SeniorDogs.com | Caring For Your Senior Dog | Articles | Senior Dog Food Diet Requirements

Article Topics:

Articles > Senior Dog Food > Choosing Dog Food

Three Secrets You Should Know When Selecting Dog Food for Senior Dogs

Just as human beings need to adjust their diets as they age, in the same way dogs’ diets must be modified as they grow old to meet their nutritional needs. Nevertheless, there is a difference between humans and dogs, and this is that what is good for one dog is not necessarily good for another dog, while for humans is the opposite.

Each breed, and even each dog, has very particular and specific nutritional requirements that depend on its general health condition and health history, and are the main considerations when thinking about changing its diet in any way.

There are three truths you have to understand before deciding what brand of dog food for senior dogs you should feed your pal if it is necessary to change its diet:

1. Not every senior dog gets fat

Many senior dog food recipes are low in calories and fat; however, it is not good to feed your older dog a reduced calories meal if its weight is OK or it is very thin. Some signs of aging in dogs that can cause the loss of weight are:

Less appetite
Difficulty to chew and eat
Reduced sense of smell and/or taste
A health issue that rises its metabolic rate and intensifies muscle atrophy

If your senior pal is overweight, the best way to manage its weight and keep it fit is to control the portions it eats and to develop a regular exercise routine with your friend.

2. Older dogs require as much protein as adult ones

The truth is that senior dogs may need even more protein than younger pals.

Dog food for senior dogs normally contains less protein because of bad logic: even puppies and healthy dogs have a hard time digesting the protein contained in commercial dog food, but this is due to the extremely bad quality of protein these brands use. Poor protein causes your dog’s kidneys and liver to work in excess to digest food that they are not designed to process.

After years of feeding your younger dog these diets, it is logical that the brand’s senior formulas come with less protein! When its organs start to fail, if you keep giving your dog the same amount of protein, its systems will collapse.

The sad thing is that in reality your senior dog needs more protein as it gets older to preserve its muscle mass and a strong organ and immune performance.

Since very young, dogs should be given protein that is unprocessed, whole and if possible, raw.

3. Senior dogs shouldn’t eat fiber

It is a reality that older dogs get constipated; however, this is not solved by adding fiber to their food formulas.

Fiber will make your dog poop more, but it will also interfere in the absorption of healthy and much needed nutrients. An excess of fiber can obstruct your pal’s small intestine, preventing the digestion of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Instead of feeding your older dog fiber to prevent constipation, try feeding him a diet that is balanced, very rich in water and right for its breed. Also, complement his diet with digestive enzymes and probiotics.

~ Staff, SeniorDogs.com

If you would like to include this article on your site please include the following information with the article: <a href="http://www.seniordogs.com" target="_blank">SeniorDogs.com</a>
- Caring For Your Senior Dog. Find information about health insurance, medicines, allergies, arthritis, and other topics about your senior dog.