Page 10 - Diet And Dementia Casein Antioxidants DHEA

Clinical Evidence Review

Scientific Insights

Evaluation of nutritional options for managing

anxiety or stress in cats.

KEY POINTS:

UÊ Accumulating evidence suggests that the urinary bladder of cats with feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is
secondarily affected by an exaggerated sympathetic nervous system response to perceived stress.
UÊ Stress reduction (e.g., environmental enrichment) is recommended as a key component of management for FIC.
UÊ Tryptophan and a milk protein hydrolysate (hydrolyzed casein) have been shown to decrease anxiety and
stress-related behavioral signs and may be helpful for cats with FIC.

GENERAL BACKGROUND
The term “stress”, as it is currently used, was coined by Hans Selye in 1936 when he published in Nature the article “A syndrome
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produced by diverse nocuous agents” . His initial definition of stress was “The nonspecific response of the body to any demand made
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on it”. Selye’s proposed General Adaptation Theory (1950) described three responses of the body to stressors: alarm, resistance and
exhaustion. Chronic stress would lead to exhaustion as manifested by disease and death.
Although the effects of stress in cats have not been extensively evaluated, recently published evidence shows that stress increases
the risk of upper respiratory tract infections and is involved in the pathogenesis of FIC . The importance of providing an enriched
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environment for cats in domestic settings has recently led to recommendations from the American Association of Feline Practitioners
and the International Society of Feline Medicine. They supported a provision of 5 pillars of needs for cats to minimize perceived stressors,
and thus stress . However, this monograph did not include any recommendations regarding the potential influence of nutrition for the
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management of stress in cats. Below is a summary of recently reported studies in cats describing the effects of nutritional supplements
on anxiety and stress-related behaviors.

EFFECT OF DIETARY INTAKE OF L-TRYPTOPHAN SUPPLEMENTATION ON

MULTI-HOUSED CATS PRESENTING STRESS-RELATED BEHAVIOURS.

Pereira GG, Fragoso S, Pires E. Effect of dietary intake of L-tryptophan supplementation on multi housed cats presenting stress related behaviours,
in Proceedings. BSAVA 2010.
BACKGROUND

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that has multiple metabolic fates. In most species it may be incorporated into proteins, converted
to glucose and oxidized for energy, serve as a precursor to partially fulfill the niacin requirement and finally be converted to the
neurotransmitter serotonin. Cats are unique from other species in that their ability to convert tryptophan to niacin is negligible and thus
they have a requirement for preformed niacin in their diet.