[Mom2Cavs]

My 2 senior Cavaliers with MVD see a cardiologist who did echo cardiograms on them, not MRIs. While it was still expensive it was cheaper than MRIs. There is such a thing called Care Credit that I’ve used. It’s a credit card meant just for health issues (human and pet) that charges no interest if you pay it off by 6 months. Quite a help to us.

[Liz S]

Really need some help here. My moms chihuahua just turned 10 years old. A few months ago at her check up she had everything checked ( and more since she’s considered senior now ) – as well as blood work. Everything came back fine.
Brief back story: her old vet whom she went to for over 10 years and cared for many pets, told her a few years ago that although her ( Qtip is her name ) breath was REALLY, REALLY BAD, and her teeth were as well, she wasn’t in any pain. That dogs don’t have pain when they get cavities etc. BS!!!! She had never had a teeth cleaning. I was so upset. But my mom trusted him. * Please NO COMMENTS about how she should have had her teeth cleaned several times by now. * —- I know that. My mom now does too. And please no comments about her.

Fast forward to her check up a few months ago at MY vet. I recommended her to mine. I’d been with them for about 2 years and am happy with them for the most part. One of the reasons I also bring all my furbabies there is they treat ferrets. I have 4. Couldn’t find any other vet that took them.

They discovered Qtip has a small heart palpitation. And of course we spoke of her teeth/gums etc. Of course they said she absolutely needs a cleaning and teeth pulled. But they won’t do the anesthesia until they do an MRI. Which I totally understand and agree! Apparently they don’t have an MRI machine on site. So between the cleaning, extra time for pulling teeth, anesthesia and a truck having to come with an MRI machine the cost is going to be outrageous. I know it would’ve been either way but the mobile MRI added a lot of money.

*Please, no comments on ” if you can’t afford a pet don’t get one. Or have a savings account for things like this. ” * —- My mom knows this. I know this! My family ( fiance and toddler ) ourselves have 2 cats, 3 dogs and 4 ferrets. And after caring for a sick ferret for 9 months this past year we understand the extra costs that may come.

I’m just wondering if anyone has any advice. Similar situations. Etc. I guess I’ll call for her and get a breakdown of everything. I should probably call around and see if any other vets have an MRI machine on site or whatever else I can find out about saving some money on this. I want to help my mom. She has an extremely rare tumor and her husband is a truck driver and is almost never home. I’m just looking for any help/ideas you guys might have.

Breaks my heart seeing Qtips mouth :'( – breaks my moms too but there are other things going on financially that aren’t her fault.

Thanks in advance and thanks for reading

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

DogFoodie,
I hate to jinx it so far, but her stools are good, I thought they would be like cow pies since the

HK is soft, bit so far so good. And some people who commented on the HK thread mentioned loose stools were a problem with HK, so I always was afraid to try it. But after her last vet visit the only choice I had was a vet brand hypoallergenic food( which i have been fighting not to have her on) I decided to give it one last try, I have been dealing with this since I have had her. She has been on the Mercola digestive enzymes as well as their probotics. I got a sample of the HK perfect Form and if a few small amts. are any indication, I think it works better for her then the Mercola.
And it may be wishful thinking ,but I think her energy is better on just a few meals of the HK. She has lost a bit of weight (which she needed) since taking her off the kibble.And she was on a good kibble Amicus senior

She has been eating cooked sweet potato w cooked organic ground turkey or organic pumpkin puree -i think she is so overjoyed getting a little variety.I am keeping my fingers crossed that the HK will be something she can.
OH I am a schnauzer turn coat for cutting their beards-but hey they must look clean!!

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Monica,
I am tempted to try it on my sick 11 1/2 y.o. schnauzer bad gastritis & irritable bowel.
I am just transitioning her to the Honest Kitchen, very slowly, she seems to love it.
I may just try the Dr. Harvey’s is there 1 in particular you could recommend I try for her, a particular type good for IBS/IBD issues?
As I mentioned I got the freeze dried grain free beef for my 6 month old schnauzer.
Pepper has always eaten Amicus Senior grain free kibble soaked, she has never had freeze dried, that’s why I ask what you would try on her first.
Thank you.
Have a Happy New Year

[Dori]

I agree completely with the Nut and Marie. I feed my three dogs, one of which was 15 years old last September high quality, high protein foods. All are grain free. I feed a rotational diet to all three and the proteins in the foods I feed vary. The lowest protein I feed is 38% and the highest is around 54%. I’ve been feeding this way for approx. 3 years now and all my dogs are doing really very well. As a matter of fact, since starting the high protein grain free foods my senior is more puppy like than she’d been in the previous years. She used to sleep a lot, had lost interest in most activities and had lost her spunk. As the Nut stated, seniors need more protein not less. It’s antiquated marketing that would have us believe that puppies, adults, seniors, active, less active, yada yada yada all need their own special diets. Puppies would probably do best on an all life stages food with the exception of large breed puppies which need less calcium with the correct ratio of phos. so as to slow (or not speed up) down their growth rate. I don’t have any large dogs but from all I’ve learned on this site I believe what I’m saying about large breed puppies is correct. I may not be wording it correctly. Anyway, seniors do better and need a higher protein food not less.

[Madison R]

I have an 11 year old pug who has lost most of her teeth and has trouble eating dry food. She has an extremely long tongue that hangs out all the time and has trouble eating some wet foods. I’m in search of a great quality grain free wet food that is pretty chunky so she pick it up and eat it easily. I’ve sampled a few wet foods but haven’t had any luck.
Any suggestions?
Thank you!!

[InkedMarie]

the Nut is corect. A high quality, higher protein food is best. I personally use grain free for seniors as most probably have some arthritis and grains are inflammatory.

[theBCnut]

Since senior dog’s ability to get protein out of their diet decreases by as much as 50%, they need more, not less, high quality protein. Most senior dog foods assume your dog is in advanced stages of kidney disease and decrease the amount of protein. We don’t suggest senior food for healthy seniors. A good quality All Life Stages food is ok for kibble, but canned, raw or fresh is best.

[Sarah H]

I’m a new member here and learning the ins and outs of the site.

I am currently involved in the animal rescue world and am hearing conflicting reports regarding dog food. I’m in desperate search for an answer please.

I’m curious to know what dog food is best for senior dogs?

My senior dogs are a 13 year-old, female, pit mix, 45 lbs and a 12 year old, female, Siberian Husky, 50 lbs. Neither one of them have a debilitating disease or major health concerns.

A few years ago my vet suggested Purina Pro Plan, Savor, Adult 7+. I have been feeding it to them since the vet’s suggestion. They have lost some weight and seem more active. However, I recently heard terrible things about it and truly want THE BEST senior dog food for them immediately.

Any suggestions please?

Thank you!

Sarah

[DogFoodie]

Thank you, Charlotte, for adopting a senior who was obviously in need of a loving home. 🙂

I’ve had the very best luck, by far, with Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets. I can’t use the NVI LID canned foods, because they contain flax, one of my dog’s triggers. My dog isn’t a fan of raw, which is OK with me for various reasons. Raw is a great way to go if it’s an option for you. Lots of folks have great success with raw for dogs with food intolerance / allergy. It’s OK if you choose another route.

If your pup is OK with peas and tapioca, you’re good to go with the NVI LID There are several proteins to choose from…, our best are duck and turkey. I’m not a fan of the lamb only because the protein is lower and the pea protein higher subsequent to a recent formulation. That said, if lamb was the only option for my dog, I’d use it. NVI also makes a LID with raw boost in the lamb formula only.

I continue to look for other foods to rotate with the NVI LID. I just had another strikeout, so we’re back on the NVI until things stabilize, then we’ll try something else again.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

I know that I can get some advice from the knowledgeable people on this site.
I haven’t posted in sometime but the regulars were very helpful when my Pepper came to me 3 years ago.
We have been through MANY ILLNESSES-I have fought for my angel every step of the way-but as she is aging the chronic inflammation she suffers from reared it’s ugly head again.
I have tried many foods and she adjusted to the amicus senior kibble that I would give her soaked of course wit a topper of boiled organic chicken or grassed beef or bison.
she was doing fine. A few weeks back the regurgitation and then vomiting started along with a touch of diarrhea.
Blood work x-rays and ultrasound showed nothing- next step endoscopy which her internist is not too anxious to do given her age & her numerous other health issues.
He feels it is her diet and you guessed it wants me to try the veterinary prescription foods-now understand I am not trying to get in a battle with these vets-my Pepper is my main concern & if this junk will keep her going I WILL DO IT. I looked at the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein wet & dry & got sick when I read the ingredients!!!
Can anyone guide me in an alternative-she has been eating organic pumpkin or sweet potato with organic ground turkey (as DR. Karen Becker) suggests, but I can’t keep her on this forever- I thought the Honest Kitchen base mix might work but she threw that up also.
I asked the Dr to put her on Reglan because I feel Pepper has a motility issue-she doesn’t digest her food completely, she has been on the Reglan since Monday & hasn’t reguritated or vomited. I know there are advocates of raw feeding, but, to me & I may be very wrong -she is just too old to start her on raw feeding.
I think since she is taking the Reglan, I may try to re-introduce a tsp. of the Honest Kitchen grain-free base mix again and see what happens.
Thank you for any help anyone may give.
Cheryl,Pepper & Mille-Belle

[Akari_32]

Oh boy, this’ll be fun lol

Haley and Dweezle: Natural Balance Ultra Small Breed. Only got it because it was $1 a pound after coupons– I’m not very happy with, so after the two bags I have are gone, I’ll not buy it again. However, they like it. But they like anything, regardless of how eatable it is lol They also each get a salmon oil pill in their food. Next will be Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Senior and Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Adult, mixed 2:1. These dogs are 60 and 130 lbs, btw LOL after that will probably be Ideal Balance puppy, then Wellness Core Puppy and Small Breed mixed, then who knows. I have a good sized stash to chose from. I try to keep it interesting.

Bentley: SSLL mix, with coconut oil (won’t eat the mix plain, the little brat!) and a nice de-boned raw turkey leg. He gets a random pick of turkey or chicken (bought whole and cut up and separated into white meat, dark meat, and bone-in meat), ground pork, or beef or chicken hearts every day.

Ginger: half Wellness Small Breed Simple Salmon and Potato, and half Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Healthy Weight. She’ll be moving to Purina Veterinary Diet Joint Mobility when I have the money in my account to order it, her Wellness Simple was running out, so I’ll put it off a bit longer, so she’s not switching arounf too much. Her stomach just can’t handle it. Nothing Purina is my first choice except for a very select few of the canned cat foods due to cost, but I’m at my wits end at what I can do to help her poor old joints, and not break the bank (not that there’s much of a bank to break at this point…). I can get it less than what the same size bag of Wellness is, so it’s worth a shot. Her treats today was a half of an Amoxicillin pill in the morning and tonight. She eats it like it’s the most delicious thing she’s ever tasted, so I just let her think that LOL

Usually they all get some form of Zukes or Pet Botanics treats, but no one got any of those today, except the cat, who did high-fives, shakes, and up’s for his G-Zees treats :p He also got 3oz Wild Kitty raw cat food mix (made with chicken) for breakfast, and a 5.5 oz can of Friskies Ocean Whitefish as a very special treat. I don’t do fish or any other Friskies other than two flavors of Special Diet for him very often, but I’ll grab something fish based every now and then for something that isn’t turkey, chicken or beef. Gotta have something different when your crazy mommy limits you to very specific flavors from very specific brands lol I’ve also been giving Bentley a few pieces of Natures Variety Instinct Raw as a treat a few times a day. He loves to eat the little pieces still frozen. I think he likes the texture, and the fact that it’s red meat, something I can’t afford for his rotation very often. Innova Prime Red Meat used to be his favorite kibble before we realized he had carb allergies and before Innova got bought out.

Just a side note on the Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health forumlas: I’m extremely happy with all of them. Typically, even in the rest of the Wellness line, senior and diet foods are just complete crap, but these are comparable to other puppy and adult grain inclusive foods. They have good protein (close to 30%), and low fat (which is what my three old farts need), and are still high calorie (high 400’s!). Would definitely recommend either of these to anyone with a dog that needs a low fat diet, or to any owner who likes to feed lower fat diet food, small or large breed. It’s pretty decently priced, too, especially if you have coupons 😉

[Hater and Molly’s Mom]

Both of my girls have a stocking full. My senior dog doesn’t play with toys so she doesn’t get them but Molly does. I have some NVI treats and some Healthy Dogma treats as well in them.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Peggy,

I can’t recall if I mentioned this before or not, but a few of my favorite dry “weight loss” foods that don’t compromise protein or quality, healthy fats are Wellness Core Reduced Fat (dry and canned), Orijen Senior and Go! Senior.

I recall talking about canned foods also so forgive me if you had said you were only looking for canned foods. I didn’t go back and read this thread from the beginning.

[DogFoodie]

Go! Senior has 394 kcals per cup. It has several protein sources, but none are red meat. Orijen Senior has 445 kcals per cup and has several protein sources also, but no red meat.

You could try Abady granular for your hard keeper. It has about 800 kcals per cup. It’s not reviewed here, but several regular posters (myself included) having used it with success.

I’ll keep thinking.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Lisa-
Have you checked out the review side of this website? Up above click on the Home tab and then click on library. There is a link for suggested low fat foods and there is a link also for suggested weight loss foods. I apologize that I can’t copy and paste the links on my iPad. I have heard several suggest Wellness Core, Annament, Nutrisource and Go!’s senior or weight loss formulas. Good luck!

[Dog_Obsessed]

Lol yeah. It actually had a few treats in it, which I took out and then rinsed the thing. I already gave it back to her with another two treats in it, and she spent a full 20 minutes or so trying to work them out. She got one out and little nibbles of the other. Her Goodie Bone and her regular Kong are both puppy versions, left over from when I was fostering senior dogs and wanted something softer on their teeth. I think the different Kongs for different life stages is purely marketing hype, and Lily has barely made a dent in either toy, so I think this “off-label use” is okay.

[Akari_32]

She’s got a few smaller spots like this on her face, as well. Not all crazy shaped, they’re still round, but I can tell they are the makings of something just like if they ever get that big.

I have not canceled the vet appointment. The thing still bleeds when it’s bothered. If it needs some antibiotic cream or something to help it heal over (provided it doesn’t need to be removed) or something else needs to be done to it to keep it from getting nasty (or nastier, anyways), I want to do it. Tuesday will also have been a week since she’s been on her ear drops, and I’m supposed to call and tell him how she’s doing on them, so he can adjust the dose, so we might as well just do it all in person. I’d also like him to peek in her mouth and see if the antibiotics are clearing her mouth up. The poor things gums were bright red, and she’s been snipping at me when I get too close to her mouth during ear and cheek rubs. I wish I could get her to chew bones or something. I can’t stand the thought of putting her under anesthesia at her age, and she needs a dental some sort of terrible. She just doesn’t know how to play and have fun, much less chew a bone. Her idea of a good time is a bowl full of food lol I did buy her a dental chew for Christmas (I think it’s Fruitables brand, actually), as I’ve gotten her to eat greenies before, but it’s pretty hard. I may just buy her the senior greenies, as they are softer, even though greenies aren’t the best. The dog can’t live on antibiotics the rest of her, weather they’re free or not! lol

[Dori]

Hi Akari. Sorry, I don’t know how I missed this entire thread other than to say life gets crazy around the holidays.

You mentioned that Ginger weighs 11.2 lbs. Has you vet told you what her optimum weight should be? It is very very important to keep dogs that have musculoskeletal problems on the thin and trim side. Every added ounce overweight adds to their pain and discomfort.

But this is really what I wanted to tell you. You say that you are dumping the glucosamine/chondroitin in her food. Glucosamine/Chondroitin should never be given with food. It most definitely needs to be given either one hour before food or two hours after. Otherwise it WILL NOT WORK! That is one of the main reasons why foods that are marketed as being good for dogs with arthritis and contain glucosamine/chondroitin don’t work. They also don’t put enough in to be beneficial but even if they did, the supplement must be given one hour before meals or two hours after twice a day or more often if indicated. That could very well be the reason you are not seeing any improvement with Ginger even though you are giving her the supplement.

Just trying to help.

If you do decide to go with the Purina JM you still need to give the supplement one hour before her meals or two hours after. I don’t have an opinion on the food. Obviously you know it’s not a great food by anyone’s definition but you have financial constraints and are doing the best your pocket book will allow. She’s a senior dog that you don’t have a lot of history about. If you can find one single food that she does well on, give her the supplement the way it is suppose to be given, then I would do that for the remainder of her life. The object is to find some quality to her life. It’s not about how many years you can add to her life, the concern is how well she gets to live the time she has left in her life. She obviously has musculoskeletal issues, she’s had them since you got her and since there’s no way to really know what happened to her before you got her to know what exactly is wrong with her or to do expensive CT scans, X-rays, MRI’s, surgeries, if they are indeed called for, you do the best you can through a food that doesn’t upset her digestive system and give her supplements. My advice to you would be, for right now, to keep her on the Wellness that you are feeding her before you switch her food since her tummy seems to be doing better and start the supplement as it’s suppose to be given and see it it makes a difference. I think it will. Another supplement that you can give her, if money allows you to, is Sam-e. Though it’s marketed as a liver support supplement it is a great anti-inflammatory. You would still need to give her the glucosamin/chondroitin. Sorry my post is so long I was just upset with myself for not noticing your thread on this issue and just happened to catch the sentence where you mention putting the supplement in her food bow.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dori.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

I have a similar question I have a 5month old female mini schnauzer-I have been feeding her 3x a day -Horizon Legacy Puppy, Orijen Puppy, Amicus Puppy, 1/3 cup am & pm ,noon time 1/4 c w/ lightly cooked carrots & 1tsp coconut flakes.
I have recently cut out the noon kibble & substituted the orijen freeze dried tundra patty-just 1.
My question next month she will turn 6 months-is that when I stop the noon feeding?
She is ALWAYS HUNGRY-SHE WOULD EAT 24/7 -It has been a very long time since I had a puppy and am very afraid of giving her a diet that has a high fat content due to the breeds problems with a high fat diet.
i also forgot to mention that with her kibble she either gets just under an ounce of grass fed beef or chicken lightly cooked. Her weight has almost doubled since I got her at 13 weeks.
No worms etc to account for her very voracious appetite. Or are all puppies constantly wanting to eat???
I have an 11 y.o. female mini schnauzer that has recently had to change from Amicus senior to the honest Kitchen “Kindly” due to her bad digestive issues.
I guess I am just very worried that little Millie will have the same issues as my angel pepper if I don’t get this diet correct from the start.
Thank you very much for any insight and help.
fonly,
Cheryl, Pepper & Millie-Belle

[DogFoodie]

Hi Peggy,

Has Tebow had a check-up recently? What does his stool look like?

I’d be concerned about the solid, distended abdomen and labored breathing. I would probably err on the side of caution and get him checked out to rule out any potential health issues. Labored breathing isn’t to be taken lightly.

I’m not a fan of Blue Buffalo, so I’d look for a new food to switch him to anyway. I would choose a different canned food also. Are you by chance amember at Costco? Nature’s Domain Turkey & Pea Stew is $18.99 for 24 cans – great quality product, too. Was he eating higher protein and fewer carbs before, by chance? Yes, I’d also feed him two smaller meals and likely reduce his portion size. Are you making sure he’s not eating the other dog’s food? If you’re wanting a weight loss food for him, a few of my favorites are Go! Senior, Orijen Senior and Wellness Core Reduced Fat.

[DogFoodie]

It’s great to be proactive, especially with a breed prone to pancreatitis.

In addition to those foods Sandy already suggested, I’d throw out Petcurean products as a suggestion. I was originally going to suggest Go! Senior, but the protein is higher than what Billy does well on. That brings me to Petcurean’s Now Fresh line. Great products with fresh meats only and no meals. The Now Fresh Senior has 24% protein, 10% fat and 341 kcals per cup. There are likely other Now Fresh products that would also met your criteria.

[InkedMarie]

DogObsessed: thank you! We have adopted three senior dogs: Emma was an 8 yr old American Foxhound, Katie an 11 yr old sheltie & our current sheltie, Gemma, who was 10 or 12 when we got her two years ago next month.

[Dog_Obsessed]

@Kayla I’m sooo glad your thinking of rescuing a dog! What everyone else said is good, I would also recommend spending some individual time each day with each dog, even after the initial introduction period.

@Marie I want to hug/high five your right now. I have volunteered and fostered for a senior dog rescue, and there is just nothing like the joy a senior brings. There is an online community called Susie’s Senior Dogs that promotes senior dog adoption that you might like: https://www.facebook.com/susiesseniordogs

[pugmomsandy]

Wellness Complete Health Senior canned 32/14
Freshpet Select Homestyle tubs 27/18
Wysong Anergen canned 28/12
Wysong Adult Maintenance canned 28/16
Canidae Life Stages Platinum canned 24/18
Avoderm Weight Control Chicken and Rice canned 23/14
Natural Balance LID Chicken and Sweet Potato canned 25/16
Addiction Summer Brushtail dehydrated 23/11
Addiction Kangaroo Feast dehydrated 24/11
Addiction New Zealand Forest Delicacies dehydrated 25/13
Addiction Beef and Zucchini dehydrated 22/11
Addiction Venison and Cranberry dehydrated 25/15
Addiction Fig’licious Venison dehydrated 22/11
Addiction Country Chicken and Apricot dehyrated 24/17
Back to Basics Grain Free dry 27/16
Fromm Gold Reduces Activity dry 26/12
Fromm Gold Large Breed Adult dry 26/13
Pro Pac Ultimates Lamb Meal and Brown Rice dry 24/13
Pro Pac Ultimates Mature Chicken Meal dry 23/13
Pro Pac Ultimates Grain Free Overland Red and Meadow Prime dry 26/13

This article has the explanation and formula to convert foods into dry matter:

/choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/

[InkedMarie]

It’s been forever since I’ve had only one dog but we adopt senior dogs so we’ve had dogs come & go often. We don’t prepare, we just have them meet in a neutral place (except our last dog, she’s just walked in & owned the place) and haven’t had any problems.

[pugmomsandy]

She’s currently getting 1010 calories per day of kibble. That would be 3 cans of Merrick Senior wet. You can feed her regular adult Merrick wet with more calories per can so you can feed less cans.

[Akari_32]

I feed my 130 pound, almost 11 year old rott mix 2.5 cups a day (it does say he should eat about twice that, however). So what the calculator came up with may not be too far off if you did it correctly. Just tweak how much you feed him until you find what works. I’d probably start with 2-2 1/2 cans a day if he’s moderately active for an older dog. My guy just lays around all day, only getting up for food or potty breaks. He’s extra lazy, even for a senior dog LOL

[Dena v]

Thank you for your help.

I’m still needing some help.

I entered
Ideal weight ….80
Activity…. . Inactive senior
Kcal cup or kcal kg …. 873

It said
Your dog’s ideal weight

 pounds   kilograms

Step 2

Your dog’s activity level

select an activity level…TypicalActiveOverweightHighly ActiveSenior, neutered, inactiveWorking Dog (light duty)Working Dog (moderate duty) Working Dog (heavy duty)

Step 3

Your dog food’s calories per serving

 I did both kcal / cup and   kcal / kg and it said the same calories…

Your dog requires 1333 kcal / day
Feed your dog 1.53 cups / day

Which baffles me a bit cause that would be 1 and a half cans (13.2 oz) a day.

But the can itself reads
80 lbs
1330 kals day
Feed 4 cans a day
(13.2 oz)

That’s a big difference. I know she should eat lead cause she’s 11 years old senior and inactive. But is 1 and half cans a day too little?
What do you guys think? Thank you so much for your help!!!!

[Dena v]

Hi, I currently feed dry fromm to my lab/Shepard mix. She’s 11 years old. Very inactive. Lays/sleeps a lot. She use to be over weight but she’s been not wanting to eat her dry food as much. Which makes me think I need to switch her to wet food because it would be easier on her teeth. She has had merrick before so I want to switch to that. But I need help figuring out how much to feed my inactive senior.

Merrick senior wet says
Calorie Content

873 kcal /kg or 332 kcal per 13.2.oz. can ME (metabolizable energy) on an as fed basis (calculated).

^^^ I don’t quite get what it means. Or how to enter that into the dog food caculator.

Your dog food’s calories per serving

 kcal / cup or    kcal / kg

what number would I enter into the caculator?

I’m totally confused. Tia!

[Bobby dog]

Yes, the end of a semester is both a blessing and a curse! 😉

If my dog was ill I would think outside of the box and certainly try different approaches to ease pain and discomfort. An Rx food would not be out of the question and I have fed them in the past! I really can’t comment on this food other than the reviews I read about it. BTW, the comments I read weren’t from the Purina website. lol I was looking into some supplements for my friend’s dog that has been a little stiff.

Deals are wonderful, but you need to consider Ginger’s health and comfort. Senior pet care can be pricey. My senior horse’s supplements are almost triple the price of my younger horse’s. That’s a decent price for Rx food IMO.

[crazy4cats]

Yuck! That would make my senior kitty barf for sure! She’d probably like it though.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Just saw this on Susie’s Senior Dogs. This is NOT about accidentally pregnancy, but is about overpopulation from breeding: https://www.facebook.com/susiesseniordogs/photos/a.272358689587441.1073741828.272349689588341/398607503629225/?type=1&theater

[CSollers]

I got lazy that last couple of days and didn’t add the green lipped mussels, Mobility Essentials, aOmega oils and other supplements to my senior Pug’s dinners and he could hardly move this morning. I feel terrible.

[pugmomsandy]

There are several supplements I like to give to seniors (and adults): joint, greens, ubiquinol, fish oil, bee pollen, probiotics.

[InkedMarie]

Rich, a relatively healthy senior dog needs more protein than younger dogs:

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/05/surprising-findings-from-tufts-study-of-37-senior-dog-foods.aspx

there is a good article to read. My seniors eat the same as the other dogs, they just get added supplements (I just posted in your other thread)

[Naturella]

Rich, I am not a pro at senior dogs, but many brands do contain some glucosamine and chondroitin, just not in high enough amounts. Supplementing should be better is what I’ve read. But other higher-protein, grain-free, and budget-friendly options are the Victor Grain-free line (the green one also has extra Glu-Chon) and the Earthborn Holistic Grain-free line. Both are for all life stages if I am not mistaken, and are affordable, quality products. I have personally fed and still have in my stash bags of both, and I can report great success with my “youngin”, almost 2-year old pup. As others have mentioned, rotation is best, so if you can get your new friend on Fromm Grain-Free, Victor Grain-Free, and Earthborn Holistic Grain-Free, you can alternate the flavors between the brands and see what she (or he) does well on.

[Rich]

Anyone with suggestions concerning other products available off the shelf products for joints and other senior issues?

And do any of the brands contain Glucosamine/Chondroitin in them from the processor?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Rich.

[Rich]

I found an earlier post in this forum which answers my concerns listed.
Webmaster, if my post can be deleted please do.
The other topic concerning this is here: /forums/topic/senior-dog-food-recommendations/

[Rich]

Ok, I have a 7-9 year old mixed breed 45 pound bundle of joy. All these ratings and reviews are wonderful but I’m confused as to which is best for specific animals and age groups. Senior dogs require different needs than puppies or ‘adults’ but I haven’t found one mention on this site concerning Senior dogs nor breakdowns as to which dog food is best for which breed or age group.

Are there plans of starting a link on this site which will cover this topic?
In the meantime, please offer suggestions for me now, I’m an A type personality and not knowing the answers for my best friend is driving me nuts! 🙂 🙂 Thanks to all…

[Akari_32]

I routinely use puppy foods for my 11, 12, and 14 year old dogs. All that stuff in puppy food is great for them. It’s lower in carbs and higher in protein, which is what senior dogs need. Don’t worry too much about labeling, and go for any food that says its for puppies, all life stages, and adults.

For such a small dog, you may even look into a pre-mix for raw. I have an 8 lb jack russell mix on See Spot Live Longer and a variety of protein sources, and it only costs about $20 a month to feed him.

If you don’t want to go that route, I’m a big fan of Wellness. Their non-small breed formulas have kibbles that your little guy probably can’t chew, but they do have several Small and Toy Breed foods out, and they are releasing more. They come in grain-inclusive and grain free varieties, and they also always $5 off any size bag coupons on their website. Just click the “Check Your Bag” button, and follow the promts.

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx

I also use Nutro Natural Choice LID Lamb and Rice (in the dark green bag), and their Small Breed line looks fantastic as well, but the prices and lack of coupons drive me away (those are in pink bags). Nutro Ultra looks like a great food.

Be careful when selecting foods while trying to stay away from Diamond. They make Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild, Canidae, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul, Precise, Premium Edge, and many more. And While I used to love Innova and Evo, I can personally no longer recommend them. They are now owned by Mars– the candy company. Since the buy-out of Natura (P&G, then Mars) the protein levels have dropped and more carbs have been added. Mars also owns others brands of pet foods. If they make your candy bars, should they *really* be making pet food?

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101566238#.

Good luck with your little guy! I think I speak for all of us when I say “PICS!!!!” 😉

[Akari_32]

Anyone seen this yet? Just got an email for it this morning (I like to get Purina emails for the giggles– is that bad?? LOL).

https://www.proplan.com/dog-food-products/bright-mind

https://www.purina.com/meet-purina/nutrition/innovation

It’s supposed to have all sorts of good stuff for senior dogs to promote motility and brain function, and isn’t just the run-of-the-mill senior food with less protein and more carbs like most others are. I’m tempted to email them for the giggles and see if they’ll release the ingredient list to me.

I’m not a Purina fan, but honestly, I’m considering trying it for Ginger. By the time this comes out, it’ll be cold all the time, so it’d be a perfect time to try it out and see if it actually helps, along with her normal glucosamine and such. She’s doing pretty good on Wellness, but I think she’s still having trouble with something about it, and she goes though phases of diarrhea every couple weeks regardless of what I do. She was on Royal Canin before I got her, so going to Wellness was a pretty big jump for her system. Maybe going to a mid-grade food would benefit her. We all know not all do well on higher end foods.

Anyone have any thoughts on this new food?

[Leisa D]

http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/diet_and_chronic_renal_disease.html#dog

Dr. Strombeck (DVM) has a nice exposition of renal disease in addition to several home cooked (v. raw) diets for management of phosphorus levels. It might be a resource for you as you work toward managing this condition.

I performed quite a bit of research on RAW diets and canine nutrition before transitioning to them. (Managing allergic condition in senior American Bulldog adoptee. I’m not sure how it took me so long to stumble upon his site (perhaps because RAW was mostly in my searching!) Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD, is Professor Emeritus, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine with a specialty in gastroenterology. Accordingly, while I’ve not used any of the recipes on his site, I trust them to be nutritionally adequate as this is his area of his expertise. Further, I plan to use his recipes to mix things up with our RAW diet.

I have three senior girls (and one uber-exuber pitty boy). Until adopting the Am Bulldog (and I had a mix before), I’ve never had to worry about special diets.

Anyway, hopefully you will find it a resource in your information arsenal. Good luck.

[Vianca V]

Have you tried the wellness core reduced fat with a little groud turkey as a topper with some broth. That works for my senior, it keeps weight of so there is less stress on his back and joints and he seems to love it. Also do you have access to a pool, a jacuzzi or have a big bath tub. I had on of my dogs work out in out tub for his arthritis pain and it helped a lot.

[InkedMarie]

If you like Fromm, I’d suggest trying one of their grainfree foods. Unless I missed something, the Fromm senior has grains & only 23% protein; she’d be better off in something higher in protein.

[Akari_32]

So, I keep posting, and the posts don’t show up!! Also not getting my email alerts….. Anyways, your link doesn’t work for me for some reason, Patty 🙁

Does any know what to do about Ginger always having diareha?? She’s ruined one bed and dirtied another and kept up us up for two nights in the last couple days. It doesn’t matter how consistent her diet is, wheather or not I keep her on kefir (though that does help some), she just goes through this cycle of good poops for a week or so, pudding poops for a couple days, kinda softish poop for a couple days, and it starts all over again.

She’s on Wellness Core Small Breed for dry (1/2 cup a day) and for canned she gets Purina One, Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro Ultra Boost, Ideal Balance, and Wellness Senior (about 3 oz mixed with the dry). I’ve tried keeping her on the same canned for a while (since a small bag of dry lasts her for about a month anyways), and it doesn’t make difference for her tummy troubles. Anyone have anything to offer??

[Mom2Cavs]

Steve, you really are already feeding a top-notch food. And giving her the supplements is the right thing to do, as well. You might want to switch to Fromm’s 4Star line and use their grain frees. I have 3 seniors and a new 9 month old pup and all of mine are eating Fromm 4Star, atm. I’m alternating between Lamb & Lentils, Salmon Tunalini and Pork and Peas. I’m also topping with Stella and Chewy’s meal mixers, the Salmon, Turkey and Beef. I think you are doing good things, already, for her. Maybe someone with more knowledge can post.

[Steve L]

I am giving her the following meds and supplements by Vet prescription.

Carprofen 100 mg 1/2 tab every 12 hours (anti-inflamatory??)
Tramadol 50 mg 1 every 12 hours (pain??)
Thyroxine .6 mg 1 every 12 hours (thyroid – for past 6 years)

Glucosamine/Chondroitin 1500/1200 mg per day.

Tried Fromms Senior – she likes and eats well. No wet food – but she does lick plates – a dog biscuit twice a day (lunch & bed). We used to take 1-2 mile walks every day but recent pain, and the increased staggering in rear have severely cut into walks. She has been steady at 60 pounds for the last 7 years.

[InkedMarie]

Seniors, unless they have specific medical issues, require no special diet. They need as much protein as other dogs, which is a higher amount of protein. In fact, studies show seniors need more protein than younger dogs!

At 14, she may have some arthritis. A grain free food would be best as grains are inflammatory. Are you giving her a joint supplement as well?

[Steve L]

Looking for a way to sort recommendations to what is best for senior dogs. I have a 14 year old Border Collie mix. She is in relatively good health although staggering slightly on hind legs. Vet has ruled out hip dysplasia. Back to food. Am I missing a way to sort Editor’s choices to those for seniors?