As our dogs become ‘golden oldies’ their needs may change. They may need us to slow down slightly on walks; they will need lifting in and out the car; or they may need a little more time to rest – and their nutritional needs will change. Let’s explore why a change in your dog’s diet as they age, alongside advice from your veterinary team caring for your dog’s health as they age, might be a good idea.
Table of contents
When is my dog ‘old’?
Old dogs can be described in a number of ways, some say senior or geriatric. The age a dog gets ‘old’ or ‘geriatric’ or ‘senior’ varies between each breed and individual dog. The guidelines can vary but it is roughly defined as when a dog is in the last 25% of their natural lifespan. This will depend on breed. Sadly, usually large and giant dogs have shorter life expectancy than small and miniature breeds. This means a giant breed will be classed as ‘geriatric’ sooner than a small breed. The average life expectancy of a giant breed may be around 7 years old with small breeds pushing double that.
What changes in old age?
As with anything as we get older our bodies begin to experience some changes. This is the same for our golden oldies. As our dogs grow older their body systems in general can slow down; even at a cellular level we may find the body has less ability to heal and regenerate. They may experience cognitive changes, skeletal changes like osteoarthritis, and maybe even organ dysfunction. The body’s ability to fight off illness can be reduced. And our dogs may generally just need more rest and their active time may be reduced.
All these changes therefore mean that at some point we may need to consider a change in diet for our golden oldie. And that change may depend on the other old age ‘issues’ they are currently experiencing. All dogs are very individual – maintenance requirements may reduce, as well as reduced mobility. We may also need to ensure our older dogs don’t start gaining weight as this will negatively impact their health in a number of ways.
Concurrent conditions?
As well as general ‘senior’ or life stage appropriate diets there are also ‘prescription’ diets available for a range of other health issues. Although these aren’t actually ‘prescription’, they are essentially tailored, with the help of veterinary nutritionists, to specific diseases like liver problems, kidney disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis to name a few. For this reason, it is recommended that as our golden oldies age have regular checks with the Vets and Vet Nurses. This will help try and spot concurrent issues a little quicker. For example they will keep an eye on weight changes, condition and muscle changes. And blood tests can be run to pick up organ dysfunction before it starts to cause clinical signs in our beloved dogs.
If our pets are diagnosed with certain conditions our veterinary team may help guide us to slowly transition onto a diet tailored specifically for that disease. For example, if diabetic they may suggest a food that helps with the management of post-prandial (after a meal) blood glucose. If osteoarthritic they may suggest a diet rich in omega three fatty acids. Or if they have kidney disease, they may suggest a diet with low level of phosphorus and containing smaller amounts of very good quality proteins.
Other considerations
In some dog’s, appetite doesn’t change with age. But occasionally we do find that our older dog’s appetite may reduce and their senses like eyesight and smell might become impaired. For this reason, sometimes food actually needs to be a little more calorie dense to account for the smaller appetite. They are also more palatable (tasty); as older dogs may also need food that is more arousing to their nose to encourage them to eat. In many cases, they will have additional supplements such as omega three fatty acids or glucosamine to try and slow down joint degeneration.
It should be noted that any changes in feeding and appetite habits should be investigated by your lovely veterinary team. Eating lots and lots can be suggestive of diabetes and some other conditions that become more common in old ag. Whereas suddenly eating less could be down to feeling poorly with a number of diseases or dental pain. Best to get a check over for peace of mind. The same can be said for any weight loss or weight gain that is not accounted for by changes in routine by yourself. Remember that there are some diseases where clinical signs can include gaining excessive weight or loss of weight. It’s always best to investigate these changes.
So the bottom line is…
There are lots of possible reasons to feed a Senior Diet. Many dogs will benefit from one as they age. But it’s always worth talking to your Vet or Vet Nurse for advice as to what will suit your dog best!
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