How to Choose Food to Keep Your Senior Pet Happy and Healthy
Your pet's nutritional needs change with age. As older pets become less active, eating higher calorie foods can lead to weight gain. Your pet's current food may not support health conditions that tend to occur with age, like arthritis, heart disease, and cognitive dysfunction. The following tips will help you make the best choices when buying food for your older pet.
Keep Nutritional Needs in Mind
Foods for senior pets should include these healthy ingredients:
- Fiber. Fiber is essential for digestion and helps prevent constipation.
- Protein. Your pet needs protein for healthy bones and muscles. Protein also helps your pet maintain a healthy weight and reduces hunger.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Omega-3 fatty acids support joint health and reduce inflammation. Inflammation can weaken the immune system and may play a role in heart disease and other conditions.
- Glucosamine and Chondroitin. These nutrients protect your pet's joints and may reduce arthritis pain.
- Antioxidants. Foods with antioxidants boost your pet's immune system.
Foods specifically made for senior pets offer the nutrients older animals need for good health and contain fewer calories than adult food. Although low-calorie food helps your pet avoid weight gain, not every senior pet needs a low-calorie diet. If your pet is underweight, your veterinarian may recommend a higher-calorie food.
Consider the Benefits of Wet and Dry Food
Wet food is easier to eat and contains more moisture than dry food. If your senior pet doesn't drink enough water or has dental issues, wet food may be a good choice. Has your pet become finicky with age? Wet food tends to be more flavorful than dry food, making it a good choice for pets with particular palates. The American Kennel Club notes that warming dry food can make it more appealing if your pet has lost its appetite.
Dry food has a longer shelf life, can be left out for hours, may be less expensive than wet food, and helps remove plaque from your pet's teeth. Dry food for senior pets features smaller kibble for easier chewing and swallowing.
Can't decide between the two types of food? Why not offer both to your pet? Alternate wet and dry food at meals, or offer a small amount of wet food as a treat.
A variety of pet food manufacturers offer wet and dry senior food, including Purina, Hill's Science Diet, Blue Buffalo, Iams, Freshpet, and Eukanuba. When buying senior pet food, take a look at the label. The first five ingredients in high-quality products should be foods you recognize, like chicken, rice and carrots.
Specialty Diets: Does Your Senior Pet Need One?
Senior pets with health conditions may benefit from prescription diet food. These foods are formulated to meet the needs of pets with diseases and conditions, including:
- Heart Disease. Veterinary and prescription diets include lean proteins and lower amounts of sodium and phosphorus. The foods provide nutrients essential for good heart health, like antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, taurine, and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Kidney Disease. Kidney-friendly foods contain lower amounts of protein and phosphorus and reduce stress on the kidneys.
- Diabetes. Diabetic foods help keep blood sugar under control by reducing carbohydrates and adding fiber.
- Arthritis and Other Joint Conditions. Foods high in glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce inflammation and pain.
- Bladder Stones. Urinary care foods prevent new bladder stones from developing and may dissolve existing bladder stones.
- Cognitive Dysfunction. Pets with dementia and other brain health issues may benefit from eating foods that slow the progression of the condition or improve symptoms, like confusion, irritability, anxiety, nighttime pacing, disorientation, and housetraining issues. Dogs with cognitive dysfunction syndrome experienced a significant improvement in cognitive skills after eating a special therapeutic diet, according to a research study published in Frontiers in Nutrition in 2018.
Veterinary and prescription diets undergo rigorous testing to ensure claims about health benefits are true. Options for these foods include Hill's Prescription Diet, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary, and Royal Canin Veterinary Diet.
Having trouble choosing the best food for your senior pet? Your veterinarian can recommend foods that meet your pet's nutritional needs. Contact our office if you have questions about your senior pet's health or need to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
American Kennel Club: Choosing the Right Dog Food For Your Senior Dog, 5/24/2024
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/nutritional-needs-for-senior-dogs/
Frontiers in Nutrition: Efficacy of a Therapeutic Diet on Dogs with Signs of Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS): A Prospective Double-Blinded Placebo Controlled Study, 12/12/2018
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6299068/
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Choosing Food for Your Senior Dog
PetMD: Does My Dog Need Senior Dog Food?, 1/5/2021
https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/does-my-dog-need-senior-dog-food
American Kennel Club: Aging in Dogs: Physical and Mental Signs Your Dog Is Getting Older, 3/26/2024
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/aging-in-dogs-physical-mental-signs/