How to Feed a Senior Dog

In general, older dogs have less muscle mass than they used to, so they need fewer calories to maintain their bodies. However, they also need better nutrition as they age. The best way to handle your senior dog’s diet is to feed a higher-quality food formulated for senior dogs, while monitoring his caloric intake to make sure he isn’t overeating.

Proper nutrition is important to any dog but becomes even more crucial as a dog ages. Because senior dogs’ digestive systems aren’t as efficient as they once were, and because their bodies aren’t as capable of making their own vitamins as they once were, their health depends more than ever on the nutrients they receive in the diet you offer them.

Most dog food in the United States is full of carbohydrates—as much as 40% in the case of some kibble types. However, a diet that’s heavy in carbs is neither natural nor healthy for dogs, who are largely meat-eating animals.

Cut back on your senior’s carb intake to make room for the extra proteins and fats he needs without adding a lot of calories. The carbs you do offer your dog should be whole grains and vegetables rather than sugar. These healthier carbohydrates are easier for him to digest—a big plus for an older dog whose digestive system doesn’t work as efficiently as it did when he was younger.

Fats provide an important energy source and contribute to a healthy coat. They are particularly important for dogs who have difficulty maintaining weight or who are picky eaters. (Fats make food taste better, making a finicky dog more likely to eat his food.)

Dogs digest fats more efficiently than humans do and therefore require a higher proportion of fat in their diet than humans. However, fats have twice the number of calories per gram as proteins and carbohydrates—something you need to keep in mind when considering your older dog’s slowing metabolism.

Although a little excess fat in the diet isn’t as bad for dogs as it is for humans, maintaining the proper amount in your pet’s diet is crucial. Too much fat can lead to pancreatic problems, obesity, and other health issues, while insufficient fat makes for a dry coat and an inability to process fat-soluble vitamins. Talk to your vet about the proper amount of fat to include in your dog’s diet.

Minerals are vital to the body’s healthy operation. They work with vitamins, enzymes, and other minerals to form bones, transport oxygen, help nerves and muscles function, and produce hormones.

The following chart names just a few of the minerals important to your senior dog, their dietary sources, and the benefits they provide.

Dogs need more protein than people do. At least 75% of your dog’s food intake should be meat based. A dog with insufficient protein in his diet may have a dull coat and muscular atrophy and may recover from wounds more slowly. Although no optimum level has been determined, even a diet that’s 30% protein is not too much for your dog. The exception to this rule is dogs with liver disease, who have a hard time removing ammonia, a waste product of protein, from their blood. These dogs should receive less protein.

Research has shown that senior dogs who eat a higher-protein diet maintain muscle protein stores better than dogs on a lower-protein diet. This research contradicts the conventional wisdom that senior dog foods should contain lower protein levels than adult-maintenance formulas in order for dogs to avoid loss of kidney function. Talk to your vet to see what she recommends for your pet.

Vitamins are essential to proper cellular metabolism. Some of the benefits of vitamins for senior dogs include:

Aging dogs are often less able to synthesize or absorb vitamins than younger ones. Many senior dogs benefit from additional vitamin supplements, which can improve their overall health. Discuss this with your vet before supplementing, however—just as getting too little of a vitamin can be problematic, so can getting too much.

Like any dogs, senior dogs must have a constant supply of clean, cool, and accessible water. Dogs who drink insufficient amounts of water are much more likely to develop bladder and kidney stones. If your senior dog doesn’t get enough water, he will become dehydrated, which can result in an electrolyte imbalance and thickened blood.

Some people don’t provide their older dog with enough water when they leave home for the day because they believe the dog will be less likely to urinate in the house. If your dog isn’t properly housetrained or begins to lose bladder control as he ages, find another way to protect your home besides depriving your pet of water. It’s better to restrict your dog to a single room and provide more frequent walks—or expect to have to clean up after him if he eliminates while you’re out—than to limit his access to water.

You can also help your senior dog by placing several bowls of cool, fresh water around the house so that he can get to them easily.

Older dogs do best when fed on a schedule. An owner who has previously free-fed her dog—allowed him to eat whenever he chooses—will probably have to switch to scheduled feeding as he ages, offering food only at certain times each day. Dogs who are free-fed tend to gorge themselves, which places them at risk for bloat, a very serious digestive ailment that is more likely to occur in seniors than in younger dogs.

It’s best to feed your senior dog twice a day to reduce the chance of bloat and to keep his digestive system regular. The proper amount to offer at each feeding depends on his breed and size. Consult your vet to determine an appropriate serving size for your pet.

One quarter of all dogs in the United States are overweight, and this condition is especially common in senior dogs, who tend to gain weight more quickly as their metabolisms slow and their activity levels decrease. Obesity is particularly damaging to older dogs’ joints and heart and can complicate or cause health issues such as arthritis, liver disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer, cataracts, hypothyroidism, incontinence, and respiratory problems.

You should be able to feel, if not see, your dog’s ribs. If you can’t, or if he doesn’t exhibit a narrowing at the waist when looked at from above, he is probably overweight.

To address obesity, you can simply reduce the amount of food your dog eats. A better way to correct the problem is to put your pet on a special weight-management diet. These diets are usually low in fat and high in fiber—ideally with a fat content between 5 and 12% and a fiber content between 7 and 30%. The increased amount of fiber helps the dog feel full, stimulates chewing, and stabilizes the amount of glucose in the blood, reducing the feeling of hunger.

Proper exercise is also crucial to fighting obesity. Moderate exercise such as swimming is safe and healthy and will contribute significantly to your senior dog’s happiness. Keep his advanced age in mind, however, and don’t strain him too much when exercising.