[anne g]

Hi! I have a mix rescue dog, about 12 years old, 60 lbs. We became concerned about the Beneful rumors concerning quality. Also, since he’s getting older, we wanted to make sure he was getting the best food. About 6 weeks ago we switched from Beneful to Blue Buffalo for senior dogs food. He’s since experience a lot of gas and diarrhea. We’re going to switch food again. Any suggestions? Thank you!

[InkedMarie]

Hi Rani,
I have not fed any senior type of food for my senior dogs. I do feed grainfree (grains can be inflammatory & I also don’t believe dogs need grains) with highr protein and supplement for joint and any other issues. I currently use green lipped mussel but in the past have had good results with Dog Gone Pain, In Clover Connectin and Glycoflex.

[anonymously]

I don’t know if this would meet the criteria for your dog, but my senior likes it as a topper http://www.chewy.com/dog/newmans-own-organics-grain-free-95/dp/44975
Newman’s Own Organics Grain-Free 95% Turkey Dinner Canned Dog Food

[InkedMarie]

September,
Senior dogs need a good higher protein food. Most senior foods are way too low in protein, the exception being Orijen senior.
I have had many senior dogs, three of which came to me already old. One was obese on arrival so she got a lower fat food but the other two just got good food. I supplement with green lipped mussel for joints and any other issues.

[C4D]

Hi September D,

I’ve owned a lot of dogs over the years. I’ve never fed a senior dog food to them. Senior dog food is really just a marketing ploy. My large breed dogs live well over their expiration date. The most important thing is to watch that they don’t gain too much weight, get exercise on a daily basis, and address any health issues they might have as they age or due to injuries they have sustained. I also get yearly checkups and do blood panels on a regular basis. That let’s you know if there are any issues that might need addressing. My vet once said to walk my dogs for as long as they could walk. I’ve always done that. I’m not saying this is a miracle cure, but dogs need exercise and they need a job. That’s their job and they love it. I have a senior right now, 11 yo Lab along with other older adult dogs, but if you didn’t know her age, you wouldn’t think she was that old. She has bad knees too, but she walks briskly almost 2 miles daily and runs the yard after everything she sees. She does get supplements (fish oil, joint care) and I am very careful about her diet to keep her lean. I also feed her a combination of kibble, canned and fresh/raw food daily. So, I’ll get off my soap box now. Best of luck with your pup!

[Mike Sagman]

Hi September D,

Thanks for your suggestion. We’re planning to publish an article with specific advice on what to look for when choosing a dog food for senior pets. And we hope to post that article sometime during the current year.

Until then, you should be able to use the search box on our website and enter the search term “senior” or “mature” to help you get started — until we post our article.

However, please keep in mind that there’s more to think about when choosing a dog food for your senior pet than just seeing the words “senior” or “mature adult” in the name of the product.

Hope this helps.

[crazy4cats]

Hi September-
I’m not sure you necessarily have to feed a senior food to your dog because there are no official AAFCO requirements for that life stage. It is up to each company to decide what they want to market as a “senior” dog food. Just visit the websites to check out what the companies are all about when deciding. That being said, I have fed two formulas that were marketed as senior/healthy weight that I thought were good for my dogs. They are Nutrisource and Victor. I agree with anonymously that it is good to add a little something to their base kibble meals. Best of luck with your pup.

[anonymously]

PS: I have to say it. Add a splash of water to his meals, small breeds (especially seniors) are vulnerable to developing bladder stones, adequate hydration and frequent bathroom breaks help to prevent this, big time.

[anonymously]

Check Wysong http://www.chewy.com/dog/wysong-senior-dry-dog-food-5-lb-bag/dp/50242
It is always best to add a spoonful of scrambled egg or something, make it more interesting. Think of the kibble as a base.

[September D]

This website and forum is wonderful! I would like to ask, that if possible, some time be given to reviewing senior dog foods, particularly kibble. I have a 10 year old poodle. He doesn’t need to lose weight but should have benefits of other things that will be good for him as he ages. Since you have stated that senior dog foods for the most part are terrible, I would like to know which ones are actually good. I’m sure others would appreciate this info too. Perhaps a category could be made for them. Just a suggestion.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by September D.

[Rani I]

Hello all, I have a 72-pound hound mix; Titus has been on Rachel Ray Grain Free for about 2 years and I would like to switch him to something comparable but cheaper (I’m about to switch two seniors to mobility diets).

4Health is less expensive and overall looks like a good brand (very similar to Rachel Ray) and comes in a 30lb bag versus 28lb. Has anyone had any poor experiences with it? My concern is that Diamond manufactures the Grain Free series and is known for having recalls.

Secondly, I’m trying to determine which bag will last me longer. I’ve tried to read other forums and could not find the answer that suits my specific situation.

How long does a 30lb bag of 4Health Grain Free or any 30lb bag with the values; 3,450 kcal/kg (323 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy last you based on the number of cups you feed?

Based on the values and my dogs normal intake I will be feeding aprox. 3 cups a day.

Thirdly, I appreciate any input on a quality mobility food for Seniors.
What brand do you use?
Do you offer vitamins or pain medication, in addition?
If so, what kind? Regularly or as needed?
Did you see a drastic change or is it keeping them comfortable?

Thanks in advance! 🙂

[Amateria]

Had no idea were to put this “none” haha so I put it here, anyways I recently received my order of the k9 natural which is fine it looks good no noticeable hairs on that one, but the Sunday Pets grain free senior baked version has a tonne of hair in it and I mean every single piece is filled to the rim with hairs, black hairs at that in a lamb formula, there is also white hairs and there’s more whites than there is blacks.

Is this even as safe as everyone says it is? I mean if you see 1-2 hairs its probably not a big deal but this is like a hair festival :p, the company assured me via email that their ingredients list is meant to be read as meat and meal and meat and bone meal lamb, however its been 4 months since they said they were in the process of changing the packaging and their website info and I feel that maybe there’s more lies going on here than truth and that these hairs are from extra animals been mixed together not just lamb and fish.

Also here’s the ingredients list so you don’t have to look it up, it looks really good except for the top part, which does kinda look fishy.

Our Ingredients/ Composition:Meat & Meal(min 78%) including Meat & Bone Meal, Free Range Lamb, Fish Meal. Vegetables(min 10%) including Potato, Carrot, Pumpkin, Celery. Fruits(min 5.5%) including Apple, Blueberry. Egg(min 1%), Apple Cider Vinegar(min 0.6%), Manuka Honey(min 0.6%), Green Lip Mussel(min 0.4%), Kelp(min 0.1%), Flaxseed(min 0.1%), Fennel(min 0.07%), Molasses. Nutritional Additives: Vitamins -Vitamin A 16 kIU/kg, Vitamin D3 1 kIU/kg, Vitamin E 400 IU/kg, Vitamin B1 0.9 mg/kg, Vitamin B12 0.5 mg/kg, Thiamine 50mg/kg (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 45 mg/kg, Niacin 450 mg/kg, Pantothemic Acid (Vitamin B5) 50 mg/kg, Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) 38 mg/kg, Biotin 1 mg/kg, Folic Acid 5.2 mg/kg, Choline 2700 mg/kg, Ascorbic Acid 55 mg/kg. Minerals- Magnesium 0.1% , Manganese 27 mg/kg, Potassium Carbonate, Cobalt 0.47 mg/kg, Selenium 0.9 mg/kg, Iron 240 mg/kg, Zinc 200 mg/kg, Copper 26 mg/kg, Iodine 1.8 mg/kg.

[Shawna]

I’ve read research discussing illnesses associated with palatants (specifically MSG and free glutamic acid) but I’ve never heard of them associated with copraphagia. Additionally, several of the supplements given for copraphagia have MSG or a form of free glutamic acid in them. Although they don’t work for all dogs, they do seem to work for some. I’m not sure what other palatants are used in pet foods?

Although I never had copraphagia, 🙂 I did have pica for about 15 or so years. I didn’t have digestive issues of any kind but turns out I had villous atrophy from a caseine sensitivity (I react to both cow and goat dairy products, raw or pasteurized, organic makes no difference either). My blood work was normal however my iron was on the very low side of normal. I also developed slight hypothyroid symptoms but test showed no issues. Anyhoo, I was finally diagnosed at age 39 by a wonderful M.D. who is also a Certified Clinical Nutritionist. She put me on an elimination diet. The only ingredients that jump out at me in Barking at the Moon would be the lectin proteins in the pea protein and the potato. I’ve not seen either of those lectin foods associated with villous atrophy but so much about lectins is still not yet known…?? Treats might be a potential source?

I currently feed commercial raw but used to feed home prepared (my time is limited now). Three of my dogs used to make a game out of eating bunny poo. That completely stopped when I started giving digestive enzymes. I never felt they were necessary in raw fed dogs but those three showed me differently. An adult foster dog came in eating poo. She was also a little over 20 pounds overweight. We got the weight off but no matter what we’ve tried she is a poop eater. She’s been an ideal weight (12 pounds) for several years now (we adopted her) but she still to this day has a snack given the opportunity. She won’t eat all poo though, so I’m assuming my senior dogs are not thoroughly digesting the proteins despite the added enzymes.

I don’t know if any of this is relevant to your pup but thought I’d put it out there.

[anonymously]

I just wanted to add, make sure she is getting enough water, a lot of dogs don’t. I would add water to her meals, unless your vet advises different. Most dogs just lap up the water to get to the food. Adequate hydration is a good thing, especially for seniors and dogs that are prone to UTIs/bladder stones. And offer her frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate…at least every 4 hours.

[Jessica R]

Hi guys. Ginger is 9 spayed and in great health last Friday afternoon and Saturday morning she urinated in my my house. She’s been on the lethargy side as well. She normally is fed Lamb and rice rotational Canidae, Taste of Wild ect I introduced Evo Red Meat in for high protein conten t Wednesday and Thursday and boom
Took her in Saturday morning blood work came back alp 221 BUN 36 cr 1.4 bc 9,6700 het 47/. Vet gave rimidol says maybe arthritis. I assumed kidney related with issues pointing and know high protein foods aren’t beneficial. What do you suggest? I have no idea I read about low phosphorus food and a cleanse so I processed spinach in with her food. I don’t want to fail her. I don’t know what food to buy her we see a different vet tomorrow so I can have another set of eyes check out the results. Any suggestions please

[Michelle R]

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.

[natalie w]

Everything I have read says seniors need less protein so what food does this site recommend for a senior dog? And may I ask, are you a site administrator or what is your source of this knowledge? I’m new to the site so I’m not sure who answers these questions. Thanks

[InkedMarie]

Natalie,
senior foods, with the exception of Oriken senior, are generally too low in protein. Senior dogs need more quality protein, not less.

[natalie w]

I would like a review specifically of senior dog foods please. I don’t see anythign on this site specifically for seniors, or did I miss it? (Just joined today)

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sarah-
Congrats on the new pup! They sure can be a handful! What kind of dog is it? I can relate to your issue. I have four cats and two big dogs. The dogs are lab mix and, unfortunately they love both cat food and poop. I’ve had to strategically place the boxes and food where they can’t get into them very easily. Like you, I have a senior kitty that struggles to keep weight on and I have to make sure her food is not eaten by the other cats or dogs. She is not very open to change either. A couple of the litterboxes and the cat food are now behind a closed door with a cat door. The bad part of that is that it’s my bedroom. Yuck. I also have some boxes under some shelving and in the garage where the dogs can’t get to them.

It sounds like you are getting things figured out. I wouldn’t worry too much about them eating a little of each other’s food as long as it isn’t all the time. Cats food is usually a little higher in fat and calories than dogs and could be problematic if they ate a lot of it. Cats need more protein and taurine than dogs and could be an issue if they only eat dog food over a long period of time.

Please write back if you have anymore questions. Have fun with your new pup. I’m guessing that you like your new addition a lot more than your 19 year old cat does. 😉

[Bobby dog]

Hi anonymously and Sarah H:
I would have to write in my experience with dogs it is individual to them if they develop a taste for kitty feces. My Lab mix and current dog never looked twice at a litter box. I caught my JRT chowing down a few times when she was a puppy early on, then she seemed to lose interest after that. I guess the taste didn’t appeal to her. Another poster on DFA cannot have the litter box anywhere her dogs would have access to it. My friends Labs same thing, they love nothing more than a nice dirty litter box even in their senior years.

My current dog chewed everything in sight as a puppy, thankfully he outgrew it because computer equipment and glasses can get expensive to keep replacing. My JRT was an angel, never any worries with her!

Wysong makes a kibble that is for both cats and dogs. There might be other companies as well, IDK.
http://www.wysong.net/products/wysong-epigen.php

[C4D]

Hi Cindy T,

What I’m about to say is completely my opinion, but I’m not a big fan of Royal Canin as I find it to be overpriced with subpar ingredients that has a vitamin pack added to it to make it nutritionally balanced. It may have some science to back it’s formulas, but in truth, everyone and every living thing on this planet really was meant to eat real food as opposed to a nutritionally complete processed food. Whatever your dog is, I really don’t feel that there is enough difference between and Maltese and a Shi Tzu to need to feed a specific breed formula. I foster dogs from Kill Shelters that are of unknown origin (aka Heinz 57) as well as have several dogs small and large, some mixed and some purebred. I feed them all pretty much the same food and they all end up looking great and are very healthy. There are differences in feeding large breed puppies as opposed to small breed puppies, but overall, if you feed a quality food with some fresh food mixed in to an adult dog, there isn’t a great deal of difference. Small Breed formulas tend to be higher in protein and fat as opposed to Large Breed formulas in general. Many dog food formulas have all life stages.

I’m not opposed to grains, if they work for the dog, but I have a dog that reacts to grains so it’s easier for me to feed all the animals grain freee. I always add fresh food to all of my dogs meals. No living thing should be eating dry processed food for their entire life. I add canned food when feeding a kibble meal and make a fresh cooked or raw meal with a balanced premix for the other meal. My “senior” dogs are lively and playful and walk a mile or so daily. They have minimal health problems, and only due to torn ccls (that’s a whole other discussion).

I’m not personally a fan of skept vet either, but ultimately, the choice is yours.

[Brandi B]

I have a senior dog with stomach issues due to a stomach infection. I too have tried many foods. The one I found that worked was Natural Balance sweet potato and chicken. It seems any food with meat as the first ingredient has bothered him. He had also been on metranidozole, but we found by accident that amoxicillin worked better for an antibiotic. We only found this when he had a swollen lymph node that came back showing signs of infection. Within the first few days of being on that, his stools improved. My vet said it’s not common, but also not unheard of for amoxicillin to work better in some dogs.

[anonymously]

I no longer use a lot of supplements. I do add a fish oil capsule once a day to meals, I add water to the food, especially a senior male small breed, as they are vulnerable to developing bladder stones, UTIs, take out frequently to urinate….at least every 4 hours.
Exercise/long walks as tolerated.
If you are feeding a decent diet, they don’t need multi-vits….unless your vet has recommended such. The liver has to detoxify all this stuff.
I’m just sharing what I have learned over the years.
BTW: shih-tzu’s have lousy teeth, if the vet that examines your dog recommends a cleaning and extractions, I would get it done. Then daily brushings (see YouTube for how to videos) may help to prevent any more professional cleanings being needed.
My dogs do well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea (canned and dry) as a base. I often add a tablespoon of cooked chicken or lean meat or scrambled egg…you get the idea.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=supplements

[anonymously]

What does your vet recommend? I would keep her diet simple. My senior does well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea (canned and dry) 3-4 small meals a day with water added, kibble soaked overnight.

Homemade diet recipe and tips: http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

PS: I would not give a dog with the issues you describe, raw food, in any way, shape or form. Especially not a senior.

[jewel0247]

Hi all,
My doggy had a pancreatitis episode 2 weeks ago and was hospitalized for a day. She made a good recovery. Placed her on bland diet sweet potato and puréed chicken breast and transitioned to raw primal venison (she loved it! She was on darwins before). We ended up at the vet Monday with vomiting… She vomited undigested food 6 hrs after her dinner :/ and then vomited several more times even water the next day. The vet thought she ate too fast or she maybe was over fed? I think her pancreas is still upset and she couldn’t digest the food or too high in fat?

I’m at a loss what to give her now. We’re back on sweet potato and puréed chicken doing fine (of course on nausea med). Trying a sample of zeal here and there but she’s not crazy about it. She’s a very picky dog.. Will go on hunger strikes and vomit bile. :/ scared to give her primal.

Looked for homemade recipes but it seems complicated and I’m not sure what to portion out for a 12 lb dog :/.

Appreciate any input!!

[Dori]

Hi Kim. I’ve been following your story and am sorry for what you are both going through. I know how difficult it is when our dogs aren’t feeling well and not acting like themselves especially when the dog is a senior. I have a 16 year old Maltese and worry about her constantly. You didn’t mention if you ever had a vet do an ultrasound. Hopefully when you take him to the vet you will request that they do an ultrasound and a senior blood panel test which looks for more than the typical yearly blood work. At 13 he should be blood tested every 6 months anyway. I will say that you should be very proud of yourself and take great comfort with the long life you have given your “man” as well as the love. I’ll be checking back on Thursday to see how he made out at his vet visit and hope he perks up before that. Anonymously is correct that antibiotics can cause nausea so that they don’t want to eat. If they keep him on antibiotics for a bit ask for an appetite stimulant also. I had to do that with one of my dogs once. Some dogs get very sleepy on antibiotics as well. Good Luck. I’ll be thinking of you both.

[Susan]

Hi Mom T, nice thing you have done taken in an old boy….. I have a 7 yr old with IBD & Skin problems & he has problems keeping on his weight, so I feed 4 smaller meals thru the day & more then what it says on the kibble bag. Patches kibble says 2 & a 1/2 cups kibble per day but I cook as well so I give 1 heaped cup kibble a day…
I would not feed any puppy food, it’s made for high energy puppies, like you said the puppy food would be too high in fat, find a good kibble & I feed 4 meals a day…Holistic Select has their Senior kibble chicken meal & rice that’s easy to digest… http://www.holisticselect.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog#category5
I cook then freeze the cooked chicken or beef in 1 cup sections & I freeze small kangaroo mince balls, like a rissole that I bake, I add 1 egg, some parsley, some people add Turmeric powder & coconut oil for arthritis, you can bake small balls of beef, chicken or turkey mince rissoles & give as a treat or mix thru the meal…. Patch gets cooked meal for breakfast & dinner, I feed cooked chicken breast, tin Salmon, boiled potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, some times, beef, Kangaroo, sweet potatoes a bit of pumkin, boiled egg etc make sure you add the fish (tin Sardines or Salmon in spring water drained) for his omega’s for his skin… I prefer to add Patches omegas naturally thru food not the fish tablets….. Fish oil tablets made Patch feel sick, you have to remember these dogs were not looked after probably most of their lives & when we rescue them & start adding all this healthy new stuff etc some dogs stomachs/bowels can’t cope…. then I give 1/2 cup kibble for lunch & another 1/2 cup kibble for late dinner….that’s for a 39lb dog……. Kibble keeps & puts the weight on, I have found…. look at the Kcals on the kibbles web page for the Kcal/per cup the higher the Kcal per cup the better around 380-400Kcal/per cup…..Once you start feeding 3-4 meals a day his weight will slowly start to come back, nice & slow, it may take about 4 months but it will be healthy weight not a diet full of fat..

Here’s a calculator to see how many Calories he should be eating a day, it gives you a ruff idea, just enter the weight he should be & he’s a senior dog..
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Crow M]

Congratulations on your new family member!

I went through the same ordeal last year with a very elderly and underweight rescue; how to put on weight safely, finding the balance between feeding him enough but not too much, so that his weight gain wasn’t too quick and his system wasn’t overwhelmed with too many fats.

I second the advice above – if at all possible, feed him 3 or 4 small meals a day instead of 1 or 2 big ones. I fed a good-quality puppy food mixed with a good-quality adult food* starting with a 3:1 ratio. As he came close to his target weight, I gradually changed the ratio to 2:2, then 1:3, and then finally all adult food.

Supplements: don’t over-do it. I’d give him probiotics and maybe a joint med, but really, good food is going to wonders all by itself.

*Earthborn Holistics Puppy Vantage, Earthborn Holistics Great Plains Feast, Earthborn Holistics Large Breed (all dry); Wellness Complete/Core Puppy, Wellness Complete Senior and Canidae Large Breed (all canned). I mix up what I feed my dogs; variety is a good thing.

[anonymously]

I would be more worried about the dog surviving the heartworm treatment, that is a priority.
Otherwise I would go by your vet’s suggestion, maybe a high quality puppy food (canned and dry). I might add a tablespoon of chopped cooked chicken or chopped cooked chicken liver, add a little water to meals. I might feed 3-4 small meals per day instead of 2 regular ones. I would not add any supplements unless your vet advises so, just more junk for the liver to deal with. I would not give raw food to an old sick dog.
You don’t want rapid weight gain, too stressful, just a gradual increase.
Also, see what your vet advises regarding the flea allergy, frequent baths? Be careful about vaccinations and pesticides with a senior dog like this….
Walks/activity as tolerated, keep him moving.

[anonymously]

Did the vet mention bladder stones? It sounds like he might have a urinary tract infection. When this happened to my senior small breed, he was treated with antibiotics and seemed to be okay, then the symptoms started all over again a few months later. When they did a x-ray/ultrasound it showed he was loaded with stones and needed emergency surgery.

So, if it was my dog I would get the ultrasound done now so that you will know what you are dealing with. Was blood work done? He’s due for a good senior workup, imo.
/forums/search/bladder+stones/ per the search engine here

[A]

Good morning pitlove,
One of my friends who is a dog trainer said the same thing right away. She’s a chunky but sticky short little thing.
Supposedly her parents were over 100lbs each but God only knows they could have been very over fed.
We did end up putting her on Fromm. I liked their ingredients and she does well on it so far.

We have our mastiffs on firstmate and love the brand. I recommended it to anyone.
Our one mastiff has liver disease and is doing amazing on the senior diet from them her levels are way better then when on the hepatic royal canine or hills.
And our vet has signed off and even said that its allot better.

Thank you!

[Susan]

Hi, did you look at the Honest Kitchen Zeal, the fat is only 8.50% & it already has the protein fish, fish is easy to digest.. http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal…
I looked at the Preference the fat is 8.4% & you haven’t added the meat yet….have you looked into cooking? once you cook & freeze everything its pretty easy, just once a week you have to cook & days you feel lazy, I feed a wet tin food, kibble is hard to digest so maybe stick with wet foods less work on the stomach pancreas & bowel…. on Face Book there’s a “Canine Pancreatitis Support” group, post a post asking brands of low fat premium wet tin foods…I know a few feed the “Holistic Select” Senior kibble its easy to digest… just remember the fat % in wet tin food is higher then kibble, if a wet tin food says 5% fat that’s around 22% fat if it was a kibble….

[jewel0247]

Hi,
My 12 yr old dog is hospitalized with pancreatitis (on fluids, bowel rest)… She also has elevated liver enzymes. Before getting sick, she was fed darwins in the morning with coconut oil and natures variety instinct in the evening with probiotic. She was doing great with her skin and allergies…

I want to modify her diet to less fat… Any suggestions? Cancelled darwins and was thinking either honest kitchen preference (add ground turkey) or natures variety instinct rabbit. She’s very picky..

Should I start her on milk thistle or sam-e?

Thank you for your time

[anonymously]

Did the dog get a senior workup, labs, etc? Age seven is a good time to have this done. Something is wrong…..

[anonymously]

Did you check out Wysong Senior: http://www.chewy.com/dog/wysong-senior-dry-dog-food-5-lb-bag/dp/50242
My senior was doing very well on this, however, I had to switch to one brand of food that agrees will all 3 dogs (Nutrisca).

[Karen D]

Thank you all for your input, I had second thoughts about stopping the Cosequin & will continue till next Vet visit & ask her what she thinks since she recommended it in the first place but was before food was changed. I agree Orijen is pricey but so are vet bills, I paid $81 a month ago when she had mushy poop & vet didn’t know why, other than a food issue, so yeah I will gladly pay for the Orijen senior….I think since it is such a good food you end up feeding way less in the long run & so price evens out. I am feeding Pnut 125 grams per day in addition to 1/4-1/3 can of Newmans Own Turkey & Chicken, split into 4 feedings (yeah she’s spoiled) & she weighs 30 #s so using the chart on back of Orijen bag I added the 2 close weights(22 & 44) & amounts to feed & divided by 2 to get 150 grams, then took away 25 to make up for the canned…close enough.
Karen

[Pitlove]

Hi Karen- Personally I disagree with Anonymously on that advice. While its nice that foods contain glucosamine and chondroitin, they don’t contain a theraputic amount. Especially if you have a senior dog that is showing signs of stiff joints. The only time I’ve ever heard of additional supplements causing any of the problems that Anonymously mentioned is when they were overfed. You can certainly still double check with your vet, but most of these supplements are safe to feed along with a food that contains glucosamine and chondroitin.

[Karen D]

Thanks to this forum I am happy with this new food & so is Pnut, no more messy poops, I noticed this food contains Glucosamine & Chondroitin, should I stop giving her the chewable joint supplements or cut back?
Thanks,
Karen

[Drew B]

Hello,

Bloodwork just came back on my (almost) 12 year old Yorkie. Doc said he had high fat to blood levels and a slightly inflamed pancreas. What food do you recommend for this condition? I currently feed my two Yorkies (the other one is about to turn 10) Wellness Complete Health Deboned Chicken & Barley. Thanks for any help!

[anonymously]

Yes, that is one of the liver function tests (alk phos)
Sometimes there are slight anomalies with various lab values as a dog ages, for example, my senior has a slight anemia. It’s age related, nothing to worry about.
Best to ask the vet for more information.

[Pitlove]

I agree with Orijen Senior. That or any all life stages food with high protein would be good.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Mark,
You don’t need a senior food. Most of them are too low in protein, with Orijen senior being the exception. The food you’re using is a good food but if you want something else, Orijen senior would be good to try.

[Karen D]

Thank you so much Pitlove, I bought a sample of the Orijen Senior & Peanut adores it, poops are getting better too, so ordered a 15# bag from Vetinternet. I spoke to soon about the Honest Kitchen Perfect Form, it worked the first 3 times then back to mushy poop. I am mixing the Orijen with her canned Newmans at present & probably will continue as I have several cases stockpiled…..is that ok to do?

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Karen D.

[Mark K]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has had good experiences with a specific brand of Senior Dog Food. I am currently using Wellness Reduced Fat for my 8+ year old Yellow Lab and am considering switching over. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time and information.

Sincerely, Mark K.

[anonymously]

What you describe sounds like environmental allergies. If I were you, I would consult a board certified veterinary internal medicine specialist or dermatologist. Diet/food may not have much to do with his symptoms.
At age 16, I would let the dog (if it was mine) eat whatever he wants, in moderation.

PS: Check out the search engine here at this site, lots of info.
I assume your pet has had a senior workup, if not, that might be a good place to start. The veterinarian may be able to prescribe medications (depending on the results of the exam) that will keep your dog comfortable.

[Pitlove]

If it’s within your budget have a look at Orijen Senior. Chewy.com offers the frequent buyer program for Orijen even though its not advertised on their site and you get free shipping at 49$, plus they have excellent customer service as others mentioned.

[Pitlove]

Allison- Senior dogs have an increased requirement for protein as they do not metabolize it as well as their adult counterparts. Is Petco the only place available for you to shop or do you have a small up-scale pet store near you or can you shop online? If so, I’d look at Orijen Senior. It’s argued as the best Senior kibble on the market, but you will not find it at Petco or PetSmart.

[Allison C]

Long time lurker, but joined this forum to address tons of questions that I used to bother Petco employees with and never got a definitive answer to.

I have two senior toy poodles, one (9lb) with medium activity level, the other one (smaller, 6lb) with little to none activity level. Suffice to say I try to get as much exercise for them as possible but the smaller one is just way too stubborn and lazy–let’s save that topic for another day.

We were on Wellness Core Original for some 10 years or so. Now I’m looking to jump ship because I figured the dogs could use a variety in their food life and also I came to believe that limited ingredient diet is better for my aging dogs. Right now we’re on Canidae Pure Salmon but I don’t know if the dogs like it as much as they did Wellness.

In my search for dog food I tried to look at those with protein % of 30 or more but it’s not easy to reconcile that with the limited ingredient factor.

But I recently heard/read somewhere that high protein food isn’t good/effective for inactive dogs. Because if that’s true, I can just feed my dogs Wellness Simple, which comes with relatively low protein %. Is it true that high protein can be bad?

[Shawna]

Hmmmmm? Creatinine is only a little high… Something doesn’t jive here. I’m sure there are exceptions to the rules but creatinine is a better indication of how well the kidneys are actually functioning (from everything I’ve ever read). Maybe newer data is suggesting different but data on this site, veterinary medicine dvm360, published in 2011 still agrees “A serum creatinine concentration is the most commonly used measure of severity of renal dysfunction and is the basis for staging chronic kidney disease (CKD) (Table 1). To optimize accurate staging of CKD, serum creatinine concentrations should be evaluated on two or more occasions when the patient is well-hydrated.” http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/laboratory-evaluation-kidney-disease?rel=canonical

Based on a BUN of 77 and a creatinine of 1.6, I personally wouldn’t do low protein but rather moderate amounts of “high quality” protein.

Does your girl have large amounts of very dilute urine? Was there any protein in the urine? Was any other tests done? Is there any other medical conditions? Did you get a second opinion? She doesn’t want to eat often but you said this is just her normal. Does she have any other symptoms such as vomiting, depression etc?

This may help… My Audrey was diagnosed when she was just 13 months old but had symptoms when she was just 6 weeks old. Within the first year of diagnosis I made dietary changes and then had her blood work done every three months. On December 18, 2007 (the second blood work done after the dietary changes) her BUN was 77 (6 to 25 normal) and her creatinine was 1.9 (0.5 to 1.6 are normal ranges for this lab). Audrey didn’t eat a lower protein diet for another almost 7 years.

They also now know that senior dogs actually require MORE protein than adult dogs because they are less efficient at digesting it. Even toy breed dogs – I had a 4 pound Chihuahua live to age 19 eating a HIGH protein diet.

Please take some time to read the articles on this website. http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidneyprotein.html

Okay……..YES – I would highly recommend starting her on Standard Process Canine Renal Support. It’s pricey up front but will last a long time for a four pound little girl. I’ve never used Five Leaf but others I’ve directly talked to felt it helped. The Primal Defense and Acacia Fiber will help lower BUN. I personally would look at feeding foods with higher quality and amounts of protein and getting rid of the cream of wheat and gravy. See if you can find canned tripe — a brand that is just tripe. There is one out with quinoa but I’m not sure how much phosphorus is in quinoa so not sure it is suitable? It may be, I just don’t know. Tripe itself is higher in protein with moderate amounts of phosphorus. Most dogs really really like it too. You can continue the goat milk (best if it’s raw in my opinion). Eggs are a good option but the yolk is higher in phosphorus so, recommendations vary depending on stage of the disease, you might want to feed more cooked whites then whole eggs (maybe a one to one ratio – one whole egg with one white only). I would also suggest against feeding homemade as it is really important to get the phosphorus to calcium ratios correct and to limit phosphorus to appropriate amounts for the stage of the disease (which is early stage based on the numbers you mentioned—unless your lab normals are way different than mine?). There are recipes online if you want to home prepare. Dr. Meg Smart has a recipe – you would want the one for “early to moderate stage” http://petnutritionbysmart.blogspot.com/2013/02/home-made-diets-and-renal-disese-in.html

There’s lots more you can do but you mentioned you have a budget so start with these and then if there’s more for other things you can add on as able–such as herbs that can be helpful.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Shawna.