Senior Dry Food

[Rebanne]

what is a good dry food for an older dog but is not a "light" food? Most senior or mature dry food seems to be also for weight control which is not needed.

[Crisovar]

what is a good dry food for an older dog but is not a "light" food? Most senior or mature dry food seems to be also for weight control which is not needed.

Advance do a senior food, I have quite a few clients who have their oldies on it and do well. It has added joint support ingredients.

[Staranais]

Why does the dog need a senior food? I don't know much about it since I've never had a dog that's truly elderly, but as far as I know there's not much difference between an adult maintenance and a senior food except less calories & protein, and more fillers, plus perhaps some added glucosamine and other joint food.

So I'm thinking, why can't you just feed a premium adult food and supplement with glucosamine/MSM & fish oil?

[Crisovar]

Some people don't like to mess around adding supplements.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Royal Canin does mature foods in small/med/large dogs.

Actually their mobility support prescription food has therapeutic levels of Green Lipped Mussel powder and good levels of omega 3 & 6 so it's a bit of a favourite with our clients but you might need to feed slightly more to maintain current weight, just seems the dogs build a bit of muscle on it and thin down a little.

[Rebanne]

I don't need it for the joint extra's though they won't hurt. I have an older dog who is on the skinny side but I don't want to feed the working dog formula's for the extra fat because of the high protein levels. Blood work has come back ok. Piper has gone off his food to a certain extent so I am trying him on different things. He is enjoying the tin food and dog rolls stuff I have bought. Must think all his Christmas' have come at once cause I never normally feed that. He is eating supercoat sensitive at the moment as long as I don't give him too much and chicken wings. He's lost around 3 or 4 kilos. I am now feeding him 4 times a day, small meals cause he won't eat his normal size.

Vet thinks he might have a heart problem but he's very hard to examine due to his extreme reaction to being at the vet, we'll go back next week and see if we can get a better listen by examining him in the car. Vet suspects fluid build up and he's started on a short course of frusemide. The vets have advance senior, will have a look at the bag next week.

[sezling]

I also find it slightly frustrating that senior dog kibbles are aimed at weight loss. My 11yo dog was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and he has lost a lot of weight (around 4kgs). Rather than a senior dry food Im using Nutro Lamb & Rice and barf patties and feeding him 1.5 of the recommended serves for his ideal weight per day (i.e. he requires 3 cups nutro or 500g barf patty daily so I give one full serve of dry or raw and then half of the other) which is helping to put back some weight.

[Rebanne]

Sorry about your boy Sezling

I've never had to worry about feeding an old dog anything different before than what they have eaten all their life. But Piper has refused quite a few different foods lately, so if "junk" food keeps him happy, junk food he can have. At least the chicken wings are healthier.

[noisymina]

I came across the same issue with Kaisie - she NEEDS some fat in her diet.

She was doing well with a bit of the Nutro Lamb and Rice + Raw before they took it off the shelves.

I've just sourced another pack but have not opened it yet. I don't know if the formula has changed.