Dog Community

Senior dog food ?

PawMaid

Posted : 10/31/2012 11:31:03 AM

Is there such a thing as a grain free senior dog dog food that is not poultry based ?

I am having trouble finding one.

JackieG

Posted : 10/31/2012 12:45:25 PM

I'm not sure why you're wanting to feed a senior dog food. I found this article interesting and you might too. With my dogs, I do feed senior dogs a lower calorie dog food if they're less active or just reduce the amount I feed of the food the other dogs eat.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/05/surprising-findings-from-tufts-study-of-37-senior-dog-foods.aspx

PawMaid

Posted : 10/31/2012 1:12:25 PM

After Kobe passed ( 12 almost 13, I never fed Kobe a Senior diet. He seemed to do best on what we where feeding him.)

I’ve been thinking is there more I can do for my senior dog and all my dogs.

(I already feed ( young dog) Vinny a separate dog food do to the fact he is so skinny. Part of that the vets assure me is his build.)

Magnus will be 11 in Nov and he looks at food and gains weight. I have considered weight control dog food

But again they all seemed to be poultry based.

His food is measured and he gets plenty of exercise. it’s a constant battle with him.

Thank you for the article.

I do plan to get an annual geriatric physical done in Nov and will be consulting my holistic vet. I do some supplements and have wanted to do more but have always been a little nervous about doing it right.

Freedom

Posted : 10/31/2012 3:01:36 PM

You can try searching on this site: www.dogfoodanalysis.com Look under REVIEWS (menu across the top)

There are none in the 6 star dry; only 2 senior and both are chicken based. Look in 5 and 4 star. I wouldn't use anything lower rated than 4 stars on that site. I think you 'may' find one fish based, perhaps.

JackieG

Posted : 10/31/2012 3:08:32 PM

I know it can be hard to control weight on some dogs. My dog Rex gains easily and I adjust his food when I see he's gained a few pounds. Like humans, it can take several months to see any change. I've had him on a reduced amount for the last two months and I'm finally seeing some weight loss. Belle, on the other hand, is easy to maintain a good weight as she seems to burn calories just thinking about what trouble she can get into. lol

tiffy

Posted : 10/31/2012 7:00:50 PM

Is 8 years old a senior? If so Tootsie is and I don't feed her senior dog food, just a regular food.

PawMaid

Posted : 11/1/2012 10:26:20 AM

May I ask what kind of food do you feed Tootsie ?

I currently feed Magnus TOTW pacific stream, I was feeding Kobe,Magnus and Boadicea this becuase it was one food they all did well on.

Vinny gets Wellness Core small dog breed.

Like Belle he seems to burn calories thinking about trouble.He is skinny with a lot of muscle.Never had a dog with a build like his.

RawFedDogs

Posted : 11/1/2012 11:12:42 AM

"Senior" dog food is nothing more than a sales gimmick. There is no real nutritional difference between senior or any other type of dog food. They are all the same for all practical purposes. If your dog is too heavy you can feed less, exercise more or preferably both.

PawMaid

Posted : 11/1/2012 12:48:55 PM

I wasn't posting about my dog being heavy.Its about doing the best I can by my senior dog. I just lost a senior dog and health care Changes all the time as we learn more. I was wondering about senior food And have gotten some good advice from others.

oranges81

Posted : 11/2/2012 11:16:53 PM

My senior (15 and going strong) gets grain free Firstmate Pacific ocean. It's an all fish based kibble that all my dogs do well on. I don't do senior specific ( I hate feeding different kibbles) and Maze is one of those dogs that loose weight while sleeping! You can see her spine, ribs and hips right now but the vet isn't worried (she knows Maze's history).

Anyways! Firstmate is made in BC (Chilliwack) and has many different types. I believe they have a senior blend but I'm not 100% sure..