[Tina]

Most of the brands on each list don’t offer senior dog food but they do offer many adult dog food brands. What can I do with my senior dogs? Is adult dog food safe for them? What about when the brand says from ages 1-6 or 1-5?

[InkedMarie]

Senior dogs don’t need a senior food. A good percentage of senior foods are way too low in protein. Seniors need higher protein to maintain muscle, also for a good immune system. Of course, they need a high quality food with higher protein.

What do you feed your dogs now?

[Tina]

My dogs are on Nutro and Hill’s Science Diet. 2 are on Nutro Senior and 2 dogs are adult Hill’s Science Diet.

[Dori]

I feed my senior dog (14 1/2 years old) a high protein food. She’s doing fabulously well and definitely much much better than she was on a lower protein diet. Seniors actually need more protein than an adult dog so feed your senior dog an adult food with a high protein, moderate fat, low carb diet.

[InkedMarie]

Tina,
Neither one of those are particularly foods and both are too low in protein. We’d love to help you find a better dog food! Tell us about your dogs: any health issues, are they overweight, underweight, how is their coat? Any ear issues, skin issues? Do you have a price point to adhere to?

[Nancy C]

My 10 year old Golden Retriever eats anything. The vet says she is the picture of health and I have fed her always REGULAR food. Premium Edge (not for seniors), then Taste of Wild all flavors rotated. After that I have fed her the left over Origen and Acana that my German Shepherd puppy seemed to not be able to eat. Her dog friends are from ages 2 yrs old to 5 or 6 and she can outlast them some days. She keeps up with our 20 month old German Shepherd. I agree that they NEED the protein to keep them young and vibrant. It’ll be a long time before she eats senior food.

[Tina]

My Golden Retriever is 7 years old and she’s on Nutro Large Breed Senior
Chicken, Whole Brown Rice & Oatmeal Formula. She has a sensitive red, dry skin and dry coat, a little overweight and hip and joint issues. My Cocker Spaniel is 8 years old and she’s on Hill’s® Ideal Balance™ and Nutro WHOLESOME ESSENTIALS® Senior
Chicken, Whole Brown Rice & Oatmeal Formula.
Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Mature Adult. She has colitis, bad eyes and ears, bad teeth, sensitive stomach, dry skin and coat and hip and joint issues. My Pembroke Welsh Corgi is 5 years old and she’s on Hill’s® Prescription Diet®
Canine Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution. She has bad hip and joints, over weight, no energy, dry skin and bad teeth. My Large Breed Mutt is 1 year old and is on Hill’s® Science Diet®
Adult Large Breed. He has a weak immune system, dry skin only and high energy.

[Tina]

My Golden Retriever will eat just about anything. I worry about her because I lost her best friend to lymphoma at 5 years old. My Cocker Spaniel will eat anything but at around 2 years old had the first and the worst colitis attack ever. All of my dogs have had nothing but chicken their entire lives. My Corgi had a colitis attack at 2 years old but she has a great stomach but I’ve been dealing with her weight for years. My large breed mutt has had a sensitive stomach, picky eater and really low immune system.

[InkedMarie]

Tina, for your Golden & Corgi, getting weight off them is of the utmost importance, for their joints. I used Wellness Core Reduced fat with great success. While I have not used it, others have had luck with Annamaet Lean (this may need to be ordered as it’s not as widely available). Both can benefit from salmon oil added to their diet. You can use human form or buy those available online or at pet stores for dogs (I use human). Are they getting a supplement for their joints?

For the cocker & mixed breed, I’ve read that people use Nutri Source with good luck for dogs with sensitive stomachs.

I know nothing about colitis but hopefully someone else can answer. Its possible the foods I listed won’t work. If I was you, with dogs with issues, I’d consult a holistic vet who would be able to advise you on dogs with their issues and probably offer a non vet food. You could go to DogAware.com and contact Mary Strauss from there or Lew Olsen at b-Naturals.com.

Both of them could give you some advice. Good luck!

[Tina]

Yes both the Corgi and the Golden Retriever are on a joint supplement.

[andy c]

Is Orijen too high in protein for older dogs? My lab is 10 now and has been doing really well on Orijen for the past few years. But she’s finally starting to slow down, so would it be better to switch to something with a little less protein (eg in 30’s instead of 40+) like Acana or Wellness Core?

[Sarah Y]

Besides protein differences, are there are other differences in senior versus adult food?

I have two senior beagles…both are within normal weight range but it’s a struggle. They get some excercise with a 15-20 minute walk in the morning and a 30-45 minute walk in the evening…every day (unless it’s pouring down rain). My 10 year old, 22 lb beagle was just diagnosed with a luxating patella. I was shocked as all her vet checks have never shown this problem. The vet said it’s possible it was undetected due to muscle mass and as they get older they lose muscle mass.

They eat Wellness senior dog food because the 10 year old had some abnormal kidney values a couple of times and her urine specific gravity can be low at times due to how much water she drinks (she has always been that way). So I chose wellness for the low phosphorus level (.75). The vet thinks she may have some renal deficiences so her take is to be cautious and keep an eye on it.

I was considering a change to blue wilderness senior as it’s grain free and higher in protein. The red meat formula has .7 phosphorus and the regular senior has .9. Any thoughts on this? As fo rmy other beagle, she’s 37 lbs and her only health issue is an autoimmune disease that affects her nails. Oh and the 10 year old recently had full anal glands. Just though I would mention that.

If you would prefer I start another thread, just let me know. Thank you…

[Author]

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