A study published in the Journal of Animal Science found that including plasma in extruded diets improved mobility-related outcomes in senior dogs with mobility challenges over a 42-day feeding period.
The research, conducted collaboratively by APC and China Agricultural University, evaluated senior dogs across multiple endpoints, including lameness scoring, diet digestibility and select serum and synovial fluid biomarkers associated with immune signaling, oxidative capacity and joint health.
Key findings included:
- Mobility assessments: Improved lameness scores compared to control diets over the study period.
- Inflammatory markers: Favorable changes in select cytokine-related biomarkers associated with immune signaling.
- Joint-related biomarkers: Improvements in metalloproteinase activity and other joint-associated measures evaluated in serum and synovial fluid.
- Digestibility: Crude protein digestibility was improved, confirming nutritional performance of the diet.
"These findings add to the growing body of research evaluating how functional plasma proteins may support mobility-related outcomes, overall health and longevity in adult dogs," said Jerry Frankl, president and CEO of APC. "We remain committed to collaborating with leading research institutions and advancing science-based nutrition strategies that promote healthy aging and long-term vitality in companion animals."
The study is part of APC's broader research initiative exploring connections between nutrition, gastrointestinal health, systemic biomarkers and healthy aging in companion animals.
The full study is available in the Journal of Animal Science.
