Just like humans, senior dogs have unique nutritional needs, and understanding these needs and adjusting their diet accordingly can make a significant difference to their quality of life. In this article, we’ll explore how a dog's dietary needs evolve with age and you’ll find some practical tips for tailoring their nutrition to support well-being in their later years.
Reduced activity levels
One of the most obvious changes in older dogs is a decrease in activity levels. As they slow down, their metabolic rate reduces too, meaning they require fewer calories to maintain a healthy weight. It’s important to adjust their caloric intake to prevent weight gain while ensuring they still get all the necessary nutrients. Effective weight management can reduce the risk of age-related health issues like arthritis and heart disease.
What nutrients are needed?
Perhaps they’re not quite as active as they used to be, but our dogs still need high-quality protein to maintain muscle health. Senior dogs need a diet rich in easily digestible protein to support muscle maintenance and overall health.
Essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6, help to maintain healthy skin and a shiny coat, and ensuring these are included in your dog’s diet can help prevent skin dryness and irritation. High-quality fats in their diet will support overall health while a lower overall fat content in your senior dog's diet helps to manage their weight.
Improving digestion
As your dog ages, you might well notice changes in their digestive function, such as less regular motions, intermittent diarrhoea and reduced appetite. Many of these changes occur because of changes in the gut microbiome - the population of bacteria in the digestive tract that play an essential role in the digestion of nutrients - so supporting the microbiome is the best way to help your dog's digestion function well in their older years. And the best way to do this, is to ensure that there is plenty of dietary fibre in their meals, as this provides fuel for the 'good' bacterial species in the digestion.
Fibre has the added benefit of helping your dog to feel fuller, reducing the likelihood of them overeating.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins including antioxidants such as Vitamins E and C, and essential minerals including iron. zinc, calcium and phosphorus are vital for supporting your dog’s immune system and overall health, and these nutrients are particularly important in older dogs, helping to keep the effects of advancing years at bay.
In addition, nutritional supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin can support joint health and mobility, making your dog more comfortable, so it's important to include these in your dog's diet as they age.
VetChef’s Senior recipes have been specifically developed by our veterinary and nutritional team with older dogs in mind. We’ve reduced the fat content and increased fibre while maintaining a good level of healthy protein in the form of freshly cooked beef or lamb. We’ve added hempseed oil for improved condition with chondroitin, glucosamine, and turmeric to support healthy joints.
A good balance of fresh vegetables helps to support a healthy gut microbiome and brings essential antioxidants, trace minerals and vitamins to their bowls.