How to Feed Your Senior Dog a Healthy Diet
Determine when to begin a senior diet., Look for fewer calories for overweight dogs., Encourage reluctant dogs., Keep change to a minimum.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine when to begin a senior diet.
Consider your dog as an individual when deciding if it might be time to switch to a senior diet.
Different dogs may benefit from senior diets at different ages.
Additionally, there is no formal definition for what constitutes a senior diet, so these diets will vary by manufacturer.
Generally, a senior diet will have altered protein content, lower phosphorus, and reduced caloric content.If you think your dog might benefit from a senior diet, talk to your vet. -
Step 2: Look for fewer calories for overweight dogs.
Like humans, most dogs burn fewer calories as they get older.
That means that they need to eat fewer calories overall, or they will gain weight.
You can compensate by feeding your dog less adult dog food.
Senior dog foods can help because they can keep your dog feeling fuller while maintaining a lower-calorie diet., While many older dogs gain weight as they age, some become more reluctant to eat.
If that's the case with your dog, you may need to make some small changes to encourage your dog to eat.It's always best to have your dog checked out by a vet if it becomes reluctant to eat, particularly if the loss of appetite comes on suddenly.
You may need to buy smaller kibble to make it easier to chew or add a bit of warm water to make it softer.
If your dog has lost interest, you can try adding a bit of wet dog food to their diet to help encourage eating. , Older dogs don't take to change as well as younger dogs.
When introducing a big change, try to do it gradually.
If you make drastic changes in a dog's routine, you may find your dog is not as interested in eating. -
Step 3: Encourage reluctant dogs.
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Step 4: Keep change to a minimum.
Detailed Guide
Consider your dog as an individual when deciding if it might be time to switch to a senior diet.
Different dogs may benefit from senior diets at different ages.
Additionally, there is no formal definition for what constitutes a senior diet, so these diets will vary by manufacturer.
Generally, a senior diet will have altered protein content, lower phosphorus, and reduced caloric content.If you think your dog might benefit from a senior diet, talk to your vet.
Like humans, most dogs burn fewer calories as they get older.
That means that they need to eat fewer calories overall, or they will gain weight.
You can compensate by feeding your dog less adult dog food.
Senior dog foods can help because they can keep your dog feeling fuller while maintaining a lower-calorie diet., While many older dogs gain weight as they age, some become more reluctant to eat.
If that's the case with your dog, you may need to make some small changes to encourage your dog to eat.It's always best to have your dog checked out by a vet if it becomes reluctant to eat, particularly if the loss of appetite comes on suddenly.
You may need to buy smaller kibble to make it easier to chew or add a bit of warm water to make it softer.
If your dog has lost interest, you can try adding a bit of wet dog food to their diet to help encourage eating. , Older dogs don't take to change as well as younger dogs.
When introducing a big change, try to do it gradually.
If you make drastic changes in a dog's routine, you may find your dog is not as interested in eating.
About the Author
Edward Jones
A passionate writer with expertise in DIY projects topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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