Q & A with Pet Nutrition and Cognition Expert Dr. Janet Jackson

Last month I had the honor of attending the #BetterWithPets Purina Summit in NYC where thought leaders in the pet industry shared their insights with inspiring talks of innovation. One of the presenters was Janet Jackson a researcher and expert in nutrition and cognition at Purina. Her area of expertise, keeping a senior pet’s mind sharp is a timely one during Adopt-a Senior Pet Month this month. With better care, pets are living longer. That’s good news for older pets in shelters who are passed over because of their age. As we make greater strides in improving senior health and cognition, animals ageism can be reframed and older pets can viewed as more adoptable.

For those of us with senior pets (like Merlin age 20, seen above) the future is looking more hopeful for longer, happier and healthier lives because we all know: life is better with pets. It begins with research.

This short video captures the flavor of the #betterwithpets Purina summit.

Dr. Jackson took time out of her busy schedule to kindly answer a few questions.

1) Cats are living longer. What factors other than nutrition play a role in increasing longevity?

In addition to our advances in feline nutrition and health, advancements in veterinary care and diagnostics have played a significant role to identify and treat health conditions. Also, as cats have become a bigger part of their owner’s lives and started living indoors more, this has impacted their longevity by reducing their exposure to outdoor hazards. However, as a nutritionist I understand how we continue to gain knowledge through our ongoing studies and we focus incorporating these innovations into our foods to promote healthy long lives for our pets.

2) What is the biggest innovation in feline nutrition since obtaining your PhD in nutrition is the ’80s?

There are so many innovations and discoveries that Purina has worked to develop over the years to improve our cats health that it’s difficult to single out one. These would include our innovations in promoting urinary tract health; our work in feline Diabetes led to the product that can help reduce their need for insulin; our work in feline aging and weight management to help maintain lean muscle mass to promote longevity; and most recently our work in cognitive health in both cats and dogs resulted in one of the most significant discoveries. Through nutrition we can keep the pet’s mind vital and active to help assure they maintain their role as a valued part of their owners’ lives.

3) If a senior cat is doing well on their current diet, what advantage would there be to change their diet?

We believe that feeding our cats a nutrient rich food throughout their lifespan, particularly as they enter their middle years, will help keep them healthy and active throughout their lifetime. As pets age, there are metabolic changes that may occur during aging that can contribute to changes in cognitive health. Our research has shown that we can provide a unique formulation containing a nutrient blend that we call the Brain Protection Blend that includes fish oil, b-vitamins, antioxidants and arginine (an essential amino acid) . The Brain Protection Blend targets the metabolic changes and risk factors associated with age-related cognitive decline to support healthy brain function and structure. As your cat ages, they may show signs of cognitive decline such as signs of confusion, reduced activity/mobility, reduced interaction with the family, sleep/wake cycle changes, house soiling issues, pacing and vocalization at night.

4) How to you feel about adding diet supplements like EFA’s or nutraceuticals for senior cat cognition?

Our focus has been to develop innovations that are incorporated into the foods so the pets receives the appropriate nutrition every day to support cognitive health. We understand how important it is to assure the cats receives the food every day to assure the benefit. We have been working in area of cognitive health for more than 10 years. Our proactive approach supports brain health as pets ages to keep them an integral part of the their owners’ lives.