THE EUKANUBA VITAL HEALTH SYSTEM
STRONG DEFENSES

FOS promotes strong defenses

STRONG DEFENSES

Prebiotics work in your puppy’s digestive tract to help support his natural defenses. 65% of your puppy’s immune system is found in the digestive tract.

Your puppy’s immune system is vitally important to his wellbeing but takes time to fully develop. Initially, in the first 24 hours after birth, protective antibodies will have come from his mother’s milk. This special milk, known as colostrum, provided protection for the first four to eight weeks of your puppy’s life. However, after this period, your puppy’s immune system is still relatively undeveloped and may not be able to protect him as well.

That is why Eukanuba is rich in antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene, which help support his immune system now and in the long run.

 

A puppy’s developing immune response Why Are Antioxidants Important?
Special nutrients called antioxidants, such as vitamin C and vitamin E and certain compounds called carotenoids (like Beta-carotene), in a dog’s diet can help support his immune system. Antioxidants are important because they can reduce oxidation of body cells—a process that keeps cells healthy by neutralizing free radicals, supporting the immune cell function as a dog ages. Free radicals are created as a normal part of the body’s functions, but can generate chemical reactions that damage cells if they are not neutralized, which can lead to diminished body functions.

The Importance of the Prebiotics FOS

All Eukanuba puppy diets contain the natural prebiotics FOS (fructooligosaccharides) that can help support a puppy’s developing immune system. The digestive tract is an important part of a puppy’s defense system, and 65% of a puppy’s immune system is found in the digestive tract.  One of their roles is to help maintain the balance between good and bad bacteria. So it’s good to feed your puppy a diet containing Prebiotics, because they help promote good bacteria while at the same time reducing the bad.

FOS in action

*References:
1. Swanson K, et al. J. Nutr 2002; 132: 3721-3731.
2. Hall JB, et al. Principles of Critical Care; 118.

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