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.
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.
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
