good quality senior dog food

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.

Best and worst dog food brands

There are hundreds of dog food options available, from dry to grain-free to raw, but which ones will have your furry friend licking the bowl clean?

We surveyed 2,304 dog owners about the pet food they buy to uncover the brands that customers (and their dogs) love and which offer the best value for money.

See how brands such as Burns, Harringtons and Royal Canin are rated by customers, as well as supermarket options from the likes of Aldi and Lidl.

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Dog food brands rated

Our top-scoring dog food brand achieved an impressive customer score of 82%, and five-star ratings for how much pets liked it, as well as their wellbeing when eating it.

At the other end of the scale, two brands scored less than 60%, with just two stars out of five each for how healthy the dog seemed when eating food from that brand.

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Make sure your furry friend is covered see our guide to the best pet insurance for your dog

How to choose the best dog food for your pet

Deciphering all the pet nutrition information on the internet can seem like an impossible task. It can range from confusing to completely contradictory.

We spoke to real pet nutrition researchers to understand what actually matters. Good news: it isnt as complicated as it seems.

The most important part of choosing a food is actually monitoring your pet, said Dr Teresa Hollands, senior lecturer in veterinary nutrition at the University of Surrey. If you're feeding your pet a particular brand of food, and they have plenty of energy and seem well in themselves, then you are on the right track.

Dr Nigel Kendall, lecturer in nutrition at the University of Nottingham, agreed: If your pet is on completely the wrong diet, then there will be physical signs.

Signs that your pet is eating a nutritious diet, and the right food for their needs, include:

• good overall health
• plenty of energy
• good sleeping habits
• regularly passing firm stools
• maintaining a healthy weight.

Also a cat owner? See our guide to thebest and worst cat food brands

How to feed your dog the best and healthiest diet

As well as choosing the right food, you can also maximise the nutritional value of your pets diet by feeding them in the right way.

We spoke with Dr David Gardner, professor of physiology at the University of Nottingham, to find out more:

Choosing a complete food

Start by making sure you are feeding your pet a complete food, he said. Thats really important, but it isnt always clearly labelled.

Complete foods are designed to give your pet all the nutrients they need, so you can feed them the same thing every day without causing a nutritional imbalance or deficit.

Weighing your pet food

David also highlighted the importance of weighing your pets food every time you feed them.

Remember, you may not notice that you're overfeeding your pet if you increase the size of their feed very slightly each day.

Varying your pet food

If you want to take additional steps to ensure your pet is getting the best nutrition, David also suggested varying the food you give them, provided that this doesnt upset their stomach.

These changes could be as small as varying the flavour of food that you give to your pet.

If you buy a bag of lamb dog food one month, try the chicken next time, David suggested.

If you do want to try changing the type or brand of your pet food, remember to do so gradually. Your pet's meal should be no more than 25% new food for the first couple of days, increasing over the course of a week.

Dogs can be fussy, so know that varying your pet food is not essential. The main thing is that they eat and enjoy their food and that it's nutritionally complete.

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Is wet or dry dog food better?

Both wet and dry foods can be nutritionally complete, meaning that they should contain all the nutrients your pet needs. That means there is no significant advantage to either food type.

David recommended feeding your pet a mixture of wet and dry food.

Evidence suggests that there are slight differences in the nutritional composition of wet and dry food. That means you are going to cover more nutrients if you mix them together.

If you want to feed your dog exclusively one type of food, then wet food does tend to be more appealing. However, it is often more expensive and it can predispose pets to dental disease.

In contrast, dry food is beneficial to dogs teeth and gums, and it is usually easier and cheaper to use and store. Just make sure that your dog has access to plenty of fresh water, as they will not be getting hydration from their food.

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Can dogs be vegan?

Yes, provided you are careful about the type of food you give them.

There are commercial dog foods available that are vegetarian or vegan and nutritionally complete.

Some people may want to prepare homemade vegetarian or vegan meals for their dog, which is not typically recommended by experts.

This is because evidence suggests that homemade food (including meat-based diets) is typically not nutritionally complete even when people follow recipes labelled as such.

Is raw food good for dogs?

Raw pet food has become more popular over the past few years, especially for dogs, but experts don't generally recommend it.

I would not recommend a raw food diet due to the risk to human health, says Dr Heather Bacon, dean of veterinary medicine at the University of Central Lancashire.

Bacteria present in raw meat can include salmonella, listeria, campylobacter and E-coli. These cause significant illness in humans and animals, particularly young, old and immune-compromised individuals.

These can be spread around the house during food preparation and eating. They can also be passed from animals to humans if your pet kisses your face after eating.

All of these bacteria are destroyed when meat is correctly cooked.

How much should my dog weigh?

According to a 2022 survey by UK Pet Food, 50% of dogs (and 43% of cats) are overweight or obese.

Your pet being overweight can have a huge impact on its quality of life, including limiting their ability to exercise or sleep properly. According to the RSPCA, it also predisposes them to illness including:

• diabetes
• heart disease
• cancer.

How to if tell your dog is overweight

Dr Teresa Hollands recommends an easy method for checking your pets weight.

Create a fist with your hand, and feel your knuckles with your fingers, she said. If your pets ribs feel like that, they are underweight.

Then lay your hand flat, and feel your knuckles again. If their ribs feel like that, they are the perfect weight.

Finally, keep your hand flat, turn your hand over, and run your fingers over the pads on your palm at the base of your fingers. If their ribs feel like that, they are overweight.

Physical signs that your dog is overweight

• Very thin(more than 20% below ideal body weight) Ribs, spine and hip bones easily seen (in short-haired pets), obvious loss of muscle bulk, no fat can be felt under the skin.
• Underweight (10-20% below ideal body weight)Ribs, spine and hip bones easily seen, obvious waist and abdominal tuck, very little fat can be felt under the skin.
• IdealRibs, spine and hip bones easily felt, visible waist and abdominal tuck, small amount of fat can be felt.
• Overweight(10-15% above ideal body weight): Ribs, spine and hip bones are hard to feel, waist barely visible, broad back, layer of fat on belly and at base of tail.
• Obese (more than 15% above ideal body weight)Ribs, spine and hip bones extremely difficult to feel under a thick layer of fat, no waist can be seen and belly may droop significantly, heavy fat pads on lower back and at base of the tail.

How we rated dog food brands

To uncover the best and worst dog food brands, in July 2023 we surveyed 2,304 Which? members who had bought dog food recently, and asked all about their experiences with their chosen brand.

We asked them to rate the brand on various attributes including value for money, how their dog responded to the food, and its perceived wellbeing on the food.

Overall customer scores are based on how satisfied customers were with the brand overall and whether or not they would recommend it.

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