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Dogs are amazing animal to have as pet, due to their high level intelligence dealing with them is so much easier, they are able to listen you when you give them certain instructions and they also very good at securing the house, they also make very good best friends to us. All these amazing qualities though also has its downside because like every other animal they age and this actually affect them more than most people know. We would be talking about senior dog foods in this article but first let us explain what a senior dog is.
A senior dog is mostly a dog who is 7 years or more of age though for bigger breeds it’s a little they enter their senior years a little bit sooner than that, for smaller breeds they don’t age till they are like 10 years old, we use 7 because it is the average age for senior dogs. These senior years similar to human’s senior years comes with a lot of problems.
You may notice that dogs in their senior years seems to be less active and less responsive, it might appear to you that they are ignoring you, probably you are calling them and they don’t seem to be answering or they simply do not see things you throw at them or having trouble finding things, well this is because at this age they start to have hearing and vision loss and this sometimes may lead to them being more aggressive.
They are surprised easily when someone touches them due to the fact they are losing their sight and hearing so they are less aware of things going on around them and might act defensively when they are surprised. They become more anxious and can’t deal with stress as they used to they react more to sudden sound and get agitated easily.
Other signs of a dog in its senior years also include getting cold easily because their body can’t regulate temperature and this might also affect their already weakened bones, they start having joint pain and arthritis and move around less and can’t they start having problems with common things like coming down the stairs, they become generally less active, and also they are more prone to be obese as their body can’t burn calories as it used to, they might have the same appetite but their body now react to it differently.
Due to these numerous changes in their lives, the type of food we give to our dogs when they get to this stage is different from what they used to eat, because at this stage they begin to have special nutritional needs and need food that can help prevent some of the illnesses that come as a result of their age, for instance you might have to start giving food with lower calories to avoid obesity.
They have lower energy requirements and also a slow metabolic rate so they are prone to be obese and also you need to give them food with fiber to improve gastrointestinal ( affecting or relating to the intestines or stomach ) health. When it comes to snack, senior dogs should be given low fats, low sodium treats.
Vegetables are fine in this case as dogs seem to like carrots and apple slices though you should avoid giving them things like grapes or raisin as they are harmful to the dogs. Due to their joint pain and arthritis senior dog foods should also contain glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate though the best solution for arthritis and joint pain is for the dog to slim down.
Older dogs also need a lot of protein to build muscle strength to aid movement as they age they tend to have weak muscles and find it hard to move around, you should also take into consideration heart and kidney diseases when feeding senior dogs so you it is advisable to give them food with low sodium and low phosphorous.
Dental issues are also a thing to consider when feeding senior dogs as they start of have weak teeth, you might have to consider giving them more canned foods or if you are giving them dry food you need to break it up into smaller bits before feeding it to them, you can also wet the food or add it in yoghurt to make them appear more appealing to the dog.
It is advisable to give senior dogs foods that are specially manufactured for them, as these foods are engineered specifically to meet their nutritional requirements and they also very good for various health issues that they can develop due to old age. You can start feeding them by mixing them with their old food to help make the transition easier.
Senior Dog Foods
Wellness Core Senior Dog Food
This product has a low calories balanced diet which is very good for senior dogs, it is rich in omega, glucosamine and chondroitin which is very good for joint health and arthritis. This product has optimal calories for weight control.
Orijen Senior Dog Food
It is very rich in protein which is why it is a suitable choice for senior dogs, it gets the most part of its protein from fresh chicken, turkey and fish. It also have an optimal amount of calories to maintain weight. What makes this product a very good option is the amount of protein it offers as it is needed for good muscle in senior dogs.
Nom Nom Beef Mash Fresh Dog Food
Similar to homemade food without all the stress involved in actually making homemade food for your dog, it is rich in protein and it gets most of its protein from fresh ground beef. It is designed for all life stages which include senior years so it makes it an efficient product for dog owners.
Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Senior Dog Food
This product contains a lot of special anti-ageing ingredients like L-carnitine which helps senior dogs a lot, it also good for joint pain and arthritis and also a good source of protein. The anti-ageing ingredients are good for advance weight control.
Victor Senior Healthy Weight
With multiple antioxidant and effective weight burning supplement this makes it a very effective for aging dogs it is also enhanced with L-carnitine for good weight control and it also has glucosamine and chodroitine to help with their joins. It is a very effective food choice for aging dogs.
Halo Holistic Senior Chicken Recipe
Due to dental issues that are caused due to aging, chewing can be very painful to dogs at some point. These dental issues have been have been eliminate with this product as it is easily chewed and brings relief to your aging dogs. It is also easy to digest and with it’s richness in salmon oil it helps in relieving joint pain.
Diamond Naturals Dry Food for Senior Dogs
Rich in different type of nutrients this product offers good nutritional benefit to your dog which includes fruits and vegetable for optimum nutritional benefits for the dog. It is a very good product to consider for your dog.
Pro Plan Bright Mind Adult 7+ Senior Chicken and Rice
A cognitive disease which has been known to affect dogs also known as Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) which is similar to Alzheimer in humans. This product contains MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) which is a fatty acid found in coconut oil and has been seen to help cognitive abilities. It also has a lot of protein which also makes it very nice for muscle building.
Go! Carnivore Senior Formula
Very rich in protein, this product source most of its protein from poultry meals and salmon meal, it is also possess glucosamine and chondroitin which makes it also very good for joint pain and arthritis.
Iams ProActive Health Mature Adult Senior Dog
Very effective at letting your senior pet burn fat and it also has high protein level to keep your pet in good shape and with good muscle composition.
Canidae Grain-Free Pure Senior Formula
As I mentioned earlier senior dogs are known to have some stomach issues this product does a great job at dealing with this issue it also has high and although it is suitable for all senior dogs this product was actually made for senior dogs who are food sensitive. It is free from all from many stomach allergens like corn, wheat soy or grain.
Diamond Naturals Senior Dog Chicken, Egg and Oatmeal
With an optimal balance of protein, micro nutrient and fat this is a very low cost and exceptional choice of meal for your seniors. It’s major source of protein includes fresh chicken and chicken meal. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin it is also very useful for joint pain and arthritis as well as L-carnitine for advance weight management.
These are few suggestions for food you can give your aging dogs as it each of them offers different types of nutritional benefit for your dog and can help make the life of your aging dog much easier and help keep you end your pet together for longer.