My Golden Retriever is now 10 and is a lot slower than she once was. Is it worth me switching her to a senior diet? What I want to know is what differences there are between adult food and senior food, and if the dog’s body changes to the point where a change in diet if necessary.
If you could provide me with some information I would be very grateful.
Mrs P. Austin, by email
A senior diet is usually formulated to provide some nutritional support to dogs in their later years. They can be lower in protein than standard adult dog food (though this depends on what you are currently feeding) and lower in fat to help prevent weight gain as senior dogs will often become less active. These diets also tend to have a little more added fibre to help the digestive process.
ReplyDeleteSenior diets often contain some extra ingredients that may help with certain conditions common in older dogs these include glucosamine and chondroitin to help maintain supple joints, L-carnitine to help metabolize fat more efficiently, and some contain fish oil a good source of omega 3 which may help to keep the joints, skin and coat healthy.
The most important factor to maintaining health in the older dog is weight control. An overweight dog will have extra stress placed on their joints and internal organs.
When to change really depends on the individual dog, the breed, expected lifespan (small breeds tend to have a longer life), amount of exercise taken and weight status; however if you feel your dog would benefit from a change of diet it is worth a try.
I would say yes. The different foods are designed for different types/ages of dogs, and they should be used properly. There are different ingredients in adult food to senior food. Each food is designed for each age of dog. I would definitely try a senior diet for your 10 year old.
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