How to Adjust a Senior Dog's Diet
Determine if your dog needs a change in diet., Choose an appropriate food., Search for a food that is specifically tailored for a certain life stage (eg: puppy, adult, senior, etc.)., Consider how much protein to feed your dog., Remember that simply...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine if your dog needs a change in diet.
There are a number of factors to consider before changing your dogs diet.
In many cases, the dog is not sick, but is coming to terms with the fact they are getting older, so they exert themselves less, sleep longer, or consume less food.
These are all perfectly natural occurrences, and do not warrant any immediate action unless accompanied by negative effects such as considerable weight loss or hot spots, as these could be indicators of a deeper issue.
As with any situation you have not experienced before, it is both completely acceptable and reasonable to ask for help.
Visit your veterinarian if your dog is behaving strangely.
They will be able to determine whether or not the issue is medical, physiological or even the result of a developed allergy.
Once the issue has been determined, you may form an action plan for your dog. -
Step 2: Choose an appropriate food.
Now that your vet has given you an idea of your dog's current issues, you can look for a food that meets specific requirements and is the perfect fit for your aging dog.
Depending on your dog's diet throughout its life, it may require more or less of a certain vitamin or mineral.
For example, dogs with liver or kidney disease require much less protein in their diet.
Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a "universal food".
What may be right for a 5 year old Golden Retriever, may not be suitable for a 2 year old St.Bernard, or a 12 year old Chihuahua. , While this doesn't guarantee that it will meet every criteria you're searching for in a food, it does indicate that the food in question is formulated to meet the average standard of nutrition for that life stage, as per AAFCO's regulations on "Labeling and Labeling requirements." Be proactive.
Start the puppy off on a quality food specifically tailored for puppies, and work through the life stages without switching brands when possible. , One common misconception people have is that an older dog needs less protein.
This is entirely false unless the dog has developed a disease in the kidney or liver.
In many cases, the protein consumption is actually increased in senior dogs, and the consumption of carbohydrates is drastically reduced.
Both dogs and cats have very short intestinal tracts with large elastic stomachs.
This means they can store a lot of food within their stomach, but the digestion process is faster, resulting in not all the carbohydrates being broken down and used as energy.
Proteins derived from meat are more easily and readily digested by the animal, and are often digested first, meaning after your dog eats, and goes for a nice walk or run, their body works to burn off the protein first and by the time all that energy is expended and they're ready for a nap, their body has nothing left to store but carbohydrates.
An excess of carbs in the diet, coupled with a slowing metabolism means that unless the dog thoroughly works off the food (which may prove difficult for an aging dog with energy issues), that left over energy will go to waste and turn into fat. , Your dog may need more exercise, more or less of a vitamin or they may need to eat only a specific protein or carb in the case of an allergy.
Even if trying to determine why your dog is not the same as they used to be can be frustrating, it is important to understand that your dog's body works at a much faster rate than the human body.
What has only been a decade to you, feels like 50 to 60 years of wear and tear to your dog's body.
While the average human's heart-rate at rest is between 60-80 BPM (beats per minute), the average dog's heart-rate is between 80-120 BPM.
The average dog breathes roughly 10-35 times per minute vs. 12-20 breaths per minute for the average human.
Even though dogs have 4 legs to balance on compared to our 2, the hips and joints take much more wear and tear throughout the years.
This is due to improper bedding, injuries and general everyday use such as stairs and daily walking.
By no means should you limit your dog walks; just be mindful that in your dogs old age, their hips may start to hurt after only a few minutes.
If this is the case, stop and have your dog lay on a soft surface such as grass for a rest.
Be sure to provide them with cool, clean water, and after you and your dog are feeling relaxed, turn around and head home.
Do not continue the walk as the more you walk the farther you get from home, and if your dog's hips become too sore, they may refuse to move any further. -
Step 3: Search for a food that is specifically tailored for a certain life stage (eg: puppy
-
Step 4: senior
-
Step 5: etc.).
-
Step 6: Consider how much protein to feed your dog.
-
Step 7: Remember that simply changing a dog's diet may not be enough.
Detailed Guide
There are a number of factors to consider before changing your dogs diet.
In many cases, the dog is not sick, but is coming to terms with the fact they are getting older, so they exert themselves less, sleep longer, or consume less food.
These are all perfectly natural occurrences, and do not warrant any immediate action unless accompanied by negative effects such as considerable weight loss or hot spots, as these could be indicators of a deeper issue.
As with any situation you have not experienced before, it is both completely acceptable and reasonable to ask for help.
Visit your veterinarian if your dog is behaving strangely.
They will be able to determine whether or not the issue is medical, physiological or even the result of a developed allergy.
Once the issue has been determined, you may form an action plan for your dog.
Now that your vet has given you an idea of your dog's current issues, you can look for a food that meets specific requirements and is the perfect fit for your aging dog.
Depending on your dog's diet throughout its life, it may require more or less of a certain vitamin or mineral.
For example, dogs with liver or kidney disease require much less protein in their diet.
Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a "universal food".
What may be right for a 5 year old Golden Retriever, may not be suitable for a 2 year old St.Bernard, or a 12 year old Chihuahua. , While this doesn't guarantee that it will meet every criteria you're searching for in a food, it does indicate that the food in question is formulated to meet the average standard of nutrition for that life stage, as per AAFCO's regulations on "Labeling and Labeling requirements." Be proactive.
Start the puppy off on a quality food specifically tailored for puppies, and work through the life stages without switching brands when possible. , One common misconception people have is that an older dog needs less protein.
This is entirely false unless the dog has developed a disease in the kidney or liver.
In many cases, the protein consumption is actually increased in senior dogs, and the consumption of carbohydrates is drastically reduced.
Both dogs and cats have very short intestinal tracts with large elastic stomachs.
This means they can store a lot of food within their stomach, but the digestion process is faster, resulting in not all the carbohydrates being broken down and used as energy.
Proteins derived from meat are more easily and readily digested by the animal, and are often digested first, meaning after your dog eats, and goes for a nice walk or run, their body works to burn off the protein first and by the time all that energy is expended and they're ready for a nap, their body has nothing left to store but carbohydrates.
An excess of carbs in the diet, coupled with a slowing metabolism means that unless the dog thoroughly works off the food (which may prove difficult for an aging dog with energy issues), that left over energy will go to waste and turn into fat. , Your dog may need more exercise, more or less of a vitamin or they may need to eat only a specific protein or carb in the case of an allergy.
Even if trying to determine why your dog is not the same as they used to be can be frustrating, it is important to understand that your dog's body works at a much faster rate than the human body.
What has only been a decade to you, feels like 50 to 60 years of wear and tear to your dog's body.
While the average human's heart-rate at rest is between 60-80 BPM (beats per minute), the average dog's heart-rate is between 80-120 BPM.
The average dog breathes roughly 10-35 times per minute vs. 12-20 breaths per minute for the average human.
Even though dogs have 4 legs to balance on compared to our 2, the hips and joints take much more wear and tear throughout the years.
This is due to improper bedding, injuries and general everyday use such as stairs and daily walking.
By no means should you limit your dog walks; just be mindful that in your dogs old age, their hips may start to hurt after only a few minutes.
If this is the case, stop and have your dog lay on a soft surface such as grass for a rest.
Be sure to provide them with cool, clean water, and after you and your dog are feeling relaxed, turn around and head home.
Do not continue the walk as the more you walk the farther you get from home, and if your dog's hips become too sore, they may refuse to move any further.
About the Author
Andrew Harris
Andrew Harris specializes in lifestyle and practical guides and has been creating helpful content for over 7 years. Andrew is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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