. As much as onions are good for humans and have high nutritional value, they are not tolerated much by the digestive system of dogs and cats. The same is true with pepper, tomatoes, potato, and cucumber. Don't give garlic to cats, although you can occasionally add it to your dog's food in small amounts. It is a good flea repellent.
Of all antioxidants, Vitamin E is the most potent. Vitamin E have powerful disease-fighting and anti-aging properties. Vitamin C, on the other hand, should be administered with proper caution. Cats don't really need them. And it is believed that dogs can produce enough Vitamin C in their liver. So better ask your veterinarian about it.
Vitamin A is another good antioxidant. Vegetable contains beta-carotene. But cats and dogs find it hard to synthesize beta-carotene to turn it into Vitamin A. Liver is a good source of Vitamin A. It may be necessary for you to give your pets Vitamin A supplement.
In 2005, veterinarians and other pet experts conducted a study to find out the importance of antioxidants in pets. They discovered that dogs, given enough of antioxidants in their diet perform better in cognitive test than the animals that don't. The study even shows that the dogs performed as good as younger animals.
In mice, antioxidants prove to be a good longevity agent. Mice with enough antioxidants in their body live 20% longer than others. There were lesser instances of heart diseases and age-related disorders in them too. This is how important antioxidants are. So make sure antioxidants are always included in your pet's diet.
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