We usually think about the health of the immune system in winter, when the cold temperatures make us easy prey for various viruses, among which the most well-known is definitely the seasonal flu. Our dogs and cats cannot be infected with the human flu virus and, although specific flu-like viruses impact them as well, it is not very common to see them fall victim to cold, high fever and cough. To tell the truth, most owners will never need to care for their dog or cat who is sick with the flu.
That is why we often fail to place enough value on the efficiency and good health of their immune system: the fact that, in our eyes, they almost never get sick, makes us minimize the problem.
Yet the immune system also plays a central role for them, just as it does for us: it helps them defend themselves from external attacks and to recover from ailments or illnesses of various kinds, important medical therapies and surgeries.
It all starts with the intestine: the central role this complex and delicate organ plays in the scope of the general well-being of an individual is now well-known. What perhaps not everyone knows is that the same thing is true for animals; they also have a bacterial flora, obviously different from ours, and for them a healthy intestine is also in keeping with a physiological state of well-being.
Precisely for this reason, Suppleo Immune System, a high-quality complementary feed to support the immune system of dogs and cats, uses Yang prebiotics to play their role in modulating the animal’s immune defenses: they use a specific association of inactivated yeast strains that perform a synergistic action in order to maintain the balance of the intestinal microflora.
The association of specific complementary yeast strains, allowing the stimulation of different receptors on the intestinal mucosa, amplifies the immune response. A healthy gut flora ensures proper absorption of nutrients, influences energy metabolism and allows the production of several important vitamins: this is why it has a central role in maintaining an efficient immune system.
The Immune System formula uses other components that can act on the most important elements of the immune system: tindallized (or heat-killed) bacteria, useful for their immunomodulating properties, for their capacity to restabalize the intestinal flora, and for their support of the entire digestive system; Laltide, a raw material extracted from yeast rich in bioavailable nucleotides, ideal to support growth in puppies and increase vitality in adult animals; and Melofeed, melon juice concentrate, which provides important primary enzymes for the antioxidant system, valuable for reducing the formation of free radicals, harmful products of oxidative stress.
It comes naturally now to ask: but does my dog or cat need it? Certainly, no one can replace the veterinary doctor in his role as a careful and competent observer of the health of the animal. Complementary feeds are created with the specific purpose of complementing the pet’s diet, not providing a therapeutic response to symptoms that the animal may present.
Once this issue has been clarified, the complementary feed Immune System proves to be a valuable help in all those situations in which it is necessary to support the efficiency of the animal’s immune system: for example, in the case of prolonged gastrointestinal disorders, antibiotic use, change of diet, weaning of puppies, breastfeeding and any other situation in which the body of our animal is subjected to higher than normal stress levels.
But not only that: there are situations in which, even in the absence of specific signals from the animal, it is advisable to provide extra help for optimal modulation of its immune system. Think of when it abruptly becomes hot, and our animals are very weak from days of high temperatures; or the arrival of spring, which brings with it an increase in external threats posed by parasites and the viruses they transmit.
Finally, it could be a good idea to promote faster recovery from minor or major surgeries by administering a product like Immune System, which aims to facilitate the resumption of normal immune function.
It is very important that the administration of the complementary feed takes place without further stress for the animal, perhaps already weakened by a less than optimal physical condition. This is all the more important when we talk about cats, famously “difficult customers” when it comes to administration of various pills and tablets (or even just meals that differ from the usual!).
For this reason, Suppleo has invested heavily in the palatability of its complementary feeds, which preserve a smell and taste very pleasing to pets thanks to a production process – covered by the proprietary patent Fc-Cubes® – that allows retention of the sensory properties of the ingredients used.
This is crucial to ensure that the animal correctly ingests the complementary feed and, as a result, the possibility that it will have its beneficial action on the body.
Immune System exists in three different formats: one designed specifically for cats (0.55g tablets) and two for small-medium (0.55g tablets) and large (1.10g tablets) dogs.
The formulation, of course, is also slightly different, to meet the specific physiological and nutritional needs of the two different animal species.