Everything to Know About Collagen and Its Benefits For Your Dog
What is Collagen?
Collagen came from the Greek word "kólla," which means "glue," and the suffix "gen," which means "producing."
Just like where its name is derived from, Collagen acts like a glue that holds your body together. It forms a scaffold to provide strength and structure and is typically found in the connective tissues such as the bones, muscles, skin, blood vessels, tendons, and even the digestive system.
Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in our bodies, making up 30 % of the total proteins. The collagen fibers are made up of the amino acids proline, glycine, arginine, and hydroxyproline. These amino acids, in turn, are made up of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen.
What does Collagen do? What is Collagen?
There are different types of Collagen found in our bodies, but 5 of them are considered the most common and make up the most significant percentage of Collagen in our bodies. Collagen can be found in the skin, blood vessel walls, connective tissues, bones, and connective tissues like the cartilage.
Collagen is known for predominantly promoting joint health, particularly in dogs. It is found in cartilage (the connective tissue that protects the ends of long bones at the joints). It's also a structural component of the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes, the rib cage, and more. It is also one of the significant components of our organs and skin. ... maintaining healthy collagen levels within the body is crucial to keeping a healthy life.
Is Collagen Good for Dogs?
Collagen in dogs is just as important as it is to humans. Collagen levels naturally decline as both humans and dog's age. As mentioned, lower collagen levels can lead to a range of diseases as it is such a large, critical part of the body. Common signs of lower than average collagen levels in dogs may include hair loss, joint and muscle pain, shedding, drying of coat, and stomach problems. The right amount of Collagen in their daily diet could really make a difference.
Making the list of the top dog diseases are arthritis/stiffness and pain, ear infection, diarrhea, viral and bacterial infections, dental conditions, dry and itchy skin/skin infections, and obesity. And with all these diseases mentioned, Collagen plays a significant role in preventing or improving its condition.
How does Collagen Help Dogs?
1. Collagen prevents Injuries and Improve Mobility.
This is very applicable to adult and aging dogs. About 70-90% of the dogs' ligaments, muscles, and tendons are made up of Collagen. And as the dog ages, its capacity to produce Collagen diminishes, which causes the joints to become less stable, the connective tissues to loosen, and their bones to become brittle. This is where dogs become prone to injuries and pain that could even lead to more severe conditions such as hip dysplasia and arthritis.
2. Collagen improves Coat and Fur.
The most extensive layer of the skin of a dog's coat is called the dermis, and it primarily consists of Collagen (about 70% of the protein in it).
Dermis helps support the upper layer of the skin to fight against infections and keep the skin's strength and elasticity.
Collagen helps get the dermis moisturized and maintain a soft and shiny coat. This can keep a dog's young-looking and itch-free skin.
3. Collagen Improves Digestion
Collagen's molecular structure comprises hydrophilic molecules, which are molecules attracted to water.
Thus, Collagen allows food to move through the gastrointestinal tract quickly. Dogs' digestive tract is also prone to inflammation. Multiple occurrences could lead to leaky gut-a, wherein the toxins from the gastrointestinal tract leak into the bloodstream, creating a toxic environment. Collagen could help prevent such a case since it is full of amino acids that keep the balance in their digestive tract. It aids in breaking down nutrients like proteins and in soothing and repairing tissues.
4. Collagen strengthens Teeth, Nails, and Bones.
Nails, Teeth, and bones aren't just made up entirely of calcium. Protein collagen acts as the bone's framework, while calcium serves as the filler. With the right amount of Collagen, bones become as strong as steel and elastic. Collagen also contributes to the production of keratin which is the main element of hair and nails and helps promote healthy gums and teeth.
5. Collagen improves Appetite and Weight.
Our dogs' appetites could be challenging to handle at times. It could be that we've got a fussy eater one, or they might be undergoing some conditions.
Since Collagen is a protein also found in meat, dogs could recognize the smell and would not find it hard to like it. Adding Collagen to your dog's regular meal could enhance its texture and your dog's appetite.
And a diet rich in Collagen can increase the dog's ability to burn fats which could help weight management.
Best Collagen Foods
About 30% of the total protein in a dog's body is Collagen. And just like humans, as the dog ages, its capability to produce Collagen on its decreases, making them more susceptible to injuries, painful conditions of the bones and joints, and poor skin and coat health.
In this case, foods rich in Collagen, such as collagen treats or collagen supplements, would be a great help. Natural foods like dairy, lean meat, and even eggs are examples of the best source of collagen protein. Dogs mostly love having Collagen added to their food, so some owners would use collagen powder supplements that they could sprinkle into their dog's food.
Because of the widely known benefits of Collagen to dogs, many treats and supplements have come out of the market. But when choosing what's the good treats or supplements, it is crucial to select the ones without nasty ingredients. Knowing how much Collagen your dog's body needs is also recommended.
Introducing Our Bell & Bone Collagen Sticks
In line with our goal of providing natural and healthy food for our dogs, we have recently launched our new range, Bell & Bone Collagen Sticks.
Bell & Bone Collagen Sticks come in two flavors: Chicken and Blueberries and Beef and Manuka Honey, both available for puppies/small dogs and adult dogs.
We recommend giving one Collagen Stick daily to help maintain better collagen levels in your dog's body.
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Being a dedicated dog owner often involves:
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Asking the right questions.
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Seeking the right advice, and, most importantly.
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Checking in with your pup to make sure that it's healthy and happy.
We are in line with you on this, so if you have questions, you may head to our FAQs page for more answers to dog treat-related queries or send us a message, and I would love to chat with you. More than anything, it is my priority to keep you informed and empowered.
