YOUR PET AND STRESS!!!!!

Stress is a constant factor in everyday life: it enables the pet to adapt to new situations. Limited fear is a natural and normal reaction.

Nevertheless, stress reactions can become exaggerated, affecting humans and pets alike. This can lead to anxiety. Anxiety reduces the ability to adapt to environmental changes. We have to take the behavioural and even physical distress induced into account.WITH the aid of Zylkene , it is possible to control the effect of stress on an animal.

What is Zylkène® ?

Zylkène® is the result of 12 years research in the greatest French Scientific Institutes (INRA, CNRS). From advanced manipulations of milk protein fractions, our scientists have isolated a 10 aminoacid biopeptide with strong anxiolytic properties as demonstrated primarily on laboratory animals

Figure 1 : aminoacid sequence of the anxiolytic decapeptide

Once identified and sequenced, the peptide was modelled and similarities with benzodiazepines were noticed. Many studies were performed on laboratory animals to evaluate its safety: no toxicity or teratogenicity were encountered even with higher dosages.

Figure 2 : Three-dimensional representation of the anxiolytic decapeptide

First clinical evidence on rats showed a powerfull anxiolytic activity, similar to benzodiazepines. The rodents were subjected to Conditioned Defensive Burying (CDB) test, which is a species-specific defence reaction (SSDR). This method has been thoroughly described by many authors: when an electrified prod is presented to a rat in an otherwise familiar environment, the rat will explore the novel object. Consequently, it receives a mild but aversive shock. This will elicit burying aimed at the prod. The CDB trial has been used in the testing of anxiolytics, wherein the propensity of rats to bury sources of aversive stimulation has been employed as an index of anxiety or fear.

Whereas a problem concerning this interpretation is the common effect of many anxiolytics to reduce activity generally, rats fed the biopeptide showed excellent results to the trial, with a high propensity to stop their burying activity, but they showed absolutely no inhibition to the prod.

Furthermore, the product is totally devoid of side effects generally observed with benzodiazepines or other anxiolytics:

• NO memory lost
• NO sedation
• NO addiction
• NO habituation (loss of efficiency)
• NO loss of adaptative behavior

Young neonate rats fed the peptide had even highest learning capacities than neonates fed placebo !

This biopeptide is now international patented and concentrated as a natural food ingredient known as Alpha-S1 trypsic casein.

It has been thoroughly evaluated for 3 years in many dogs and cats by French Veterinarians, and especially Behavioural Medicine Specialists and Diplomates of the European College of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine.

Zylkène® : Safety and Quality

Zylkène has obtained G.R.A.S. status thanks to many studies on laboratory animals.

- Zylkène® is Safe and non teratogenic

- Zylkène® is Devoid of side-effects

- Zylkène® is Preservative-free

- Zylkène® is Lactose-free

- Zylkène® is BSE-free

- Zylkène® is Hypoallergenic

Each batch is specifically assayed with two different methods - HPLC and CDB method - to ensure the presence of the bioactive peptide in the required quantities, and thus maximal efficiency.

Zylkène® : Efficiency and Usage

Trials on dogs and cats were performed by veterinarians and confirmed the anxiolytic potentiality and the lack of side effects. Zylkène® is palatable and well accepted by most dogs and cats.

60 dogs suffering anxiety-associated diseases were evaluated, with Zylkène® versus placebo. They only received the product alone or with an especially designed behavioural therapy if necessary, but no other medication or dietary supplements. They were evaluated weekly by both the vet and the owners.

Most dogs were meaningfully ameliorated within 7 to 28 days regarding the main encountered problems: fear, avoidance, difficulties to stay alone (whimpering, whining, urination, defecation, chewing,…), fear-related aggressiveness, sleeping disorders, loss of exploratory behaviour… The evaluation of the vet and the owner were thoroughly similar in time and intensity. Other trials were performed on dogs and cats to confirm these results.

Veterinarians all agreed that the product had a good anxiolytic activity and increased the adaptability of animals. Thus, Zylkène® can be used to help preventing the apparition of stress and can help relieving stress particularly during changes in the pet’s way of life. It may also be used to help the animal adapting during a behavioural therapy.

CONCLUSION

Zylkène® can be considered as an excellent regulating complementary feeding stuff, that help preventing or coping with stress and related diseases. It is veterinary approved, patented and can be used regularly with no-side effect.

FOCUS POINTS:

INNOVATION IN STRESS MANAGEMENT

PATENTED FORMULA

VETERINARY APPROVED

SAFETY USAGE – NO SIDE EFFECT

About Stress and Adaptation…

What is stress ?

Stress is a natural event, inherited within the mammalian genes: when faced with an unknown situation, the body reacts by releasing hormones which help getting mentally and physically ready to face up and adapt to the situation. Whereas stress is part of the pet’s everyday life, over-stress (distress) may be harmful and lead to generalized anxiety, associated with a loss of adaptability, or other physical diseases, such as cardiac problems, digestive upsets, etc...

When should I be careful ?

Stress is essential to gather the body’s strength and capacity to adapt to a novel situation. However, excess of stress or chronic stress can have opposite effects, and the pet may lose its ADAPTABILITY to the situation, producing abnormal or exaggerated behavioural or physical (organo-vegetative) reactions.

In a pet’s life, several periods might be critical:

- Weaning is a very sensitive period because the young pet must leave his mother and change radically its way of life: new caregivers, new household, new food, meet different people or pets, moving to different places, going to the vet, etc...

- Puberty is another sensitive period because the pet becomes a real adult and must be more and more independent; moreover, hierarchic and competitive relations with the owners appear at this period and might induce some stress due to competition or ambiguous hierarchic position.

- Elderly is often associated with stress because old pets may have a loss of perception and senses (poor smell, loss of vision with cataract, loss of hearing…) and also various physical problems that hinder their routine, just like pain and difficulties to move (with osteoarthritis), coughing and difficulties to breathe (related to cardiac diseases), etc…

- Special events: catching a plane, travelling by car, storms or fireworks, moving to a new house, having a new companion, going to the vet or kennel, changing caregivers, having a baby, etc… Pets are more or less sensitive to novelty and owners should take care that the pet is not traumatized by those changes, even the most trivial ones.

How to help my pet adapting ?

Whereas people can easily manage their stress with different relaxing or behavioural methods, it remains difficult to manage our pet’s stress ! However, stress can be eluded…

First, the owner should be aware of stress and its consequences on his pet’s health, and should detect the stressing situations. Zylkène® may help pets coping with situations of stress.

Acting preventively and rapidly is crucial, so that stress and anxiety cannot take a grip on your pet !

Vets are animal’s health care professionals and can help managing these problems.

Stress memorandum : What can stress lead to ?

How can I detect stress or anxiety in my pet ?

Many manifestations may be related, associated or induced by stress, such as:

Feeding disorders

Stress can induce or be associated with dysorexia (poor appetite, feeding at night or only when the pet is alone…), bulimia (excessive food ingestion associated to vomiting sometimes) or seldom polydipsia (excessive drinking).

Autocentric (somesthesic) troubles

Some behaviours may be noticed such as excessive grooming (with alopecia), self-mutilations, tail-running, etc… these behaviours might be induced or exaggerated by stress, first in order to relieve it, but becoming automatic with time. Those troubles may take long to extinct, depending on their duration and intensity.

Sleeping disorders

Stress can affect sleeping periods, with different patterns: some animals may have difficulties to fall asleep, getting awakened immediately, and some others may awake several times during the same night, awakening their owners too...

Fear and phobias

Fears and phobias might be induced by a particular stressing and traumatizing situation, or by chronic stress or difficulties to adapt to urban way of life, noises, strangers, etc…

Pets may lose their composure and have difficulties to face “normally” to the situation. Numerous manifestations are encountered depending on the case: avoidance (those pets are often called as “shy” or “fearful”), tremor, salivation, panting, aggressiveness…

Attachment disorders

Attachment is a natural link between the puppy and its mother, but it should disappear at puberty. Attachment disorders concern animals who can’t stay alone and always need to follow its owner everywhere. Manifestations generally take place when the pet is alone: whining or whimpering, urinating, defecating, chewing several objects, scratching at the door…

Stress related diseases

Several diseases might be related with or exacerbated by stress, such as cardiac diseases, digestive upsets (vomiting and gastric ulcerations, chronic diarrhoea, etc…) or skin diseases (allergy, atopia…).

This list of examples can not be exhaustive. If you notice any sign or symptom described above, your pet might have over-stress or any other behavioural or health problem. Please ask a vet’s advice.

Zylkène ® : Technical Sheet

Zylkène ®

Helpin’ them adapt to stress

Properties

Just like their owners, our pets are affected by stress, and daily stress or even punctual exposition to stress can lead to phobia or generalized anxiety, which both may be associated with different behavioural or physical disorders: loss of appetite or bulimia, excessive grooming and skin disorders, digestive upsets (ulceration, chronic vomiting or diarrhoea…), fears and phobia, elimination problems, aggressiveness, difficulties to stay alone…

Zylkène® has been especially designed to help pets coping with daily stress or punctual stress-inducing situations, just like being left alone, changing schedules, caregivers or environment, during a trip or travelling by car or by plane, having a new companion, or anything changing in pet’s routine…

Zylkène® contains the unique, natural, patented and veterinary approved relaxing hydrolysate Alpha-S1 trypsic casein, developed for ten years by French greatest laboratories. The product has been evaluated for 3 years by expert veterinarians graduate of the ECVBM (European College of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine).

Zylkène® helps preventing, alleviate or resolve stress-related problems and manifestations in pets, even the youngest. It may also be used along with other chemical or behavioural therapy.

Thanks to its safe formulation, Zylkène® can be used daily with no side effects, like hypotension, sedation, or even cardiovascular troubles associated with other traditional drugs.

Directions for use : Orale route.

Give the capsule directly in the mouth, or break it and spread the powder in the meal or in a small quantity of food.

Zylkène® 75mg

For dogs and cats up to 10 kg : Give 1 to 2 capsules per day during 1 to 2 months to be extended according to your vet’s advice.

Zylkène® 225mg

For dogs from 10 to 30 kg : Give 1 to 2 capsules per day during 1 to 2 months to be extended according to your vet’s advice.

For dogs up to 30 kg : Give 2 to 3 capsules per day during 1 to 2 months to be extended according to your vet’s advice.

Zylkène® can be used :

- preventively, a few days before and after any disruption in pet’s habits,

- punctually as the need arises,

- continuously in animals under permanent stress.

Packaging :

Zylkène 75mg : 30 capsules jar

Zylkène 225mg : 30 capsules jar

Conservation :

Keep in a cool and dry place. Close firmly the jar after each use