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Harnessing the Power of NAD+ and Senolytics to Improve the Lives of Dogs.
Loving and caring for dogs is a bright spot in the lives of many pet parents and the veterinary professionals charged with caring for these amazing animals. The companionship, joy, and love that dogs offer humans is incomparable. As all pet parents and veterinary professionals know, one of the downsides to a strong human animal bond is saying goodbye too soon to a beloved dog.
Aging in dogs presents in many ways from the easily observed physical changes like graying of the muzzle to less obvious cognitive signs which sometimes happen so gradually that they are hard to detect at first. For many pet parents, this is a distressing time. While veterinary professionals have knowledge and experience to help manage many of these issues of aging, what if we could change the perspective and help pet parents focus on healthy aging?
The signs of canine aging result from cellular aging, and any condition that reveals an overall “slowing down” indicates that NAD+ (nicotinic adenine dinucleotide) levels could be declining, and senescent cells have accumulated. NAD+, is the compound in our dog’s cells (and humans, too!) that’s integral for cellular metabolism and the driver of optimal cellular function.
What are Senescent Cells?
We refer to cells that are aging and breaking down as senescent. Biologically, senescence is the process whereby cells age and stop dividing but don’t die; these old cells – also known as “zombie cells” – build up over time. Alive, but not functioning correctly, they release chemicals that accelerate aging and cause inflammation. The benefit of senescent cells is that they have a role in immune function, wound healing, for example. However, the liability of cellular senescence is that these cells influence healthy nearby cells to become senescent, leading to aging.
Senolysis is the process of removing the senescent cells that happens naturally every day. With aging, the accumulation of senescent cells happens more rapidly than their removal. Support of this natural clearance can positively impact cellular aging. In addition, we must also boost NAD+ to ensure optimal cellular function. When NAD levels decline, it leads to issues of aging and systemic breakdowns, mentally and physically.
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A New Solution to Slow the Signs of Aging
Among several critical factors to maintain cellular health as dogs age are: preserving mitochondrial function, managing the population of senescent cells, and controlling inflammation. The mitochondria are the core element of the cell responsible for energy production; NAD+ is crucial for mitochondrial function. When NAD+ levels are in decline, the mitochondria cannot support cellular metabolism which negatively impacts the dog’s vigor.
Ginny Rentko CMD, DACVIM, is Chief Veterinary Medical Officer at Animal Bioscience and one of the minds behind the new-to-market soft chew supplement for dogs, Leap Years®. Animal Bioscience has grown out of a deep commitment to animals and a desire to shift the paradigm of aging in dogs to years of healthy aging, instead of simply accepting a slow decline.
Leap Years® soft chew supplement is a two-part cellular health system that harnesses the power of the senolytic process by removing zombie cells while boosting their NAD+ levels. Breakthroughs in human aging science gave birth to this knowledge, which then translated into molecules with tested clinical benefit, appropriately dosed for dogs, Rentko said.
“Leap Years® supports the natural clearance of accumulated senescent cells,” said Rentko. “It is a pulse regimen of a senolytic at the beginning of the month to rid senescent cells, and daily boosting of NAD. It takes about 4-6 weeks for senescent cells to reaccumulate in dogs, at which time, they receive the senolytic again.”
Leap Years® soft chew supplement combines a powerful senolytic that knocks out zombie cells while delivering sufficient amounts of NAD+ to improve mitochondrial function. With this new, clinically tested supplement, veterinary professionals and pet parents can support healthy aging at the cellular level, remove senescent cells, and boost declining NAD+ levels to ensure happy and healthy aging for dogs.
