What is the best diet for an older dog?
Dave Leannon
2025-09-22 05:25:35
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The lifestyle changes should be a no-brainer. Their digestion systems and immune systems may need a bit of extra support. Get the Right Dog Food All the major brands of dog food offer a specialist senior versions of their most popular lines. Senior dog food contains a careful balance of the nutrients older dogs need to stay happy and healthy, with a good mix of antioxidants and fatty acids to support their joints and immune systems. Senior dog food is generally packed with high quality protein, and is designed to be easy to chew and digest. Finally, because senior dogs are less active and have slower metabolisms, their food generally has a lower calorie content. If you’re worried about your dog’s weight, call your vet. They’ll be able to recommend a specialist senior diet to suit your dog’s changing lifestyle and metabolism.
Nellie Kuphal
2025-09-22 01:52:27
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Seniors and geriatrics generally need lower-calorie diets to help prevent obesity -- a huge problem in seniors -- and higher-fiber diets to improve gastrointestinal health.
Probably the most important thing for a geriatric dog is that their energy requirement gets lower.
Many dog food companies now offer senior dog food formulations, which Nunez recommends as an age-appropriate diet for older pets because they’re lower in calories.
Lower-fat, higher-fiber foods are best for diabetic dogs, Nunez says.
Many senior diets have higher-quality protein sources than standard foods.
Some senior dogs also have trouble with constipation, so a higher-fiber diet will help them stay regular.
Dogs with heart disease may need lower-calorie senior dog foods to help keep weight down as well as lower-sodium formulations.
The goal of a diabetic diet is to delay absorption of a food, Nunez says.
Consult your veterinarian about which type of food to buy.
Berneice Rice
2025-09-22 00:51:57
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: 16
There is no true reason to feed a senior diet to our aging dog unless there are noted problems, such as lean body wasting, arthritis or obesity. Typically, we like to see slightly higher protein diets; however, many of the senior diets on the market are lower protein. We like to see more long chain omega-3 fatty acids using marine oils, but in the end, this increases fat, so we have to be careful of the fats we use. If the dog is losing lean body mass then a diet higher in protein may be necessary. Protein is necessary to build and maintain muscles, and as dogs age, they often stop synthesizing as much protein on their own — increasing the need for it in their diet. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid may be beneficial for dogs with arthritis or related mobility challenges, but high doses are necessary to see improvement. Most dogs become less active as they age, which means they have lower energy requirements. Prescription diets can be beneficial for specific needs, such as Purina JM and Royal Canin Mobility for dogs struggling with arthritis. Consider getting an individualized diet assessment and remember that optimal nutrition for aging starts early, diet recommendations should be customized to the dog.
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