# Nutraceuticals, Social Interaction, and Psychophysiological Influence on Pet Health and Well-Being: Focus on Dogs and Cats

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how nutrition and social interaction can improve the health and well-being of dogs and cats through nutraceuticals and the gut-brain axis.

## Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of nutraceuticals' role in enhancing pet well-being and human-pet interaction.

## Key findings

- Nutraceuticals like omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics can reduce stress and modulate the gut-brain axis in pets.
- Nutraceuticals may help manage bone, skin, and immune diseases in dogs and cats.
- Human-pet social interaction influences pets' emotional and physiological states.

## Abstract

Pet humanization has transformed animal healthcare and highlighted the importance of nutrition in promoting human–pet social interaction, animal psychophysical well-being and, possibly, longevity. This review examines the impact of nutraceuticals, such as omega-3 fatty acids, pre- and probiotics, plant extracts and dietary supplements in enhancing the human–animal bond by reducing stress and modulating the gut–brain axis, managing bone, skin, and immune diseases and even gastrointestinal disturbs.

Pet humanization, particularly in dogs and cats, has transformed animal healthcare and highlighted the importance of nutrition in promoting human–pet social interaction, pet psychophysical well-being and, possibly, longevity. Nutraceuticals, such as omega-3 fatty acids, prebiotics, probiotics, plant extracts and dietary supplements, are endowed with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, cognitive-enhancing and gut-microbiota balancing properties. These effects have been shown to contribute to the possible prevention and management of bone and skin diseases, as well as gastrointestinal and behavioral disturbs. Moreover, the human–animal bond has been shown to play a pivotal role in reducing stress, improving sociability, and modulating pets’ emotional and physiological states. Evidence also suggests that nutrition and social interactions can influence the gut–brain axis, impacting the behavior, cognition, and resilience to stress-related disorders. Besides underlining the value of nutraceutical integration into pet nutrition strategies and offering a comprehensive, evidence-based perspective on their potential in improving animal welfare, literature reports about drawbacks of the use/misuse of such substances have been reported.