Just when your dog’s teeth turn yellow you might ask: What is the best dog food for a senior dog?
It is a known fact that a dog’s body ages seven times faster than a human’s and so the food you feed your dog should change with respect to its age since you want to be sure that your dog remains happy and healthy for the rest of its life.
As the dog ages it is more prone to diseases such as arthritis, kidney failure and diabetes. Therefore when your dog reaches the age of 7 you should monitor its health and switch over to senior dog food.
How To Switch Over To Senior Dog Food?
Vets recommend weaning the dog off their current dog food gradually. As the dogs are so accustomed to their food, it might have severe side-effects when you switch over to senior dog food all at once.
It usually takes a week or 10 days for a dog to adjust to their new dog food. However, you should discuss with the vet before switching over the food.
Benefits of Senior Dog Food For Older Dogs
An older dog’s nutritional requirements differ from that of a younger dog as it requires a well-balanced diet full of vitamins and fibers relatively low in calories, fat, and proteins.
However the main component added in senior dog food is the amount of added vitamins. Senior dog food is designed to deal with several health conditions such as kidney problems, obesity and constipation. This specific type of dog food helps senior dogs to combat with aging and offers low stress to body organs that comes with having to digest high-fat preservative-filled food.
Best Senior Dog Food For Arthritis
The bones of a senior dog will become weak and deformed. To fight with arthritis and joint pain vets recommend giving dog food with Glucosamine such as IAMS Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food which encourages joint health and helps to deal with arthritis and hip dysplasia.
Best Senior Dog Food for Sensitive Stomach
If your dog suffers from constipation wheat bran is a good source of fiber to use. You can also give your dog food especially formulated with more fiber and less protein to fight constipation and other stomach problems such as Grain Free Dry Dog Food by Hill’s Science Diet, Adult, Sensitive Stomach & Skin
It is quite common for a senior dog to turn thin and weak but if your dog loses a lot of weight and has a bad appetite you should always consult a veterinarian as it may indicate some serious medical issues.
Best Wet Dog Food for Senior Dogs
If your dog is having a hard time chewing the dry food you can always moisten the kibble with water to make it softer to chew for them. Also you can spice the food up with juice or chicken broth your dog will love.
10 Best Senior Dog Food
Here are 10 of our best picks for senior dog food
- Blue Buffalo senior dog food has real meat as the first ingredient that helps maintain healthy muscles
- It contains essential proteins and carbohydrates to help meet the energy needs of adult dogs, and features omega 3 & 6 fatty acids to promote a shiny coat and healthy skin
- This formula contains a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to support immune system health, life stage requirements, and a healthy oxidative balance
- Made for senior dogs with real chicken followed by other whole foods for lean nutrition and to help support strong muscles
- Natural recipe with added vitamins and powerful antioxidants from real fruits and vegetables support overall health, while omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids support healthy skin and coat
- The nutrient-rich and highly digestible recipe made with a proprietary probiotic blend to help support your canine companion’s digestive health
- Made with no corn, wheat, filler, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and contains guaranteed levels of glucosamine and chondroitin to support your pal’s joint health
- Made in the USA by a family owned and run company with the most scientifically advanced food safety protocols because your pal deserves nothing but the best
- Made with high-quality protein, including real chicken as the first ingredient
- Natural prebiotic fiber, sourced from wheat bran, helps promote optimal digestive health
- Enhanced with botanical oils to promote alertness and mental sharpness in dogs 7+ within 30 days
- EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid, and glucosamine help support joint health and mobility
- Enriched with vitamin A and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, for healthy skin and a beautiful shiny coat
- Helps support joint and bone health, weight management and promotes alertness and mental sharpness with Iams DHA Gold
- Made with protein sourced from chicken and egg to build strong, firm muscles and prebiotics to promote healthy digestion and strong defences
- Includes fat burning L-carnitine to help keep your senior pup at a healthy weight
- The recipe features an exclusive antioxidant blend with Vitamin E and Beta-Carotene to help boost the immune response of your older dog to healthy adult levels
- Complete and balanced for senior dogs over 7 years old and up to 50 pounds
- Helps support and maintain a healthy urinary tract
- Formulated with Echinacea to provide support for a healthy immune system
- Active ingredients include cranberry extract, Echinacea, Vitamin C and Oregon Grape Root
- Tasty non-fat dry milk formula that is easy to administer
- Formulated by veterinarians in the US
- For dogs from 8 to 12 years between 9 & 22 pounds
- Nutrients and antioxidants help maintain vitality face the first signs of aging
- Exclusive flavors for enhanced palatability
- Helps dogs maintain a healthy weight with L-Carnitine to promote fat metabolism
- Proven kibble technology helps reduce the formation of tartar
- Purina One smartblend vibrant maturity adult 7+ formula dry dog food is enriched with high-quality protein, including real chicken as the #1 ingredient, supports the heart and muscles
- Veterinarian recommended
- Protein-rich, tender, meaty morsels plus crunchy kibble for a taste he loves
- Promotes mental sharpness & healthy energy
- Glucosamine and chondroitin work to support joint and cartilage health in your dog
- Omega-6 fatty acids nourish your pooch’s skin for a healthier and noticeably shiny coat
- Antioxidant and vitamin E and C blend work together to help support a healthy immune system
- Made from natural, high-quality ingredients without any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
- Made in the USA, this is a complete and balanced diet recommended for large breed dogs
- Grain-free senior dry dog food helps support healthy aging with real salmon as the first ingredient, plus a blend of targeted nutrients.
- Medium chain triglycerides naturally occurring in coconut oil help support brain health in aging dogs to encourage cognitive wellness
- Antioxidant blend helps support a healthy immune system while omega fatty acids help maintain skin and coat health
- Glucosamine and chondroitin from natural sources help support joint health and overall mobility to encourage an active lifestyle
- Crafted using only nutrient-dense ingredients and never any grains, wheat, corn, soy, by-product meals, or artificial preservatives, colors or flavors
- Wet dog Food formulated for optimal digestive and skin health
- Supports healthy skin and coat with omega 6 fatty acids and vitamin E
- Delightful wet food made with natural ingredients
- Mix up meal time with Hill’s Science Diet adult sensitive stomach and skin tender Turkey and Rice stew
- Made in the USA with global ingredients you can trust
- No.1 Veterinarian recommended
Conclusion
Dogs age faster than humans and develop age related medical conditions such as arthritis, constipation, kidney problems. Therefore once your dog reaches 7 years of age you should give him especially formulated dog food for senior dogs. This will provide them with the nutritional ingredients and vitamins necessary to combat medical conditions.
Senior dog food should contain higher levels of antioxidants, high quality protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and optimum levels of fibre . Senior dog food should also be enriched with glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate to help support healthy joints and cartilage.
We have hand picked 10 of the best senior dog food for your furry friend. As always please make sure to discuss everything with your vet before trying different types of dog foods.
