WHAT IS Digestix® for Dogs and Cats?
Digestix
is a blend of the three major groups of enzymes designed to enhance the digestion of high protein / low carb diets. It helps the breakdown of protein, fat and carbohydrate in conjunction with the body’s own enzymes. It contains a wide range of proteases, lipase and amylase from fungal sources designed to be active throughout the gastrointestinal tract. While less expensive supplemental enzymes from animal sources generally do not survive the acidic conditions of the stomach, fungal microbial enzymes are especially resistant to stomach acid. The digestive enzyme supplements used in Digestix® have proven efficacy throughout the GI tract. The enzyme activity of each of the components is determined and reported according to standard Food Chemical Codex procedures recognized by the FDA.
Background Information about Enzymes
Enzymes are specialized proteins that play a key role in mediating and speeding specific biochemical reactions in the body. Digestive enzymes are usually grouped into three distinct classes, depending on the major food groups they help break down: proteases (breakdown of proteins), lipases (breakdown of fats) and carbohydrases (breakdown of carbohydrates). Each enzyme is specific to the action it performs—enzymes do not do general work. Some enzymes are rapidly broken down in the acidic environment of the stomach, while others are active in the small intestines where 90% of nutrients present in the food are absorbed.
 Digestive enzymes are essential for the effective breakdown of food into nutrients that can then be assimilated. Enzymatic breakdown is a multi-stage process that starts when food contacts saliva, continues in the stomach and is completed in the small intestine where specialized enzymes further split apart the mass of food and digestive fluids into the molecular structures of the various nutrients so they may be absorbed into the circulatory systems.
Enzymes are produced in various parts along the digestive tract. With increasing age, enzyme production slows down, and digestion becomes less effective. Use of supplemental digestive enzymes therefore makes increasing sense as our companion animals get older. When taken together with food, supplemental digestive enzymes are completely dedicated to the digestive process, while the same enzymes taken on an empty stomach are partially absorbed intact into the bloodstream where they appear to help restore and maintain healthy blood and tissue functions, and can have a beneficial effect on immune and inflammatory processes.
 Digestix®
Formula
Digestix® is a premium blend of digestive enzymes designed to optimize the digestion of typical canine and feline diets. It is contained in a tasty chewable tablet, making it very easy to offer companion animals. Digestix® is composed of enzymes and the Vitamin B Complex, carefully selected for their specificity and functionality.
| Each 1.3 gram tablet
contains |
| VITAMINS / MINERALS |
|
| Vitamin B1 |
0.25 mg |
| Vitamin B2 |
0.5 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
0.33 mg |
| Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) |
4 mg |
| Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) |
5 mg |
| Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) |
75 mcg |
| Cobalamine (Vitamin B12) |
6 mcg |
| Vitamin A |
1000 IU |
| Vitamin D3 |
100 IU |
| Vitamin E |
5 IU |
| Calcium |
100 mg |
| ENZYMES |
|
| Protease 3.0 |
12.5 SAPU |
| Protease 4.5 |
21,000 HUT |
| Protease 6.0 |
1,000 HUT |
| Pepsin (1:10,000) |
5 mg |
| Papain |
140,000 FCCPU |
| Bromelain |
145,000 FCCPU |
| Amylase |
2,000 DU |
| Lipase |
400 FIP |
| Lysozyme (from egg whites) |
500 MCG |
| OTHER INGREDIENTS |
|
Maltodextrin, Calcium Carbonate, Poultry and Pork
Palatability Enhancers, Whey Protein Concentrate,
Stearic Acid, Silicon Dioxide. |
|
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
DIGESTIX® for
Dogs and Cats is available in bottles containing 60
chewable tablets.
For best results, use on a regular basis. Give as treat or
crumble and mix with food,
preferably just before each meal, as follows:
| Toy Breeds and
Cats (<10 lbs): |
½ tablet up to twice
daily |
| Small Dogs (10 -
25 lbs): |
1 tablet up to twice
daily |
| Mid-size Dogs (26
- 50 lbs): |
2 tablets up to
twice daily |
| Larger Dogs (51 -
75 lbs): |
3 tablets up to
twice daily |
| Large Dogs (76 -
100 lbs): |
4 tablets up to
twice daily |
| Giant Breeds (>100
lbs): |
5 tablets up to
twice daily |
|
|
Composition
of Digestix® |
|
Digestix® is a
comprehensive digestive formula that includes a wide
spectrum of enzymes and vitamins that aid and
restore optimal digestion and metabolism of typical
canine and feline foods. Digestix® contains
the optimal blend of digestive enzymes at effective
activity levels to achieve maximum digestion.
|
| Proteases, or proteolytic enzymes,
are a large group of enzymes involved in digesting
long protein chains into short fragments, splitting
the peptide bonds that link amino acid residues.
During the digestion of proteins, hydrochloric acid
and proteases break down the intact protein molecule
into amino acids, which are then absorbed through the
intestinal wall. When taken in higher quantities,
proteases can help to cleanse the body by removing the
unwanted protein from the circulatory system. This
will help to clean up the blood stream, and restore
energy and balance. Several studies have shown that
orally ingested enzymes produced by fungi (Aspergillus
oryzae, A. niger) and microbes (Bacillus subtilis) can
bypass the acidic conditions of the stomach and reach
the small intestine while still maintaining their
enzymatic activity.
Lipases are enzymes that hydrolyze (break down)
lipids (fats), the ester bonds in triglycerides, to
form fatty acids and glycerol. While too much fat in
the diet can cause adverse health conditions, some
fat is required. All cell membranes and other
structures are made up of lipids, thus an adequate
supply of essential fatty acids in the diet are
important to ensure viable cells. Fats require
special digestive action before absorption because
the end products must be carried in a water medium
(blood and lymph) in which fats are not soluble.
Carbohydrases refer to a group of enzymes whose
catalytic function is to hydrolyze sugar and starch.
The chief carbohydrase enzyme is amylase. Amylase is
a calcium metalloenzyme, unable to function in the
absence of calcium. Digestix® therefore
includes calcium as one of its components. Amylase
digests carbohydrates (polysaccharides) into smaller
disaccharide units, eventually converting them into
monosaccharides such as glucose. Carbohydrates in
food are an important and immediate source of energy
for the body. They may also be stored in the body as
glycogen for future use.
Lysozyme, an enzyme primarily found in egg
white, is responsible for breaking down the
polysaccharide walls of many kinds of bacteria and
thus it provides some protection against infection.
It functions as a “natural antibiotic”, preventing
pathogenic bacteria from causing harm.
Vitamins
Vitamin A: Helps the
body resist bacterial and viral infections;
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin):
Essential for carbohydrate metabolism; aids in
digestion, circulation; prevents liquid retention;
prevents constipation;
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin):
Essential for carbohydrate, fat and protein
digestion and metabolism, produces energy;
Vitamin B3 (Niacin):
Essential for carbohydrate, fat and protein
digestion and metabolism; improves circulation;
lowers cholesterol; aids in the production of
stomach hydrochloric acid;
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid):
Used to convert fats, carbohydrates and
proteins into energy;
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine):
Used in the digestive system for hydrochloric acid
production, fat and protein utilization, antibody
formation, and maintenance of sodium/potassium
balance;
Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid):
Used for hydrochloric acid production; aids in
digestion, production of myelin, and protein
metabolism;
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin):
Regulates red blood cell formation; used for the
metabolism of carbohydrate, fat and protein. |
|
