[Pitlove]

I’ll also note that a senior dogs protein requirements increase and not decrease as many old-school vet’s will tell you. This has been found through much more current and up to date research. Restricting protein is not needed unless a dog is in very very late stages of kidney disease. Again, research has been done and others on this site with K/D dogs can tell you this.

Senior dog foods are often low in fat which is good but often far too low in protein. This means the carbs will increase and if you overfeed they can gain weight. If you have one that is prone to weight gain, fed high protein, moderate fat and low carb and cut back on how much they are eating and you will see them drop a few pounds. Do that until they are at their ideal weight and then increase food enough to keep them at the ideal weight.