Microalgae: A healthy solution for older cats and dogs

As cats and dogs grow older, many suffer from impaired vision, reduced mobility or other health-related issues that didn’t affect them as younger animals. Understandably, pet owners want to keep their loved ones in optimal condition as their fur begins to turn gray.

Help from the sea

Just like in humans, oxidative stress increases as pets age, which means that their bodies face a higher number of free radicals, and their capacity to fight them declines. Among other things, this can affect the immune system, cognitive and visual functions and cardiovascular health. But help is at hand from the sea. The microalga Haematococcus pluvialis produces a carotenoid that is one of the strongest antioxidants found in nature; it has a free-radical quenching ability that is 110 times stronger than vitamin E. AstaReal has conducted more than 70 clinical studies to dig deep into the health benefits of its own brand of natural astaxanthin.

Solid science from head to tail

Canine visual function is one of the many use cases in which natural astaxanthin can support animal health. Older animals typically suffer from clouded lenses, which leads to reduced visual acuity. In one study, affected Beagle dogs were supplemented for 6 months with an antioxidant blend containing 5 mg of natural astaxanthin. The results showed that the rate of refractive error progression could be significantly inhibited compared with a control group.

Natural astaxanthin also significantly enhanced the immune responses of domestic female cats after a 12-week daily dose of astaxanthin. Furthermore, scientific studies show that it supports muscle recovery in animals and leads to a reduction in serum markers of exercise-induced muscle damage and muscle fatigue.

Microencapsulated algal meal

At a time when more and more owners are looking for premium products for their beloved companions, the opportunities for health-promoting ingredients such as natural astaxanthin strike a chord in the pet food market. AstaReal meets this demand with its NOVASTA® product line.

The latest addition is NOVASTA EB15, which contains at least 1.5% of astaxanthin. The algal meal is microencapsulated in fully hydrogenated rapeseed oil. This protects the power of astaxanthin, even in more ‘open’ formulations such as soft chews, pellets or meal mixes. To bring NOVASTA EB15 to the European pet food market, AstaReal has started a strategic partnership with IQI Trusted Pet Food Ingredients, a provider of premium ingredients.