Cell Wellbeing at Paws Pet Care

The term “epigenetics” (the prefix “epi” is a Greek term meaning “on,” “outside,” or “around”) was coined in 1942, before DNA was even discovered.

Epigenetics is defined as the study of external or environmental factors that turn genes on and off and influence how cells interpret and express the genetic code. The epigenome is made up of chemical groups (methyl, acetyl, etc.) and proteins that can bind to DNA, modifying and carrying out direct actions such as activating or deactivating genes and controlling the production of proteins, especially cells.

This process can be beneficial or harmful: DNA methylation adds a methyl group to a part of the DNA molecule, called an ‘epigenetic mark’, which prevents the expression of certain genes while demethylation does the opposite. These processes do not change the DNA sequence, rather, they change the way cells use DNA instructions.

Epigenetic marks are sometimes passed from cell to cell as cells divide and can also be passed down from generation to generation.

Have you ever wondered why puppies from the same litter can have different health issues and life spans? Why do similar gene combinations produce such different responses in individual animals?

A gene is a segment of DNA and the sequence of nuclei that composes it does not change. Scientists, however, have recently shown that we (and our animals) can actually change the way our genes express themselves by making lifestyle choices.

The main pathologies that develop from a bad industrial diet based on extruded croquettes, especially from medical ones (renal, obesity, gastrointestinal, etc ...) are:

• Dysentery and loose stools

• Intestinal inflammation (IBD)

• Bad breath, tartar and tooth decay (kibbles don’t clean teeth)

• Chronic itching

• Red eyes and excessive tearing

• Scaly and crusty skin

• Hair loss or thinning

• Ear redness or infection

• Malassezia otitis

• Dermatitis and pyoderma

• Dandruff, hair loss and bad smell

• Allergies and intolerances

• Diabetes and kidney disease

• Heart problems

• Cancer and tumors

A classic example of how epigenetics affects the health of the dog, and in this case the Labrador Retriever breed is its “theoretical” Achilles heel or dysplasia.

Elbow and hip dysplasia is a multifactorial disease in which genetics play less of a role than environmental factors.

Even today, in fact, a correlation between parents and offspring has not been identified after more than 60 years of radiographic examinations carried out (there is no DNA test).

Without taking into consideration the influence of environmental (and therefore also epigenetic) factors, it could not be explained how perfectly healthy parents, grandparents and great-grandparents as regards both genealogical trees (HD:A – ED:o) can give birth to a puppy that during growth he develops a joint alteration ( incongruity ) which leads him to limp.

No breeder, despite selecting only the best sires by studying and choosing the cleanest HD/ED bloodlines (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) will ever be able to guarantee that a 3 month old puppy is free from dysplasia.

This pathology is not congenital (present at birth) and therefore impossible to diagnose at 2-3 months, above all because in the following months many environmental factors come into play such as the puppy’s lifestyle, physical activity, use of medicines and above all a correct natural diet.

It is clear, therefore, that the way in which a gene is expressed can be altered by lifestyle choices, i.e. physical activity, nutrition, drugs, vaccines and pesticides, and this undoubtedly has an impact on the body: this new field of study is called epigenetics.

This article will briefly cover the science of epigenetics and focus on specific ways you can improve the health and longevity of your dog or cat.

The first concerns the way gene expression in the embryo is regulated to give rise to different types of cells: heart cells, muscle fiber cells, nerve cells, skin cells, etc. Each cell has the same DNA, but the instructions it receives make it unique: skin cells, for example, have the gene for collagen activated, while this is deactivated for liver cells.

In utero, influences come from the mother and father: studies have shown that the mother’s nutritional status, and even her emotional state, influence the development of the fetus.

This could explain many of the challenges faced by puppies: these heritable epigenetic changes in gene expression respond to environmental influences while genetic mutations of DNA sequences are not affected.

The second study examines how factors to which the animal’s body is exposed after birth (especially when the cells are still dividing rapidly in the puppy), such as the environment, hormones, stress and poor industrial- based of croquettes , can influence gene expression.

These factors can be beneficial or harmful and have been well identified in the dog for many years.

It has been shown that diet and exercise can cause specific genes to be turned on or off: For example, researchers have identified certain molecules found in broccoli that can turn on a specific gene that helps the body detoxify chemicals harmful; however, 20% of people do not have this gene.

The American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation is funding several studies on epigenetics: one of these, published in a journal called “Aging” , shows that DNA methylation and epigenetic aging in dogs resemble those of humans and that epigenetic variations, such as DNA methylation, may be reversible.

Therefore, today it is possible to find different methods to alter aging and the development of diseases such as cancer in humans and dogs: in fact, two other studies have begun to examine large B-cell lymphoma in Golden Retrievers.

The effects of epigenetic modifications are everywhere: they can include the posture of your dog or cat, how it moves or the response to the chemicals it is exposed to (industrial food, vaccines, drugs, pesticides).

Vaccinations, pesticides, drugs, pesticides, heavy metals and other toxins contained in most industrial food can modify the dog’s epigenome and contribute to important genetic changes.

For example, a dog or a cat can be born with genetics that predispose them to develop allergies to many different foods and chemicals: however, if the subject is never exposed to these substances, he will never show symptoms, especially if he has a strong immune. The time to maximize epigenetic input is when the animal is young.

For this reason it is essential to use fresh food without the addition of additives, preservatives, chemical appetizers from the very beginning and exclude any type of kibble right from the start.

Wean the puppies on fresh wet food without additives and preservatives, pay close attention to the hygiene of the environment, encourage proper physical exercise, mentally stimulate the puppy’s curiosity, minimize the chemicals used and wait as long as possible as long as possible before administering vaccines, that is until there is a natural maternal immunity that allows us to have healthy, strong puppies, with an immune system that is incredibly resistant to any external attack.

Even in older individuals , fresh foods can improve the epigenome through methylation, which can help prevent inflammation.

1. An important goal of nutrigenomics is to identify markers of the early stages of dietrelated disease so that nutritional intervention can restore the patient to a healthy state,” says veterinarian Dr. Jean Dodds.

2. Another goal is to demonstrate the health effects of biologically active food components, leading to the design of functional foods that will keep individuals healthy according to their specific needs.

Epigenetics is a new and developing science, so we still have a lot to learn, then, about how it can be applied to canine and feline health, as well as our own.

But what we know so far indicates that we have more control over our own gene expression and that of our animal friends than we think we have.

Even good exercise in puppies plays an important role when it comes to epigenetic theory, even before birth.

A human study, which probably can also be applied to cats and dogs, has shown that exercise during a mother’s gestation actually protects the growing embryo from acquiring the harmful effects of parental obesity by offsetting the abnormal transmission of DNA methylation to offspring (epigenetic modification of DNA).

Another study found that exercise can turn off the genes responsible for some of alcohol’s negative effects on the human brain.

Even if our dogs and cats don’t drink alcohol, they are exposed to many other toxins (itching drugs , pesticides, vaccines, industrial food), so this study can help us understand how important physical activity and nutrition are too for our animal friends.