best dog food for senior dogs with diarrhea

Best Dog Food For Senior Dogs

A long life is the result of good genes, good care, and good luck. While a few four-leaf clovers never hurt anyone, chances are its a little late to worry about good genes once youve welcomed a dog into your heart. That leaves good care as the one thing you can control now. And a big part of good care is good nutrition.

However, there are issues when it comes to feeding your senior dog. Neither the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nor the National Research Council have determined official dietary requirements for aging dogs. Its partly because senior dogs vary so much in their individual needs. That may explain why commercial foods for seniors vary so widely in nutrient levels.

Nobody expects you to be a nutritionist just to pick out a bag of dog food. But you should be aware of just a few important factors that apply to most senior dogs. This will help you choose the best dog food for your senior dog.

Dont Restrict Protein

This matter is widely misunderstood. Many people still believe senior dogs should eat less protein. We now know the opposite is true. Healthy seniors need more protein, not less, in order to fuel muscle. Loss of muscle mass is a major problem in older dogs. Some seniors lose so much muscle they can no longer walk unassisted.

Older dogs need about 50 percent more protein to maintain muscle mass compared to younger ones. But, diets formulated for adult maintenance diets often dont have enough protein to satisfy these needs. Veterinarian Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, recommends 28 to 32 percent protein on a dry-matter basis for healthy older dogs, especially in those cases where weight loss is needed.

Consider Calories

Younger seniors tend to be overweight. But, very old dogs tend to be underweight. A 2011 study found that calories in senior foods varied widely, ranging from 246 to 408 calories per cup. So, the same senior food may be a great choice if your dog needs to lose weight. But it may be a bad choice if they need to gain weight.

Dont forget that the time to consider calories is well before old age sets in. Two benchmark studies conducted by major dog food companies Purina and Waltham both found that restricting calories throughout life improved longevity and reduced illnesses. Essentially, good care for senior dogs starts in youth.

Feed For Organ Health

Other factors to consider are senior dog health problems such as heart and kidney disease. For both conditions, youll want a low-sodium food. But, that same 2011 study found that sodium levels in senior foods ranged from 33 to 412 mg/100 kcal. For kidney disease, youll want low phosphorous, but thats not even mentioned on any label. The 2011 study found phosphorous levels varied by threefold in the senior foods they examined, but were on average higher than their representative adult maintenance food.

Prescription diets are available for heart, kidney, and other diseases that take into account these nutritional needs. However, even those foods may have wide ranges of nutrients. Any dog food manufacturer should be able to provide these numbers to you on their website or with a simple phone call. While youre at it, ask them about the credentials of the people formulating their foods. If they cant provide either, thats clue number one that you should find another product.

Add Supplements

Some senior foods include supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin in an effort to combat osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, the evidence that these supplements actually work is limited. However, they wont hurtexcept maybe your wallet.

On the other hand, omega-3 fatty acids probably play an important role in senior diets because they may help combat both osteoarthritis and especially cognitive losses. If you are adding your own to your dogs diet, aim for the amount of EPA and DHA combined to be in the range of 700 to 1,500 mg. Build up starting at the low end and cut back if your dog has any diarrhea or vomiting.

Theres probably more to the recipe than simply EPA and DHA, however. Research conducted at Purina tested Beagles between the ages of 9.5 and 11 years of age that were fed either a standard diet or one supplemented with antioxidants, B vitamins, fish oil, and L-arginine for six months. The dogs fed this Brain Protection Blend performed significantly better on a series of mental tasks, especially the more difficult ones, compared to the dogs not receiving the blend. The tasks involved determining which one of several shallow wells contained food when the cue was a marker either next to it, near it, or displaced at an angle; or seeing how well they did on a task requiring them to discriminate right, left, and center, and then relearning which side was correct in order to receive a reward.

Make Food Palatable For Senior Dogs

There are practical aspects of feeding your dog to consider, too. Senior dogs may have dental problems that make chewing difficult or uncomfortable. These dogs should first be treated for whatever problem they have, but if that is impossible or unsuccessful, consider wetting their food or feeding them canned or soft food. Simply feeding a smaller kibble size may help if youre feeding dry food.

Senior dogs may be uncomfortable bending down to the food bowl or standing for long periods to eat. Try serving their meals on a raised platform or encourage them to eat lying down.

Very old dogs often lose their appetite. Warming the food can increase its aroma and may help stimulate the appetite; cooling it may make it less nausea-inducing in queasy dogs. At some point you may have to abandon your goal of a healthy balanced diet and just feed him whatever he will eat. The wait until hes hungry enough tactic doesnt work in seniors because their hunger mechanism may not be working correctly. Besides, its a little late to be worried about spoiling himand even if you do, doesnt he deserve it?

This column first appeared in theSeptember/October 2019 issue of AKC Family Dogmagazine.

What Causes Senior Dog Diarrhea and How to Treat it

When you bring your dog home for the first time, there are so many exciting things to look forward to. With afternoon walks, play time at the park and evening snuggles to attend to, cleaning up messes like dog diarrhea is likely far from your mind. But while diarrhea might not be pleasant, it can be a common part of a senior dogs life. You need to be willing to support your pup in sickness and in health.

As dog parents, we all know the pain of seeing our beloved pups in discomfort. Fortunately, Dog Quality has tips and products, like dog diapers, to help your senior dog feel better when diarrhea strikes. If your furry friend is suffering from diarrhea, read on to find out whats causing your dogs digestive woes and how to treat it.

Why Does My Senior Dog Have Diarrhea?

There are many different things that could be causing your dogs diarrhea, from the food hes eating to medications to a variety of health conditions. Dog diarrhea can often be a one-off occurrence or it can be chronic, recurring again and again over time. Its important for dog parents to understand the difference and know when its time to take your pup to the vet.

A recent study found that in 90% of cases, dog diarrhea is caused by diet and gastrointestinal distress, in particular inflammation of the small intestine and stomach. Your dogs symptoms could be the result of bacteria, viruses or parasites in her food, or allergic reactions to new foods or medications. These conditions are all totally treatable by either eliminating certain foods from your dogs diet, stopping certain medications, or treating conditions like parasites. In most cases, acute cases of dog diarrhea will pass without complications.

But what if your dog is experiencing chronic diarrhea that comes and goes? This could be a sign of an underlying health condition, especially in older dogs who are more susceptible to diseases. Chronic dog diarrhea could be caused by:

• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Tumors
• Endocrine problems (like thyroid dysfunction or Addisons disease)
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough digestive enzymes for your dog to digest food)

How Do I Treat My Senior Dogs Diarrhea?

We all want our senior dogs to feel as well as possible in their later years. If diarrhea is disrupting your senior dogs quality of life, here are a few things you can do to alleviate her discomfort:

Assess Your Dogs Diet: If your dog has diarrhea, the first thing to do is to consider what your dog has eaten in the past 48 hours. Did she get into anything spoiled or rotten? Did she drink from a dirty puddle on your last walk? Did you switch her to a new brand of food? All of these things can cause acute dog diarrhea and even nausea or vomiting.

Look at Your Dogs Medications: For a number of health-related reasons, your senior dog may be required to take medications. Some of these drugs (such as NSAIDs, deworming medications, antibiotics and heart medicines) may cause diarrhea. If youve recently introduced a new medication into your dogs routine, it could be the reason your dog isnt feeling well. Talk to your vet about finding other options.

Consider Lifestyle Changes: Have you moved recently? Did a family member pass away? Dogs can be affected by emotional stress, just like humans, and older dogs are especially susceptible. Big changes to their daily lives can cause health problems like diarrhea.

Use Doggie Diapers: Even though its not your dogs fault, we know it can be stressful to deal with a pup who is constantly creating messes. For acute cases of dog diarrhea, Dog Qualitys dog diapers are an easy way to keep accidents to a minimum and keep your home as clean as possible. Our doggie diapers are also machine washable, making clean-ups quick and easy. However, our Washable Wonders are not recommended for severe dog diarrhea.

When Should I Take My Dog to a Vet?

As we mentioned before, acute dog diarrhea usually doesnt require a visit to the vet. But there are certain signs to look out for that could indicate a more serious health concern. Take your dog to the vet if:

• Your dogs diarrhea has persisted non-stop for over 24 hours
• Your dogs stool contains blood or looks black
• Your dog is also vomiting
• You see worms in your dogs stool
• Your dog is weak or lethargic
• You know your dog ate something poisonous or contaminated

You know your dog better than anyone, so if diarrhea occurs, use your judgment to make the best decision. Monitor your dogs behavior, keep track of any diet or lifestyle changes, and when in doubt, it never hurts to get professional support. After all, a healthy pup is a happy pup and thats all we really want.

What To Feed a Dog With Diarrhea

At your recent barbecue you asked everyone not to share food with your dog, but now your pup needs to go out more than usual. This last time, you see puddles of diarrhea all over the backyard. Your dog seems to be perfectly normal otherwise and is even asking to be fed.

Now what? Should you feed your dog as usual or not feed anything for a while?

Should You Feed Dogs That Have Diarrhea?

It might seem counterintuitive, but for most healthy adult dogs, the best thing you can do to help get their system back on track is to not offer any food for 24 hours.

For very young puppies (under 3 months), senior dogs, and those with other known health problems, call your veterinarian for advice before fasting. Sometimes a 24-hour fast will be appropriate, but other times, a 12-hour or even shorter fast might be advised. They may not even recommend fasting at all. When in doubt, make that phone call first.

Fasting gets all the bad stuff moving down and out of a dogs system. This gives it a short rest, like rebooting a computer.

Never withhold water, however. Put away the food bowl and do not give treats, but keep plenty of fresh water available to them.

Does a Bland Diet Work for Dogs With Diarrhea?

Yes, a bland diet can help after the fasting period, as long as your dog has had no more episodes of diarrhea and has no other symptoms. If your dog seems ill, is vomiting, or still has diarrhea, call your veterinarian. This is very important, because you dont want to upset their system all over again.

The fasting-plus-bland-diet plan is most appropriate for dogs that simply got into something that upset their system, not for longer-term concerns like chronic conditions.

If your dog seems to be OK and does not have an ongoing health condition or chronic diarrhea, offer a small amount of a bland diet. Bland food is easy for the system to digest and more likely to be tolerated. Small amounts given more frequently are also easiest for the body to process.

For most dogs, an appropriate bland diet would consist of boiled chicken or boiled hamburger plus rice, to provide both a protein and a carbohydrate. Boiling is recommended to boil out as much fat as possible. The idea is to give your dog a very low-fat, easy-to-digest meal.

Its best to start with a very small amountsometimes only a tablespoon or twoto see if your dog is up to eating and able to keep the food down. It is far better to give a small meal every two to three hours than a large one right away, even if your dog is begging for more.

Most veterinarians will recommend a bland diet for three to five days after an episode of mild diarrhea, assuming your dog otherwise seems OK. Any animal that is still sick or vomiting needs additional care beyond the bland diet.

Food for Dogs With Mild or Acute Diarrhea

In most cases, vets consider mild diarrhea to be soft or loose stool that has lasted fewer than three days, with the dog still active and eating and drinking like normal, and no other symptoms.

It is more worrisome if your dog seems to be feeling ill. You may notice that your dog is sleeping more than usual, is not eating well, is quiet, has vomited, has blood or mucus in their diarrhea, or seems sluggish.

Acute diarrhea starts suddenlyin other words, your dog was perfectly normal on their 10 p.m. walk, and at 6 a.m., the floor was covered in diarrhea. Acute diarrhea can be mild or severe depending on additional signs of illness.

If your dog has mild diarrhea, start with a 24-hour fast, but keep the water dish full. If your dog had breakfast at 8 a.m. and started having diarrhea at 9 a.m., dont give any food (including treats) until the next day at 8 a.m.

When you do offer food, use a prescription bland food from your veterinarian (not the pet store) or a home-prepared bland diet. This bland diet should be a 1:1 ratio of boiled meat to rice (for example, 1 cup boiled chicken and 1 cup rice), using the leanest possible meat. The most commonly recommended options are boiled chicken or boiled hamburger.

Begin by feeding 2 tablespoons of the mixture per 10 pounds of body weight. Offer these small meals every two to three hours during the first day. It is better to offer too little food than too much.

Over the next three days, gradually increase the portion size and decrease the meal frequency. Between days 3 and 5, start to blend in some of your dogs regular food. By day 7, most dogs should be back on their regular dog food and feeling fine.

If at any point your dog has more diarrhea, is vomiting, or is not feeling well, call your vet. After the initial fasting period, you should see steady improvement in your pets condition, and any setback is cause for concern.

What To Feed Dogs With Chronic Diarrhea

If your dog is having chronic diarrhea, with ongoing episodes over time, there is probably an underlying medical condition at play. Before you can settle on an appropriate diet, the health condition needs to be identified, diagnosed, and addressedand diet is likely only part of the treatment plan.

Prescription diets designed for dogs with diarrhea might be more appropriate if your dog has a long-term problem with diarrhea or a health problem such as inflammatory bowel disease. Prescription foods can help with long-term gastrointestinal problems because they are made to meet all nutritional needs over longer periods.

Although a homemade diet like the bland diet is useful in the short term, it is extremely deficient in many of the nutrients needed to keep a dog healthy over the long run. While using it for a few days or a week will do no harm, over long periods it is likely to do more harm than goodwhich is why prescription foods come in to play.

Many prescription foods are available through your veterinarian, with some of the most common being Hills Prescription Diet i/d (intestinal diet) and Purina EN (gastroenteric nutrition). Many other brands and formulas are available, and your veterinarian will help you sort out which is most appropriate for your dog over the long haul, depending on the underlying condition.