[Tina]

Anyone own a Golden Retriever? If so what do you feed yours? My Golden Retriever Angel is 8 years old and has these problems;
*dry skin
*itchy skin
*red skin
*weak hip and joints (she is on cohesion for this)
*sometimes over weight
*eats very fast
She is on Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior along with other small bags of stuff mixed in. She has only had chicken her entire life and as a younger puppy/adult was on;
*Eukanuba Puppy
*Purina Pro Plan Puppy
*Purina One Adult
*Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Adult
*Royal Canine Golden Retriever
*Blue Buffalo Large Breed Senior
*Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior
None of these I was happy with and none of them did the trick except for Royal Canine (kinda). What can you suggest? I’m open to ANY suggestions, including all life stages dog food. My only thing is that I need it to be inexpensive, not cheap but not like $80 for a 24lb bag.

[Tina]

Most “Senior” dog food is very low in protein and tends to be more of a weight-loss dog food then a dog food for senior dogs. If you read the AAFCO label on all “Senior” dog food, you’ll see that it is the same label as an “Adult” dog food. Your best bet would be to find either a really good “Adult” dog food or an “All-Life-Stages” dog food. Any of the brands listed on any of the lists on Editors Choice would make a good choice. If you have a concern with weight then Wellness CORE Reduced Fat is a fantastic dog food.

[Tina]

Anyone own a Golden Retriever? If so what do you feed yours? My Golden Retriever Angel is 8 years old and has these problems;
*dry skin
*itchy skin
*red skin
*weak hip and joints (she is on cohesion for this)
*sometimes over weight
*eats very fast
She is on Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior along with other small bags of stuff mixed in. She has only had chicken her entire life and as a younger puppy/adult was on;
*Eukanuba Puppy
*Purina Pro Plan Puppy
*Purina One Adult
*Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Adult
*Royal Canine Golden Retriever
*Blue Buffalo Large Breed Senior
*Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior
None of these I was happy with and none of them did the trick except for Royal Canine (kinda). What can you suggest? I’m open to ANY suggestions, including all life stages dog food. My only thing is that I need it to be inexpensive, not cheap but not like $80 for a 24lb bag.

[Darenka]

While I do a rotational diet switching between dog foods, everyone in my house gets the same dog food from 6 month old to 15-year senior. It makes my life easier and unless there is a specific reason (allergies, kidney, liver disease or such) there is little compelling reason to keep numerous bags of dog food around–everyone benefits from good protein no matter what the age. Blood work on seniors is perfect even with proteins in the 30%+ category. They just get fed less to make up for a more sedate pace. Does the Foxhound get fed prior to exercise or gulp his food? If the throwing up continues, talk to your vet and rule out an illness.

[Shasta220]

Cassy is our faithful old girl, and has been slowing down quite a bit lately. I am clueless as to what ratios of protein/fat/carbs I should be looking for. All that I have been looking at recently is for 4-5 stars and grain free (I’m thinking her dandruff might be from grain, because we switched to GF a month ago and dandruff is diminishing)

I kinda got that “duh” moment – I need to be thinking more about her protein and carbs, right?

What amount of protein/fat/carbs do you suggest for a senior Labrador? She is mostly outdoors, so I’m thinking maybe I should go a bit higher on protein? (Just bought her a bag of NutriSource GF to try…realized it’s only 20%. I might try BB wilderness or back to basics next, since they have high protein)

For now, dry is our only option. I might get into canned eventually, but not right now.

[Susan]

Hi, my rescue English Staffy boy that I rescued about 17months ago sounds like ur girl, Ive been having problems with his paws & ears since Feburuary, he was put on an elimation diet I found he cant have sweet potatoes & potatos make him itch more probably cause of the carbs in the Potatos Ive found that when he walks on wet grass of a money his paws are worst, making them red & itchy Ive been putting Cortic-DS 1% cream that I use for myself this cream will clear his paws if I put on at night before bed when he wakes up his red sore paws are all better I go for our morning walk then by lunch he’s starting to lick his feet if he has walked on grass..with his ear vet gave me Dermotic (ear & skin suspension) these drops clear his ear with days of applying very good ear drops, Have you tried the Holistic Select Anchovy Sardines & Salmon meal Adult Health kibble this kibble has No Peas beef or Chicken & has helped my friend Staffy & Ive told another lady at the park & now her mix breed staffys skin & itches have cleared up..my boy isnt on the Anchoy sardine & Salmon he’s on the Holistic Select Senoir as he also suffer from I.B.D & Pancreatitis & the Senior is a lower fat%….I also have taught Patch No Lick & everytime I see him lickin his paws, I tell his no & in the begingin I’d put him in a shallow bath with Detol Antseptic lotion or betadine, & soak his paws 3 times a week this helped kill the fungus & bacteria inbetween the toes, also no Potato, Sweet Potato make the yeast worst..

[pugmomsandy]

This might help you: /frequently-asked-questions/rate-dog-food/

Alot of “senior” foods are low in protein so they get a mid-range rating. I’d just look for some that have few “red flagged” ingredients if you’re looking for a low protein food. The new school of thought is that seniors actually need more quality protein as they age, not less.

[Constance D]

I am new to this board, and looking for good senior food for the 9 year old foxhound mix that I have inherited. It appears to me, after cruising the website this evening, that all the senior foods (wet and dry) receive only a 3 or 3.5 rating, no matter how well the product line is reviewed overall. Why is this? Please help me know why this is, so I can make an informed choice. Thanks, Connie

[Tina]

Nutritional Adequacy Statement or “AAFCO Statement”

AAFCO is an organization that sets the nutritional standards for pet foods sold in the United States.
This legally required statement verifies the testing method used to determine nutritional adequacy.
The statement indicates whether the food provides complete and balanced nutrition for a specific lifestage of your dog (growth, adult, pregnant/nursing), or if the product is nutritionally adequate for all lifestages.
Beware if the package states the food supports “all lifestages.” The product likely contains excessive levels of some nutrients necessary for the most demanding lifestage, which is growth. For example, it might contain higher levels of protein and calcium for puppies, but those levels are inappropriate for an adult or senior dog.

The Best Life for Man’s Best Friend
Adult dog with puppy

Whether you have a new puppy or the dog you’ve loved for years, caring for your dog properly ensures many happy years together. As you care for your dog, even the little things – perfectly selected food, exercise and love – can make a big difference. We want to be a part of your dog’s happy, healthy life, so we’re here to share information on proper nutrition, fitness and special needs.

Knowing the age of your dog is important in choosing their nutrition. If you have a dog and aren’t sure of his exact age, your veterinarian can help estimate that for you.

Adult dogs include dogs of the following ages:

1 to 7 years old for small and medium breeds
1 to 5 years old for large breeds and
1 to 4 years old for giant breeds
As you care for your dog, it’s important to remember that his needs change as he grows. Caring for your dog according to his lifestage means you’re giving him the best care.

[pugmomsandy]

It depends on the size of the dog. For large/giant breeds, picking a food with the proper amount of calcium and phosphorus and proper calcium:phosporus ratio is more important than picking a food for “growth” or “all life stages” during the first year to 2 years. Large/giant breed pups need controlled amounts, where as toy/small or medium does not require the controlled amounts. You can be feeding too much calcium and phosphorus even though a food is rated for “growth” or “all life stages” during the large/giant breed puppy phase. So I would feed a large/giant breed pup a food with proper Ca/Phos for a year or two.

I deal with toy dogs so I would hypothetically switch as young as 8 months to “adult” food, but personally, I feed “all life stage” or “growth/puppy” food all the time to my toy dogs, even to seniors.

It is somewhat confusing and not as black and white as just “puppy” or “adult” food. If you have a large/giant breed pup, there is a forum topic for that:

/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

and there is a link to a document created by Hounddogmom with foods appropriate for large/giant breed pups in there. I think around page 15 and an updated list around pages 34-35. I haven’t looked in that topic for a while since I have only toy dogs!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Tina]

Merrick Adult All Breeds
AAFCO Dog Food Nutritional Facts
Real Chicken Brown Rice + Green Pea Recipe Adult Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Merrick Puppy All Breeds
AAFCO Dog Food Nutritional Facts
Real Chicken Brown Rice + Green Pea Recipe Puppy Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Merrick Senior All Breeds
AAFCO Dog Food Nutritional Facts
Real Chicken Brown Rice + Green Pea Recipe Senior Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Merrick Grain Free All Life Stages
AAFCO Dog Food Nutritional Facts
Merrick Grain Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established
by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Halo Adult
HALO, Purely For Pets® Spot’s Stew® Adult Dog Formula Wholesome Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Taste of the Wild Puppy
AAFCO Statement
Taste of the Wild® High Prairie Puppy® Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

These are just some examples from the company Merrick, Halo, Taste of the Wild,. Why do the bags say adult, puppy or senior but the AAFCO label says All Life Stages?

[Tina]

A growing puppy needs precise levels of essential nutrients to stay her healthiest. To meet the growth and development requirements of puppies, their bodies require a puppy food with increased amounts of energy, protein and calcium compared to adult dogs’ needs.

Association of Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement on a dog food label verifies that the food provides complete and balanced nutrition for either:

puppies or kittens
pregnant or nursing pets
adult pets
all lifestages

Key points
If you see the words ” … for all lifestages” on a package, it means it’s a puppy or kitten food.

The early years

In the early stages of life, young pets need high levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to ensure proper growth.

Therefore, a pet food that claims to be “complete and balanced for all lifestages” must contain nutrient levels that are suitable for growth. Are the nutrient levels in foods for growth too high for older pets? We believe they are.

Too high, too low

The “one size fits all” pet food philosophy may sound attractive, but it goes against everything Hill’s has learned in more than 60 years of clinical nutrition research. A food that’s appropriate for growth will contain levels of fat, sodium, protein and other nutrients that are too high for the older pet. Likewise, a food that contains reduced levels of nutrients for older pets may be inadequate for growing puppies and kittens.

All things to all pets

Today, many pet food manufacturers offer lifestage foods for pets. They often tout the benefits of their foods for puppies and kittens, adults or seniors and how these foods are perfectly balanced for each of these lifestages.

However, many of these same companies also offer brands of pet food that carry the claim “… complete and balanced nutrition for all lifestages”!

Are the companies that manufacture these products truly committed to the lifestage concept? The answer is obvious.

[Tina]

Look for the AAFCO label on the back of the bag or on the brand website. Some say…

Adult
______________________Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance

All-Life-Stages
_______________________ Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Puppy
________________________Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth and gestation/lactation.

Senior
_________________________Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.

There really isn’t a difference between adult and senior but there is a difference between puppy, all-life-stages and adult. Hope this helps!

[Susan]

Ive made a mistake, I wrote that he was on the Holistic Select for 7months before I found the Holistic Select, it should of read, I had him on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 7months to let the bowel rest & heal then I started introducing another kibble the Holistic Select senior..its been a long day, Im moving & tired…

[Susan]

Hi, when I first rescued my boy he would have the gurgling Bowel, I took Patch to the vets & vet said it was Colitis & to put him on a low fat diet, so vet put Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal this kibble has stopped the gurgling bowel & rumbling, its a low residue kibble that breaks up easily & the fat% is 10%..I also could hear his bowel from another room & he too would not eat when this was happening of a morning he’d only eat grass also I would make him a piece of dry toast with either honey thinly spread or a fish paste very thinly spread as soon as he’d have his toast the gurgling would stop..Try a kibble with a low fat% 10% or under also watch what you feed at night… I dont give Patch no treats, nothing at night after his Eukanuba Intestinal kibble, this has also helped him….Have you tried the Wellness Simple range Limited ingredients they have the Duck & oatmeal & fat is min-11% u’d have to email Wellpet & ask what the max fat% is, they have the Simple Healthy weight at 8% fat its Salmon & Peas formula Im not sure about the peas thats why I havent tried as peas would give more wind pain..Ive been introducing Patch to the Holistic Select Senior also made by Wellpet cause the fat is min-10% I emailed Holistic Select & they said that the max fat is 11.98%.this kibble is a Hydrolized kibble & breaks up real easy.. I found when Patch ate real hard kibble he’d get the noisey tummy/bowel, so what I do know if I try a new kibble I boil the jug I put about 2 kibbles in a class of boiled water, I count to 40 sec then I get 2 small teaspoons & I place 1 of the kibbles that was in the boiling water on one spoon then I get the other spoon & push down, a good kibble should crush easily, a hard kibble wont crush & sometimes flings away..thats why I put 2 kibbles in the water just in case this happens but the Holistic Select Senoir or any of the Holistic Select kibbles are nice & soft after being in water after 40sec as the protein is hydrolized better on their digestion, Ive been trying to work out Patches health now for 1 year & we have it just right at the moment with the Eukanuba Intestinal & the Holistic Select senior Chicken meal & rice I only mix the Holistic Select & Intestinal for his lunch meal at the moment, But he was just on the Holistic Select for about 7months before I found the Holistic Select Senior, I did try a few other brand kibbles but they were too hard to digest.. Good-Luck also watch the fat if you give any treats or meats I do boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin for breakfast as the rice irritates Patches bowel I have also tried the Eukanuba FP as Patch has itchy skin & the fat% was 15% too high gave him the rumbling tummy/bowel then diarrhea, the Eukanuba Intestinal is for their tummy/bowel & for skin problems it cleared all his itchy skin up but at the end of summer he gets seasonal allergies from pollens & grasses & there’s nothing you can really do for that except put him in a plastic bubble & keep him looked up all summer Lol

[mogavero1955]

I had replied under shiatsu then read advice on how to post. I am desperate. My vet said science diet for sensitive stomachs but it is junk I’m told…..One of my beagles has beef allergy. The last two years, I have been testing and searching for a dry kibble that won’t make his stomach so loud and gassy in the morning where he wants grass and will vomit. He will eat boiled chicken but I need a limited ingredient, sensitive stomach food. He’s been on Eukanoba Response FP (just disliked after ten years), TOW venison, Acana fish, Fromms fish, Blue Wilderness salmon, Earthborn lamb, Blue Wilderness Chicken SENIOR. He likes chicken and lamb. Problem is the gurgling and he won’t eat in the morning. He throws a few times a week. I hear his tummy across the room. Blood test good, stool test good. HELP!! ,

[mogavero1955]

One of my beagles has beef allergy. The last two years, I have been testing and searching for a dry kibble that won’t make his stomach so loud and gassy in the morning where he wants grass and will vomit. He will eat boiled chicken but I need a limited ingredient, sensitive stomach food. He’s been on Eukanoba Response FP (just disliked after ten years), TOW venison, Acana fish, Fromms fish, Blue Wilderness salmon, Earthborn lamb, Blue Wilderness Chicken SENIOR. He likes chicken and lamb. Problem is the gurgling and he won’t eat in the morning. He throws a few times a week. I hear his tummy across the room. Blood test good, stool test good. HELP!! ,

[Corey K]

I am new to these forums and hoping for some assistance. I have been doing a lot of research on foods lately as I have two senior bearded collies one with some stomach issues and hoping to find a food they can both eat. In addition, I have a 3 year old 100 lb dane mix who is going through some teeth issues and I was told to soften his food. I see on the website the food calculator but unless I’m missing something, what I do not see anywhere is the calorie content in food. Right now I am feeding him natures’ recipe canned food and chicken with rice. Before the issues, he was eating IAMs large breed food and he ate 4 cups a day. I cannot figure out how much of this current food to feed him. The cans say for his weight he would need 5 but I am supplementing the chicken and rice. Right now I am giving him 2 cans, and one cup each of the chicken and rice. I do not plan to go back to IAMs when the issue is resolved. I guess there is no “cups of food required daily based on weight” way to figure it out?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Christine –

I’m fairly certain that Royal Canin only makes the canned mousse for puppies. There’s no reason you can’t feed this to a senior dog. In general, most foods labeled for “seniors” are a marketing ploy and nothing more. Seniors don’t need a special food, a quality all life stages food works great and in fact better than most senior foods. Many companies, unfortunately, get it wrong when it comes to senior food formulation and reduce the protein levels when it’s well known that seniors actually require more protein than adults.

With this said, you definitely could find a better product than Royal Canin – imo. My recommendation would be to try a quality 4 or 5 star canned food and mix in a spoonful or two of Tripett (canned tripe). If this doesn’t work you could look into some other moist options such as a dehydrated or freeze-dried food (re-hydrate to canned food consistency) or Fresh Pet (refrigerated). If she seems to like “human” food you could also look into making a homemade diet if you think that’s something you could afford and have the time to do. If you want to make food completely from scratch I’d recommend checking out “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown and/or “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr. Karen Becker. There are also numerous pre-mixes available for making homemade diets. Generally, with pre-mixes you only need to add fresh meat and, if you want, other extras such as eggs, yogurt, etc. The mix will usually contain vegetables, fruits and vitamins/minerals. My favorite pre-mix is See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix, I also like Urban Wolf. There are several out there though.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Christine B]

I am new to this site and I am not sure if this is the correct topic area, but I am hoping so. My girlfriend almost hit a dog on a road just before Christmas ’13 and picked her up and brought her home, after trying to locate an owner, I volunteered to take her and picked her up on Christmas Day. She was boney, dirty and full of flea’s. After cleaning her up, and doing some bonding and behavior correction (she was tearing my kitchen garbage up like crazy, poor thing), I took her to the Vet. The Vet approx., her age at 13 yrs old, deaf as a doorknob, cloudy older dog eyes and one ear is malformed, she has very few teeth. The latter is why I am here. She CANNOT eat hard/semi hard food, she refuses to eat the canned food and I have tried so many different brand’s I could donate to a pet shelter! I have left food in the bowl for an entire day and she still refuses it. I have been cutting up lunch meat, boiled eggs and small bits of chicken, pork chops, ground beef. I have come across something she seems to enjoy, Royal Canine Starter Mousse for mother an baby dogs. I’ve searched the web for a senior mousse to no avail. Anyone know whether any pet food manufacturer produces a mousse for senior canines?

• This topic was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Christine B.

[Susan]

Hi, try a kibble that is lower in fat%, Fiber% & maybe lower in protein & see how she goes..thats what the vets did with my boy & touch wood he hasn’t had diarrhea since last year….he was diagnosed with I.B.D & Pancreatitis & needs fat%-10% & under, fiber around 4% or under & protein around 26% or under. I also give cooked boiled chicken breast & a bit of boiled pumkin for breakfast mixed & mashed all together, then the kibble at lunch & dinner….he does 2 perfect poos a day now.. I tried the Wellness Complete Health kibble & he had bad diarrhea so I never tried the Wellness Core the fat, fiber & protein was to high for Patch…but I have him on the Holistic Select kibble as it break up more easy & is easier to digest, the protein is hydrolized making it easier to digest..he is still on the vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal it is also a low residue kibble that breaks up more easy… Ive been slowly mixing in the Holistic select kibble, I have him on the Senior cause the fat% is 10% & fiber is 3.50% protein is 26%..just have a look what the fat% & protein % is in the Urinary Gold is see if she is better, Its taken me 1 year to realize that the fat% was making him have the runs & needed a lower fat%…poor boy…

[Susan]

Hasn’t the vet put him on a vet prescription diet to see if the diarrhea will stop, then go from there, I know alot of people dont like vet diets but they are money back if they dont work & they may help ur dog until you work out whats happening.. with a lot of the grain free kibbles they have potatoes my boy cant eat the potato kibbles, 1 they are too hard to digest & go thru him, also German Sheperds are known for Pancreatitis what my boy has ..My boy has I.B.D & Pancreatitis he needs a low fat diet under 10% fat also he cannot eat boiled rice as it irratates his bowel giving him diarrhea..I give boil chicken breast with pumkin instead & this has helped him also he’s on a vet prescrition diet Eukanuba Intestinal & now he is doing real good after being on the Intestinal since August 2013 now Im so slowley mixing the Intestinal with Holistic Select Senior the fat is 10% the Protein is 26% & the fiber is 3.50% so far so good…it will say on the bag of kibble how much to feed a 18lb dog…..

[Frances M]

Currently I have three dogs, a 10 yr.old GS, a 3 yr.old terrier, and a 1.5 yr.old 18 lb. terrier something. They all eat the same food, boiled chicken and rice along with Rachael Rays Zero grain kibble once a day. My GS more times than not has diarrhea and he’s the only one with this problem. He has had his blood work and stool analyzed and it shows nothing. He put him on antibiotics and it went away for three or four days, give him antibiotics again and the same thing happens. My vet wants to run every test he can before he treats him for the obvious. Maybe I’m feeding him wrong, yesterday I stopped giving him the kibble to see if that could be part of the problem. So here’s one of my questions, what hard food would I feed him and how much. He’s at a good weight for his size according to the vet, 100 lbs., he’s a big boy. Question two, how much do I feed my little dog who is 18 lbs.? I have never had a small dog before and I am really just guessing.

Thank you for any suggestions.

[Shasta220]

I still don’t know what’s with him… He’s never said “I think Beneful is a great food”, just stuff like “they’re okay on this.”

I have no clue who his vet is or what they say about Beneful. But the vets here are lousy when it comes to nutrition…. Yeeeears ago, when Cassy was young and starting out w her skin problems (I didn’t know a thing about dog food. I thought the cute commercials and colorful chewy kibbles were good), my parents moved her to Beneful in hopes of helping out. Of course the vet approved! Worry not though. Cassy is a senior citizen enjoying her quality food now lol.

But I’m rather anxious about seeing Camile this weekend when I take care of her…a stroke of all things!!!? Gosh! Beneful makers, I hate you.

Gaaahhhhh if I could just know he read DFA’s review for Beneful! I mean, it’s pretty much impossible to still happily put Beneful in a bowl after reading that ingredient label (you don’t know how hard it is for me right now. I’m boarding two lab mixes at my house. They are, of course, on Beneful. I gave in and bought a bag of DN for one of them, b/c she ate a small handful of that junk and got to the point of her ribs sticking out. She is def a smart girl about what goes in her tummy!)

[[email protected]]

I am looking for a single protein dry and wet dogfood other than chicken, fish or lamb that is suitable for a senior dog. I am looking for a brand that does not have grains, potatoes, rice (her glucose has gone up). R.C Prescrition Pot/Venison begain also putting soy in their formula and that ended that food. I am looking at Zignatures duck and turkey L/I formula but am unsure of the protein levels. I read that the duck was possibly more diggestiable than the turkey which I am now trying with Wild Calling canned food. I would appreciate any comments for my elder girl She began acid refdlux we feel due to the 8mos of potatoes! Also, how much protein is too much protein. Possibly +fiber is okay but that remains unknown also.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nona-
I agree with the other two posters. I don’t think you necessarily need to switch foods due to your dog being a senior. I think you need to find another food because it is healthy to rotate and add variety. And also to have another food to use in case you can’t get the current food. Like Marie said, seniors don’t necessarily need less protein like many senior foods have. They actually could use more high quality protein. Since your dog has been on the same food for so long, when you switch, you will have to transition very slowly. I’d also try to find something with similar fat and protein levels. I also really think that adding healthy toppers to dry food is a must. I use either canned, dehydrated, raw, eggs, cottage cheese, or sardines to every meal. Good luck!

[InkedMarie]

Hi Nona,
I have read that people use Nutri Source for dogs with sensitive tummies, with great success. I’m not a fan of senior food, they’re usually way too low in protein. Seniors need a good amount of protein!

[Susan]

Hi Nona MS, ur better off posting ur own post so people will read & see it better in Diet & health issues.. click on forums up the top scroll down to the 5th “Diet & health issues” click on this then scroll down passing everyones problems then u see ‘New Topic Title’ type put ‘Need help for a good Senior food for sensitive tummy’ then in the bigger box underneath type whats wrong, how old ur dog is etc then tick the box that says notify me follow up replies then click submit….
Im trying Holistic Select Senior “Chicken Meal & Rice” for my boy that has a Irritable bowel & Pancreatitis at the moment, this is only 10% fat & low fiber 3.50% & it is easliy digested kibble, so far everything is going good but Im still only 50/50 half the new Holistic Select Senior the other half his old kibble “Eukanuba Intestinal” which is also a good kibble for sloppy poos I just dont like him being on just 1 kibble say something happens & I cant get his Intestinal this way I have 2 kibbles that I know will agree with him..

[Nona M S]

Hi, it’s Nona again. With my first try at using this website, I guess I didn’t explain my problem very well. So I’ll give this another go. My greyhound, Halle is 11 years old. I got her when she was 5.5 yo. When we got her she was eating the foster mother’s food (in Eugene. I live in Salem). The tendency was toward soft stool, and matters got worse, and I talked to my Vet who suggested Science Diet TD, which is formulated for dental problems and can only be purchased from a vet. It worked!! no more messy stool. Only nice, firm ones. So, here I am 6yr and many $$ later wondering if it isn’t time to change the food to a senior one. However, I well remember the problems of trying one food after another. Hard on both Halle and me. So please, good people, some suggestions.

[DogFoodie]

Oh gosh, I misread… I was looking for low fat and low fiber. That’ll teach me to read without my contact lens.

Low fat and high fiber is easier!

Orijen Senior has 15% fat and 8% fiber. Wellness Core Reduced Fat has 10% fat and 12% fiber.

While neither are high fiber, a regular poster here has had great luck using Victor GF Ultra Pro with her Doberman that’s prone to diarrhea as well as Abady Granular.

Geesh! Sorry to throw you off! Stick a fork in me, I’m done for the night! ; )

[Susan]

Hi, the Royal Canin gastro is a low fiber kibble at -1.7% & dietary fiber- 8.6% & low fat-7% as my boy suffers from IBD & Pancreatitis, I could either pick the R/C gastro or the Eukanuba Intestinal.. I picked the Eukanuba as there’s was no by-products & the kibble breaks up real easy (low residue), the Eukanuba cleared his diarrhea up within 2 days.. the vets first tried a higher fiber kibble the Intestinal Plus at 4% fiber which made him worst…my vet wanted Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 1 year to heal the bowel, dont rush these things as you can have a set back & ur girl may get her diarrhea back again, I know the vet prescription food has ingredients that no one likes but it has helped her, the vet prescription diets are made for a reason, Im not a fan but I too got all excited when Patch was pooing beautiful & I could go on a walk & pick it up, so I did the same thing after 3 months I went looking for a better kibble last Nov-Dec, 1 week into slowly changing Patches kibble he got his diarrhea real bad again as soon as he’d eat he’d run to the front door to have to go poo, it was water no blood thank god. I had to put him back on his Eukanuba Intestinal & then 2 days later he was all good again.. Im in the middle of changing is kibble again thats after Patch being on the Eukanuba for 9months now to the Holistic Select Senior he’s only 5years old Patch but the Holistic Select Kibbles are all Low Residue kibbles & they break up real easy… I do my hot water test.. I put a couple of kibbles in boiling hot water, I count to 40 then I pull out 1 kibble, I put the kibble inbetween 2 small teaspoon & crush if it crushes real easy after 40 sec without much pressure I know its a good kibble that will break up easy in his tummy, I’ve tried the Nutro Natural Choice Chicken & rice as this kibble is guaranteed that your dog will do firm poos, Patch did firm poos but he got stomach reflux from the kibble so I tried the lower fat Nutro kibble Lamb & rice he still got his acid reflux, when I did the hot water test the Nutro was a hard kibble it didnt crush easy very hard, so back to the Eukanuba Intestinal, now we are trying the Holistic Select as there’s a good range of flavours & the fiber is low 3.50%…Just take it so slow & its not that bad that she’s on a vet prescription just for now & Ive being soooo slowly changing Patches kibble, Ive been doing it for 1 month now just mixing about 1/4 of a cup to his Intestinal, I also give boiled 1/2 shreaded boiled chicken breast & 2 tablespoon of pumkin mashed together for breakfast his poo is a bit soft eating the chicken & pumkin, I know cause he does 2 poos a day the morning poo is brown/orange (pumkin) & a little softer then his lunch poo which is nice & firm that must be his kibble poo… Lol if you change find a kibble with the same % fat & fiber at first, but Im pretty sure the R/C gastro is a low fiber diet so is the Eukanuba Intestinal at 1.7% fiber..Good-Luck..also you can email the kibble companies for more info as some will say min fiber 3% or min fat% 10% I email them asking for maximum fiber % & fat %, Wellpet is very good they respond within 1 day, Holistic Select is ‘Well Pet’ so is Wellness range & Eagle Pack another low fat & low fiber kibble but I havnt done the test to see if the Eagle Pack breaks up easy..I know the Wellness complete health & Core kibbles are very hard that’s the one that gave Patch the runs again the White Fish & Sweet potato complete health kibble…

[Susan]

With the Elimination diet you must only give the 1 food for at least 2 weeks, my vet said 1 month, but I saw Patches reaction within 2-3 days after giving sweet potatoes, you cannot give any ather foods, nothing else, no treats, no oils nothing, then if ur dog isnt scratching or has diarrhea then you add another food like rice or I added pumkin, its very hard & takes time, Ive stopped at the Chicken, pumkin, boiled egg, bannana, But if u can afford the Holistic Select this is an excellent kibble the Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon, meal for scratching & itchy skin, its the best seller at our Pet Barn with the itchy dogs, I cant use that flavour as my boy has Pancreatitis so Ive got Patch on the Senior, Holistic Select cause the fat is low 10%..then when his itch clears up, Holistic Select has Duck Meal, Lamb & Rice meal & Chicken & rice they also have a grainfree turkey & lentils. you can rotate feeds so when 1 bag has finished buy him a new flavour & see how he goes the Duck kibble is just duck as the protein so is the lamb meal so if ur dog does have any food allergies but its rare for dogs to have food allergis only 5% of dogs, but stay away from the high carbs potatoe, sweet potato, rice is OK its a low Gi carb its a good carb.. it gets complacated, so Ive been just sticking with the Holistic Select & Patches Vet Pescription kibble as he has a few health problems & he’s been doing good with his skin, stomach & bowels, I dont want to push it…Good-Luck hope Chance is looking beautiful & shinning in a month, you watch his fur after being on a good premium food..he’ll shine…

[rogerharris]

I think dogs need non-veg food as well as they re actually carnivore. Feeding only veg food may have some health issue on him. But you should take advice from a senior vet. He is the best person to give you proper advice. Moreover you can read some magazines on dogs. Some of them are available online as well.

[Susan]

I didnt notice that you said can wet, the kibbles I said do do wet tin foods, the Holistic Select senior has the least fat% always look at the fat% & slowly reduce the amount ur giving…..I wish my boy had to lose weight, he has the opposite problem cant hold his weight from having Pancreatitis..I cook pumkin & boiled chicken breast u might want to do raw chicken breast take skin off any of the chicken meats if you use, this keeps the weight off as thats what Patch has for breakfast & has lost more weight also I give rice cake biscuits as treats there’s no fat in these oh & some dehydrated apple & banana as treats…

[Susan]

I also do what Gizmo Mom does for breakfast but also use a vet prescription kibble (Eukanuba) mixed with Holistic Select kibble Senior for dinner as Im having touble keeping Patches weight on with the Pancreatits….

[Susan]

Have you tried the Holistic Select Senior chicken meal kibble it breaks up easy, not to hard on their digestion & the fat is 10%.. My boy has Chronic Pancreatitis & IBD, Im mixing this kibble with his vet prescription kibble at the moment but I boil chicken breast & I boil butternut Pumkin sometimes I’ll boil an egg as well,, I put the chicken breast, pumkin & boiled egg into a mini food processor & mush it all together my boy loves it, I give this at breakfast as that’s when Patch seems to be in pain of a morning then I do kibble lunch & dinner..Ive read that pumkin is good for their tummy & bowel, dont use to much pumkin.. I give Patch about 2 tablespoons of pumkin with about 1 cup of shreaded cooked chicken…at first his poo was a bit soft I could tell it was the pumkin as the poo was orange but over time his poos firmed up again..also oats are suppost to be soothing on their tummy, the Holistic Select kibble has oats in it..Ive been too scared to try the Coconut oil at this time maybe latter.. my cat loves the pumkin & chicken as well I’ve never seen him at the front door as much as now Ive been cooking for Patch..also I give banana & some apple for treats..

[Bobby dog]

Okay, I couldn’t help myself, Naturella pay attention! lol I ordered again on Monday, but they were out of everything except the Keen (I think?) Tried to order more than one and it wouldn’t let me, oh well. I also ordered an assortment of chews from Castor & Pollux and three mini LED lights to put on collars at night for one cent each.

Got my box today.

I also got free shipping on my less than $20 order. I used the code they said was only going to be good on Sunday for my Monday morning order. I thought what the heck, I’ll give it a try and it worked.

Jakes mom:
Tornado season is awful, I feel for you and your poor little Jake too. My JRT was the absolute worst during thunderstorms, in her senior years she ended up needing a little help taking the edge off. Bobby is a very, very, very close second. Hope all is well.

[Mom2Cavs]

Enzymes and also probiotics may help. I believe there are feeding directions on the containers of the Mercola products….just go by that. I do know that my Cavaliers have sometimes eaten poop and other times did not…and I feel their stool eating was not behavior oriented but food oriented because they seemed to do this with foods that didn’t really agree with their stomachs (too rich, imho). I do feed enzymes and probiotics with each meal. Currently, (knock on wood, lol), no one is eating stool….Yay! They are eating Wellness Small Breed Senior and I am transitioning to Wellness Small Breed Simple Salmon and Potato because I feel my new guy seems to do better with grain free.

[Mom2Cavs]

If you’re looking for wet foods that are low in fat, try Weruva and Simply Nourish…they are usually 1.5% as fed. The protein may still be kind of high, though. For kibble, Wellness Core Reduced Fat is pretty good and Annamaet Lean is another one that comes to mind, as well as Victor Senior (it’s not grain free). I am currently feeding my gang Wellness Small Breed Senior and Small Breed Simple Salmon, along with Wellness cans and today I did feed Weruva Cirque de la Mer (or something like that).

[LexiDog]

If you are not into making a homemade food (I am not at this moment but may later consider it), you can try commerical raw dog food. Stella & Chewys and Primal are wonderful. Those are what I feed my dog.

Kibble – Dogswell Live Free has a low glycemic impact becuase they use peas and chickpeas for their starch. Compared to Science Diets W/D (Glucose Management formula) which has 51% carbs, Live Free looks pretty good. Their canned food is supposed to be even lower in carbs.

I just emailed them to find out their carb & ash content. Below is what they replied with:
Carbs
LIVE FREE Puppy Chicken 21%
LIVE FREE Adult Chicken 23%
LIVE FREE Senior Chicken 24%
LIVE FREE Adult Lamb 21%
LIVE FREE Adult Salmon 22%
LIVE FREE Adult Turkey 22%

Ash
LiveFree Puppy Chicken 7.8%
LiveFree Adult Chicken 7.7%
LiveFree Senior Chicken 8.8%
LiveFree Adult Lamb 8.7%
LiveFree Adult Salmon 8.7%
LiveFree Adult Turkey 9.7%

Hope this helps!

[Bobby dog]

That’s true about the flea dirt droppings. It is mostly just dried blood. If they drop in a moist area it could look like blood drops. Either way, a trip to the Vet is a good idea to make sure if he is ill it does not escalate to a $1,000 plus Vet bill.

One of my senior kitties I took for a check-up last month ended up getting a bladder tap because I wanted them to test his urine. If I did not know what the Vet was doing, I would never have known, the cat didn’t flinch. Unbelievable because it creeped me out when the Vet told me how he could get a urine sample from him right away.

[Susan]

Hi, is Holistic Select cheaper then Wellness as they are made by the same company, Wellpet, they have a new kibble I read called Turkey & lentils grainfree, also Holistic Select has the Grainfree Adult & puppy, thats if you want a grainfree, I prefer the Adult Duck meal or the adult lamb meal & the Senior Chicken meal , its not grainfree has rice & oats, I found the Holistic Select is easier to digest as its Hydrolyised protein. Ive tried the Australian Nutro natural choice Chichen & rice & the Lamb & rice but the Australian Nutro ingredents are different to the American Nutro, my dog loved it but it was a very hard kibble & gave Patch stomach acid, so that went back to the shop for a refund but his poos were good..also I didnt like how it had salt added..

[Bobby dog]

Jakes mom:
Jake must have the best floppy ears. I can’t even imagine two better breeds with nice floppy ears. 🙂

Today was Bobby’s egg day! He does love egg day.

Hey Akari:
I love the Bentley snuggle pic! Poor baby, we used a flea collar on my childhood dog. I never used one for my JRT because many years ago consumers were warned about the possible side effects of some flea collars. Some brands use questionable chemicals. The before and after pictures are pretty telling, you did the right thing by taking it off immediately. They do have herbal flea collars on the Only Natural Pet Website.

I have never heard of stud tail before.

My suggestion on the fur loss would be to look into a probiotic. I was going to wait to update you guys, but here’s my update on feeding my hyperthyroid kitty a probiotic. I started giving him about 2T/day of kefir beginning April 11. He has dry skin which can be a side effect of his daily meds. I have treated his dry skin both internally and externally with organic unrefined coco oil. During the winter it got a little out of hand because of the heat and him staying indoors most of the time. I took him to the Vet, we discussed treatment options. I opted for antibiotics and medicated creme; it helped.

I also started researching possible home remedies other than coco oil. This led me to probiotics. I found info stating when a cat’s gut is in a weakened state probiotics is needed. Antibiotics can contribute to a weakened gut because it kills beneficial bacteria living there. He was also treated prior to the fall with antibiotics for a cut that got infected; this also could have contributed to what he is experiencing with his skin and fur now. A few signs of a weak gut include skin and fur conditions. So I decided to try kefir since I could drink it and I could give it to Bobby and Archie too. Long story short (I know, too late), it’s been almost a month and his skin and fur has improved a great deal. He now has peach fuzz growing on the several bald spots he was licking. The skin is not red and irritated looking, it is healing. I even took pictures at the start of my kefir trial. It really made a difference although he is not eating it as willingly as he was before.

I have been slowly researching probiotics for cats; I just haven’t come up with any recommendations for a human grade one that I could mix in his food or how much to dose. Since Archie has shown such an improvement in his fur and skin, I want to start giving it to my other senior kitty whose fur is not as full as it used to be. He just had a check-up recently, including blood work, and everything came back excellent. The one thing that I think may have affected his fur is at the start of the fall he had a cold and he was prescribed a round of antibiotics. His gut may still be out of whack, IDK. This kitty wants nothing to do with kefir so that is also why I need to find a probiotic other than kefir for him.

Maybe the chemicals from the flea collar put a strain on Kitty’s system internally, IDK just a thought. That’s my kefir and kitty story so far.

Another option for treating pets with fleas is using food grade dematiaceous earth as a flea powder for your kitty; it is inexpensive. Many people use it on their animals both internally and externally for parasites. It does not kill fleas immediately; it damages their exoskeleton which causes their death. You can also use it on floors, bedding, or anything else your pet may use to kill fleas. I feed it to my horses and I also use it as a flea powder. You can find a lot of info about DE and using it on your pets on the Internet.

[Susan]

My boy was just diagnosed 2 months ago, I boil chicken breast, boil butternut pumkin & a boiled egg..I shread the chicken breast & mash it all together, I get enough chicken breast & pumkin for 1 fortnight & cook it all then freeze little meals..I just give the cook meal for breakfast & his kibble at night, Ive read that kibble isnt good for dogs with Pancreatitis, ur better off with a real low fat wet food, its easier to digest, I cook cause Im in Australia & the wet food fat % isnt low enough in fat, the lowest I can get is 3% fat, thats the Wellness senior…it needs to be around 1% fat, U’ll have to learn how to convert wet fat % into dry matter its easy, My vet also said when on a kibble fat% has to be under 10% fat, he said, he likes it to be 8% fat, alot of senior foods are low in fat but. You say she has a slight meat allergy that makes her itch, you sure its not carbohydrates, Carbohyrates make dogs itch, my boy cant have potatos or sweet potatos, he goes nuts scratching & his ears start to itch as well….Im sure other people on here will have some really good low fat foods..

[Susan]

Poor girl, sounds like Colitis, my poor boy was having colitis last year, I have him on a low fat diet now, I prefer Holistic select to wellness, they are made by the same company Wellpet but the Holistic select protein is Hydrolized making it easier to digest, I found the wellness kibbles too hard & my boy couldnt digest them…I have my boy on the Senior health chicken meal & rice, its only 10% fat, I mix this with my boys vet prescription diet & use the Holistic select as treats as well..my boy is only 5 years old but I dont think it matters that its a senior diet, Ive check out everything & the only difference is the glucosamine is higher so is the protein but the fat is the lowest something that is needed for Colitis & Pancreatitis.. Hope she gets well soon..

[Mom2Cavs]

So far, I haven’t had any problems feeding Wellness. I have used their cans daily for years, however, the only fish flavors I’ve used are Simple Salmon and Pot. and 95% Salmon. No problems with them. I used to use Wellness Core Reduced Fat for my male Shih-Poo (since gone to the bridge) and never had any issues. I just transitioned my crew to Wellness Small Breed Senior kibble to go with their canned Wellness (I use the stews, Simple line, 95% line, and the senior cans) because I needed a lower sodium food and this fits the bill. So far, everyone is doing fine.

[Mom2Cavs]

For sure, theBCnut! Btw, I’ve also transitioned the dogs over to Wellness Small Breed Senior kibble to go along with the Wellness cans I always use. It has controlled sodium levels which won’t hurt. Even Laverne seems to be doing well with it.

[lmnordrum]

We tried Meadow Feast when she was a younger pup and she had very loose and mucus-y stool, which is why I had to do Wellness, lol. Figured it was the lamb in there. The dog is 6 months old and has been on Wellness Core Puppy since I brought her home at 9 weeks. I was looking at the Earthborn products again last night because of the lower fat.

What I don’t understand here is if its a chicken allergy or intolerance, how come I can give her cooked chicken and there’s no problem? I’ve pored through this thread and others and keep coming back to an intolerance, but have a difficult time believing it is chicken because of how well she does on a non-kibble diet. I am leaning towards fats being the problem. But puppy can not live on fresh chicken and rice soup forever, which is why I visited the vet.

Ironically this all started about a day after I took her to a professional commercial dog facility for training class. They do doggy daycare and boarding, as well as classes. There are likely hundreds of dogs that go through that lawn and parking lot every day, and of course being a dog she had to sniff around. She also had a bite out of the cat box (eww, but someone left the gate down) three days prior, drank some standing water out of a gutter, chewed lilies and daffodil leaves and ate dirt. I have asked the vet to check for parasites along with Giardia and Coccidia, but I understand that the latter can be more difficult to find.

Right now the dog is on Flagyl and Pepcid with a new probiotic that the vet likes (Proviable). I have the Dr Langers probiotic on order which I’ll take for myself if the animal does well on the Proviable. At this point it seems to be a mystery and I’m in the denial phase of the kibble situation because it was so sudden. We live in the country and the dog has only been in my yard (now fenced) and not exposed to other dogs until dog school. She also was boarded in April (two weeks prior to all of this) but my kennel gal did not let my animal near the others because the dog was too rough. We’ve been visiting this kennel for grooming and some short boarding since January.

I’m thinking about the fat content of the Wellness, which is pretty high (its puppy food). The current chicken/rice/homemade broth is incredibly low in fat. If she’s having problems with fats then I need a much different kibble, like for seniors or overweight dogs. But then I have the whole nutrition thing to consider because she’s just six months old and has a lot of growing to do yet. So I am now poring over lists and labels because of the things I need to avoid. I may end up with a kibble that has some grain.

I really hope the answer lies in the lab results. We’ve only had worming at 9 and 12 weeks. Some vets recommend worming monthly and my first vet did not mention this. My current vet, who I am using because there is more than one and they have a larger treatment facility, is a lot younger and didn’t scoff at me for wanting to feed probiotics or a more natural diet or even hold off on a spay until the animal was more mature. The first vet, who is the kindest person you want to meet and I’ve known for a long time, has been practicing for about 50 years and does horses and large animals and is quite well known for his equine practice. He wanted me to feed ScienceDiet crap because of all the research put behind the food. Sorry. Not feeding my dog corn or wheat. I am OK with oatmeal and rice–I don’t eat corn myself except on rare occasions so I am sure as heck not feeding it to a purebred dog who may have a sensitive digestive system because of her breed.

So now I cook chicken and rice, which is fine because we eat a lot of both here, and wait. We’ve had no diarrhea, no gas, no tummy rumbling, no nothing, since yesterday afternoon. Tummy rumbling and gas has never been a problem with the dog anyways. She was pretty hungry so I’m giving small meals of chicken/rice/broth and there are no problems. (No stool either, but her intestines were pretty empty after yesterday’s bout of diarrhea.)

Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it!

[crazy4cats]

Sharon-
Yes, definitely take your cat to the vet and get some blood work done. My 14 year old senior cat was vomiting more frequently and she was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. It is a very common condition for cats 10 and older. I saw that you were aware of this condition in an earlier post and mentioned that gluten was a factor. In my opinion, that is not correct. I have done tons of research on symptoms, cause and treatment of hyperthyroidism in the last four months. I’ve never read anything about gluten contributing to it. They don’t actually know for sure what causes it but they suspect either PBDEs (flame retardents) found in a lot of furniture and fish, BPA found in cans, soy, and high levels of iodine, which is also found in fish. Also soy is mentioned once in a while. She was vomiting, losing weight and looking a little scruffy. She’s been on meds now for about 3 or 4 months and doing much better. Good luck to you!

[Sarah Y]

I’m trying Dr. Tims kinesis formula for both my seniors right now. They are on day 3 of the transition. Its not grain free, but I have heard good things about it.