What to feed and how to choose the right food for an old dog

Nutrition is one of the main elements of life of any organism. You should pay attention to proper feeding of animals, because if you give your pet whatever comes to hand or at a discount, over time it will develop digestive problems and diseases will begin to progress. To avoid problems and ensure that your pet always pleases its owners, you should choose the right food.

The editors of the YaNashla website have prepared for you a rating of the best food for older dogs for 2022.

Diet for old dogs

It is always necessary to remember about the tendency of older dogs to obesity due to low mobility. Older animals have a harder time digesting certain types of food (see below for more details).

Dry food

Every good manufacturer makes products for older dogs. We have prepared a short review of the best premium/super-premium products:

Advance

Ready-made food for dogs of the Advance brand belongs to the super-premium class. The advantage of the food is that there are separate advance dry diets for older dogs of small and large breeds. We will review Advance Dog Mini Senior food for small breed dogs, respectively.

Ingredients: chicken (16%), corn gluten (1), poultry proteins, rice, corn (2) and corn flour (3), animal proteins, corn bran (4), potassium chloride, food additive E450 (! ), chondroitin sulfate (prevention of joint diseases).

Monge

The Monge brand produces dry food for pets. Production facilities are located in Italy. As an example, let's take Mini Senior, for oldies of small breeds.

Chicken is listed in the 1st place in the composition. Carbohydrates: rice, oats, beets, corn. Contains animal fats, yeast.

Acana

One of the best brands of dry pet food. High-quality grain-free Acana food belongs to the holistic class. A specialized diet ACANA SENIOR DOG has been prepared for older pets. Suitable for all breeds.

Main ingredients: chicken, flounder, eggs, vegetables/fruits/greens.

Brit premium

Good premium products. The line includes a separate diet for older dogs of different breeds. Consider Brit Premium Senior Smal & Medium for small and medium breeds, respectively.

Ingredients: the main source of protein is chicken (42%), carbohydrates include oats, wheat and corn, contains a small amount of fruit (dried apples), cartilage. The food also contains vitamins and nutritional supplements.

1st choice

First Choice is a super-premium dog food. A distinctive feature of Canadian products is quality. As an example, let's take Fest Choice food for older dogs of all breeds (SENIOR ALL BREED).

Ingredients include: lamb/herring flour, rice, barley, vegetables, liver, etc. As a big plus, we can note an impressive number of nutritional supplements that are needed to maintain bones/muscles/metabolism in older dogs.

Eukanuba

Products from a domestic manufacturer. Eukanuba for senior dogs with lamb and rice is suitable for pets over 7 years old (for medium breeds, for large breeds - from 6, giant - from 5).

The contents of the granules include dehydrated poultry and lamb proteins. Next are rice, millet, corn, barley. Contains animal fats and flavoring additives.

Go!

GO brand products are all-natural grain-free pet food. Older dogs are offered Go Senior Recipe Chicken,Turkey + Duck food with 4 types of meat at once.

The protein base consists of chopped chicken, turkey, and salmon. Also includes fillets of birds and fish of these species, eggs, apples and other fruits. The granules are rich in minerals and vitamin supplements.

Now fresh

Nau Fresh products belong to the holistic class. The grain-free diet, designed for dogs over 7 years of age, contains a reduced amount of calories.

The source of protein is turkey and salmon fillet. Valuable carbohydrates are found in numerous vegetables and fruits.

Wet food

The production of wet food for older animals is surprisingly stingy. If you prefer soft store-bought food, then choose regular bags (cans) for adult animals. Before purchasing, check the composition for the presence of harmful components.

How to choose the right one

Every owner tries to purchase the best food for his pet. The variety of products is impressive. What should you pay attention to to avoid making mistakes when choosing? To avoid misunderstandings and waste of money, you must first understand for yourself some of the features of feeding dogs:

1. Food is given to the animal twice a day: morning and evening. This helps avoid obesity and other health problems. The exceptions are pregnant, old and sick dogs.
2. The serving size depends on the pet’s age, body weight and energy needs. It is worth keeping in mind that dogs are very gluttonous and will only eat as much as you give them. This also applies to small puppies. Then problems with digestion will begin.
3. Veterinarians' recommendations boil down to the following: you should not give table scraps if you have already fed your pet dry food in sufficient quantities.
4. How to choose the right food? It’s not always possible to guess right the first time and purchase the right option. Therefore, when purchasing for the first time, the weight of the package should be minimal. Take a closer look at the animals' behavior after eating. If everything suits you, then you can buy a large pack on your next trip to the pet store.

Specialized retail outlets will offer visitors a choice of wet, dry food and canned food, with the flavors of rabbit, chicken, fish or beef. Opt for dry food, regardless of its form. The main advantages of the product are maximum shelf life and economical consumption. As for wet food and canned food, they are all prepared using sauces and other ingredients. Sold in bags or jars. Their main disadvantage is that after opening they have a minimal shelf life.

Minerals and vitamins

Vitamins are the most important part of food for older dogs. Over time, the body completely stops producing certain substances, which can lead to illness and premature death of the animal. However, vitamins and supplements should be treated with caution.

For example, if you feed an animal with super-premium or holistic products, there should already be a sufficient amount of additives and there is no need for additional vitamins. With a straight woman the situation is a little different.

What supplements should be in food for aging dogs?

Useful components needed in dry food:

1. Vitamin E (aka α-tocopherol) . Safely protects the product from spoilage, prevents the destruction of fortified supplements, and helps absorb other vitamins. Protects cells from damage and prevents the development of tumors.
2. Taurine . An amino acid essential for vision and heart health.
3. Choline chloride . Contains vitamin B4, promotes the breakdown of fats. Prevents some diseases associated with poor metabolism. The animal's body produces little choline chloride, so it is a very important additive in food.
4. Omega-3 . Prevents the development of arthritis, which especially affects aging large breed dogs.
5. Biotin and L-carnitine . Biotin improves metabolism and breakdown of fatty acids. L-carnitine, in turn, prevents the development of obesity in your pet.

But Omega-6 will not bring much benefit to older animals.

Natural vitamin supplement

Unlike dry food, a dog cannot get everything it needs on natural food. Today there is a huge variety of veterinary products that will provide the animal with all its needs. The main thing is to consult with your veterinarian before giving your pet any supplements.

To increase certain individual components in the animal's body, include foods that contain them in the diet. For example, a little cottage cheese to maintain calcium. Before doing this, carefully read the list of prohibited products.

Can dogs take human vitamins?

Human vitamins are designed for people. Dogs are not allowed to have them under any circumstances.

What difficulties may happen

A dog does not always reach old age without problems. Some owners fatten the animal to such an extent that obesity occurs. Another common problem is loss of appetite in your pet. Regardless of what happened, it is important to take action in time because the dog will not cure itself.

In cases where the pet is overweight, it is recommended:

• Reduce portions.
• If feeding occurs 4-5 times a day, meals should be reduced to 2-3. However, the procedure should be performed smoothly; you cannot suddenly switch to this mode. May have problems.
• You need to play with your dog often, run and increase your walking time.
• You should never leave food out in the open. It is important to feed the dog at a certain time; this is the main rule that many people forget about. In addition, the amount should be given based on age.
• The last main rule is to never feed your pet from the communal table. It only harms them. Of course, they will eat everything, but such actions lead to rapid weight gain, as well as the formation of digestive problems. After all, human food for dogs is very fatty.

When your pet loses its appetite, don’t yell at it or force food on it. Nothing good will happen. The following measures should be taken:

• Start gradually changing the brand of food, you can try to buy holistic food in bulk, this will help save money and time searching for a suitable option.
• It is important to know that some dogs really like cat food. Of course, you can’t feed them constantly, because the composition and quantity of useful elements is different. However, the treat can be mixed with the main food.
• Some owners introduce a natural diet. But you should know in advance that this process only seems easy. A person should take into account a lot of characteristics, otherwise there will be no benefit. For example, if you overfeed your pet chicken, his back legs will swell and bumps will appear.
• In addition, very old animals may have problems with their teeth, so before giving them food, you should soften it a little.

We must not forget that if you lose your appetite, then this is a deviation from the norm. Therefore, before taking independent measures, you should consult a specialist. After which he will give advice and recommendations that should not be neglected.

Natural food

An ordinary natural meal is porridge with meat, often with the addition of some vegetables (carrots, etc.) and feeding in the form of eggs. Aging dogs have their own needs and problems, so in the last stages of her life, nutrition will have to be slightly reconsidered:

• more fiber (vegetables, bran, vegetable oil) to prevent constipation;
• sometimes the meat needs to be ground so that a dog with problem teeth eats comfortably;
• A complex of vitamins for dogs will “save” you from joint problems.

What not to feed

The prohibitions for older pets are approximately the same as for young ones. You cannot give:

• smoked/fatty/fried/marinated/canned foods;
• bread, pasta;
• sugar in any form, sweeteners;
• mushrooms, beans;
• onion;
• hollow bones, boiled bones.

The list goes on and on. In order not to get lost, remember one rule: if food is considered unhealthy and harmful to humans, then 100% of it cannot be given to an animal.

It is not recommended to feed pets (of any age) food/natural food based on wheat or corn porridge. These are practically empty calories that provide little benefit to the animal’s body.

Briefly about the main thing

Be responsible when it comes to feeding your older dog. At this age, animals have poor health, which must be constantly maintained. If you feed natural food, make sure that your pet receives a sufficient amount of minerals and trace elements. But it will be better to feed dry, which one is up to you. Briefly about each product described above:

1. 1st choice: good quality food with excellent composition. If you have the opportunity, definitely take it.
2. Advance: not the most expensive food, but its composition is far from the best. Contains a lot of cheap carbohydrates in the form of corn and unwanted food additives. One of the advantages is an acceptable amount of vitamins and nutritional supplements.
3. Brit premium: the composition of the feed is acceptable, the price matches.
4. Eukanuba: the only positive side to note is the cost; the composition could have been better. Indistinct proteins are in the first 2 places, a lot of unnecessary carbohydrates.
5. Go: the food definitely gets the best ratings, the price justifies itself. The disadvantages include increased allergenicity due to different types of meat and fish in the composition.
6. Acana: There is no point in singing the praises of Acana products, since the brand has long established itself as one of the best on the market.
7. Monge: good Italian products. Contains some cheap carbohydrates, but not critical.
8. Now fresh: natural composition, rich in healthy nutritional supplements. We definitely recommend it.

Professional advice on choosing

If you take pet nutrition seriously, then you shouldn’t pay attention to economy class. The product contains meat production waste, offal, cheap grains, preservatives, dyes, as well as all kinds of additives that enhance the smell and taste, promoting addiction. But you should also be wary of the premium class, since careless manufacturers often label their worthless products as high-quality goods.

Basic tips for choosing are as follows:

1. It is advisable to choose a dry product between holistic and super premium. In the first case, the product is filled with the best components and can be used for medicinal purposes.
2. Do not discount the age and parameters of the animal. All packages contain labeling indicating which dogs this food is suitable for.
3. Conditions for keeping a pet. Nutrition for active and sedentary individuals should be different.
4. Pay attention to your dog's needs, especially if she is pregnant or nursing puppies. Stomach problems and the need to eliminate hair from the gastrointestinal tract are of great importance.
5. Before purchasing a product, carefully read the information on the packaging. The list may contain an ingredient that is contraindicated for your dog and is very dangerous for him.
6. If you have purchased a small puppy, it is better to find out from the previous owner what food was used and continue to feed it with the same composition.