What to Feed Your Senior Dog
As they age, many dogs start to show signs of age, like decreased activity, thinning coats, and a loss of teeth. But that doesn’t mean they suddenly become old! As our dog's age, their bodies change and require different nutrients than they did when they were younger.
Even though your dog may not show any outward signs of aging, their diet does play a role in how their older body reacts to their environment.
Reducing the amount of food your dog eats can make them more sluggish and cause them to experience unwanted side effects. That’s why it’s so important to feed them the right foods. Luckily, there are a ton of great alternatives to giving your dog the nutrients they need.
Here’s what you should feed your senior dog:
Be cautious of raw diets
Many vets and experts agree that raw diets are a bad idea for senior dogs.
Why? Because food is a dog’s first source of nutrients, raw diets lack important proteins and vitamins that your dog would get from a cooked diet.
This can lead to nutritional deficiencies and even health problems for your dog.
That’s not to say that you should never feed your dog a raw diet. It’s just a good idea to do so with caution.
Add some wet food for better breath
Dry dog food can cause bad breath, but wet food can potentially help with this problem.
There are tons of different wet dog foods to choose from, depending on your dog’s diet preferences.
Most wet foods have a higher moisture percentage than dry food, which can help with bad breath. And because it’s wet, it’s easy to mush up and feed your dog when they’re not feeling well.
You can also use wet food to treat your dog’s diarrhea.
As your dog gets older, they may not have the appetite they used to. In that case, it’s important to keep their teeth clean and healthy. And one great way to do that is by feeding your dog a dental diet.
Feed your dog a muscle food
Muscle food is designed for older dogs who are losing muscle mass.
There are two types of muscle foods: premixed and dry. Dry muscle food comes in jars and you mix it with water.
Because it’s dry, it’s easy to feed your dog without making a mess.
Another great thing about muscle food is that it comes with tons of vitamins and minerals to help your dog stay healthy and strong.
To feed your dog muscle food, first, get their bloodwork done. The goal is to find out the levels of medications in their blood and adjust as necessary to keep their organ function normal.
Give your dog a dry food
If you’re feeding your dog dry food, it’s because they love it!
But dry dog food can cause a lot of health problems.
One of the biggest issues with dry food is bad breath.
Luckily, there are tons of dry dog food brands that have wet formulas.
So if your dog doesn’t enjoy wet food, you can switch to different dry food.
Another issue with dry food is teeth wear. Dry food is only soft enough to chew for a short amount of time. And then it gets harder to chew and starts to wear teeth down.
Add some canned food
Canned food has a higher moisture percentage than dry food. So it’s great for your senior dog who has trouble swallowing dry food.
Canned food is also healthy and easy to administer. Add some to a spoon and feed your dog with that.
You can also mix canned food with your senior dog’s dry food to create wet food.
Food should be a part of your pet’s diet until they reach the age of 12 or so. But once they reach senior status, you should feed them a specific diet.
Mix in some wet food
Once your dog reaches senior status, it may start to show signs of age like decreased activity and a droopy muzzle.
That’s normal, but if their activity is low, it’s worth a visit to the vet.
To keep your senior dog active, try mixing in some wet food. You can also give them an occasional treat.
They may also need to change their diet as they age.
Dogs don’t just eat dry food. They also eat wet food, which is why it’s important for them to have a specific diet.
Conclusion
Most dogs love dry dog food, but it can cause health problems as your dog gets older. Older dogs should eat a higher moisture diet. A wet diet is also a good option.
Your senior dog may benefit from muscle food, canned food, and wet food. Senior dogs need to eat more than younger dogs and should be fed twice a day.
It’s important to feed your senior dog the right foods to help them stay healthy and happy.
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