Ageing Is Modifiable – and Nutrition Plays a Role!

This special stand-alone episode is supported by Royal Canin and is independent of the regular Nutrition Series.

What if we could modify or even slow down the ageing process itself, shifting the veterinary conversation from managing inevitable decline to expanding a pet's vibrant health span?

In this special stand-alone episode, host Dr Peter Higgins sits down with veterinary specialist physician and Royal Canin feline health specialist Dr Tanya Schoeman to unpack the rapidly evolving science of pet gerontology and proactive clinical care. First, Tanya discusses shifting the clinical narrative to early intervention, highlighting a famous long-term canine study on body weight and the critical value of building baseline health databases long before outward signs of decline appear. Then, she looks closely at our feline friends, revealing how subtle behavioural shifts mask pain or cognitive decline, sharing startling insights from a massive global pet owner survey, and offering actionable strategies to guide clients as a major wave of "pandemic pets" enters middle age and how to keep them in their prime.

Resources & Links

• WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines 
• Royal Canin Academy Digital Library - Portal for downloading the Healthy Ageing Conversations Guide for veterinary practitioners. 
• JAVMA Landmark Paper: "Aging is Modifiable" – The highly discussed geroscience study co-authored by Dr. Tanya Schoeman establishing the clinical paradigm shift toward "health span" modification.
• The Dog Aging Project – The massive citizen science research initiative tracking canine aging biology as a comparative model for human gerontology.
• Feline Osteoarthritis Nutritional Study – The clinical trial mentioned by Tanya proving the efficacy of an Omega-3, curcumin, and hydrolysed collagen-enriched diet compared to standard medical management for cats with joint disease.
• AAFCO – The official regulatory resource setting animal feed and pet food nutritional standards for growth, reproduction, and adult life stages.

Contributors

• Peter Higgins BVSc, MBA, Dip Ed (tert), MRCVS, FAICD, FLS: Episode Interviewer; Veterinary Surgeon, former clinician at the School of Veterinary Science at The University of Sydney, and Chair of the WSAVA Nutrition Committee.LinkedIn | ResearchGate 
• Dr Tanya Schoeman, BVSc(Hons) MMedVet(Med) DECVIM-CA: Specialist Veterinary Physician and Royal Canin Pet and Product Science Specialist LinkedIn | Orchid

This podcast was edited and produced by Contento Media Ltd.