It is true that you should not reduce the amount of protein for senior pets. In fact, some senior pets actually need more protein as they start to lose muscle mass. We are veterinarian owned and operated facility and specialize in pet nutrition. We are also the author of the Complete Dog Food Reference Guide which is in currently it’s 4th revision. You can read more about this from Tufts University: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/05/surprising-findings-from-tufts-study-of-37-senior-dog-foods.aspx
The only dietary requirement that differs is between puppies and adults. The rest is not an AAFCO feed requirement and is rather a gimmick to increase product sales (i.e. Senior diets, Large Breed, Small Breed, Breed-specific diets, hairball diets, indoor, etc). Only a pet in organ failure may require dietary protein adjustments as specifically directed by a veterinarian.
