Effects of cow placenta extract on cognitive function in aged dogs: a randomized controlled trial.

Six months of cow placenta extract significantly improved cognitive scores and antioxidant markers in aged dogs with cognitive dysfunction.

This 6-month randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of cow placenta extract (CPE) on cognitive function in 88 client-owned aged dogs (≥7 years) with baseline Canine Social and Learning Behavior Survey (CSLB) scores ≥30, indicative of cognitive dysfunction. Dogs were randomized to receive either CPE (n=45) or placebo (n=43). Cognitive function was assessed via CSLB questionnaires, and serum oxidative stress markers—including malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione (GSH)—were measured. At 6 months, the CPE group demonstrated significantly lower mean CSLB scores (35.1 ± 4.9) compared to the placebo group (41.1 ± 5.3; P<0.05; Cohen's d = -1.17), indicating meaningful improvement in cognitive outcomes with a large effect size. Therapeutic response rates were markedly higher in the CPE group (77.8%) versus placebo (9.3%; P<0.001). Strong correlations were observed between CSLB improvement and favorable changes in oxidative stress biomarkers: CSLB change correlated positively with MDA reduction (r=0.77) and negatively with increases in GSH-Px (r=-0.893) and GSH (r=-0.878), suggesting that CPE's cognitive benefits may be mediated through antioxidant mechanisms. The study supports CPE as a potentially effective, non-pharmacological intervention for long-term management of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), with both behavioral and biochemical evidence of efficacy.

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