With the advancement of domestic dogs’ dietary structure, nutritional balance, and medical and health development, their general life span has reached more than ten years, but from our perspective, this life span is still not long enough. Increasing the lifespan of your dog should be something that is of interest to all dog owners, and in this article, we will share two different ways to increase your dog’s lifespan.

1: Soy isoflavones

Neutering domestic dogs has now become a question that all owners are considering. There are different opinions on the Internet about the pros and cons of this surgery. I have also received a lot of related consultations, and the answer is the same every time - to save myself trouble. , less trouble, neutering is a good choice. From the dog's own point of view, no one wants to be sterilized.

Sterilization has become mainstream, but it also has an obvious shortcoming. Research shows that unneutered females live the longest of all dogs. All mammals have the same basic physiology, and dogs can suffer from hormone imbalances just like us. Neutering can lead to menopause (female dogs)/cessation of androgen secretion (male dogs) and other related problems. Just as sex hormone deficiencies can cause osteoporosis and arthritis in us, the same can be said for the bones of other mammals. The cost of the reduction in sex hormones caused by sterilization is the impact on bone, joints, bladder function, cognitive function, self-stress management, cardiovascular function, weight gain, stable health of teeth and ligaments.

Therefore, some people have proposed hormone replacement methods to save the potential threats caused by sterilization, but hormone replacement is not a good choice because it will also increase some cancers and is quite expensive. But natural soy isoflavones (phytoestrogens) are a safe and reliable supplement that can restore many hormone functions. When given to dogs in appropriate doses, it can rebuild bladder function, bone density, reduce susceptibility to arthritis and ligament damage, and help prevent tooth loss due to periodontal disease.

Isoflavones are now classified as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). They are compounds similar to hormones. They have some effects, but they do not have all the effects of hormones. They are like a piano with only white keys. You can play it and it sounds nice, but you can't play some tones. Soy isoflavones help with bone and nerve growth and prevent arthritis, and they can also optimize the dog's own weight management. Not only that, soy isoflavones can also help dogs maintain cognitive function. These benefits can help your dog live longer and stay healthier. I tasted a little of this stuff and it was unpleasant and not easy to eat, but the taste can be masked by using meat and grains.

Two: Calorie Restriction

Among the topics of how to increase the lifespan of domestic dogs, the most common one is CR (calorie restriction, calorie restriction), a certain definition: caloriesCaloric restriction (CR) refers to limiting the total daily caloric intake while providing the organism with sufficient nutrients such as essential amino acids, vitamins, etc. to ensure that the organism does not suffer from malnutrition.

CR can increase human life span from 80 to 86 years, and increase the maximum life span from 100 to 113 years. The life span of domestic dogs can also be increased by 2-3 years. But this does not mean that you need to change your dog's diet, but it means that the total calories of high-fat foods it eats are reduced (30% to 50%).

Research shows that restricting caloric intake can upregulate survival and longevity genes in all mammals, but in today's domestic dog diet, high calories downregulate these genes. Therefore, you need to strictly control your dog's calories, including diet, exercise, weight loss, etc.

Here comes the question: Many people can’t even manage themselves, so how do they manage their dogs? Is there a safe compound that can upregulate CR-regulated genes? In fact, what we are looking for is not a compound that controls the weight of dogs, but a compound that controls the weight of dogs. It is a compound with the same effect as CR. It must be inexpensive and functional even in the dog's senior years.

If you know anything about diabetes, then you must be familiar with metformin. It was introduced to treat diabetes and make insulin work better and more efficiently, making insulin injections unnecessary. It is the current mainstream treatment for diabetes. It has been around for a long time, is not patented, and is not expensive to buy.

Metformin optimizes energy flow in cells. This optimization will make the dog's cells younger and its energy function more sound, thus "prolonging life." In most cases, the CR-simulating effect of metformin is greater than the CR itself. Research results from the Petrov Institute of Oncology in St. Petersburg, Russia, show that when metformin is used as a regular addition to drinking water, there are jaw-dropping longevity results.

Although ongoing research shows that metformin does extend lifespan, it is not included in the medication for dogs. I just put forward my opinion, the final judgment and decision is yours to make.

Give your dog a high-quality diet and an active lifestyle. Both can help dogs live longer, healthier lives.