Feeding Older Dogs: Nutrition After Age 7

You wake up one fine morning and notice the grey around your dog’s mouth. That’s when you know it’s time. Time to look after them just the way you did when you first got  them home. And while they may still be a puppy at heart, you can start noticing signs of aging around the age of seven. 

As seniors, their needs become  just as unique as when they were little. I’m Dr. Ashitha Suresh, a veterinarian and I’ve penned some of my learnings as well as experience to help you understand the basics of feeding senior dogs.

When is a Dog Considered Senior?

It's vital to answer this question first, as the answer isn’t all that cut and dry. While middle age is defined as being in the “third quarter of lifespan” for humans, in dogs this can vary by breed. While small dogs may not technically be senior until 8–10, large and giant breed dogs can enter the stage as early as 5 years.

A senior golden retriever

It’s also important to note that unlike most young adult dogs, senior dogs cannot all be clubbed under a single category as they are health-wise at different stages.

While the guidelines from various organisations like Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), National Research Council (NRC), European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) are pretty standard and similar for the entire class of young adult dogs, the guidelines for senior dogs are less specific as seniors can be at varying points in terms of their health. 

Some may match (and honestly even outclass) young dogs in health, while others are dealing with conditions like arthritis, kidney disease, diabetes and a host of other issues. So feeding a senior dog depends on what stage of health and activity that particular dog is in.

What Changes in Senior Dogs?

As their body grows older, it becomes less and less able to compensate for environmental demands. For instance, a dog that would happily dash up stairs and make explosive jumps may take longer to recover from them, or eventually stop doing them. On the nutrition aspect, it means that the body is less amenable to excesses or deficiencies, and while they could somewhat compensate for these when young, they need more precise nutrition as they age.

As the body slows down and movement declines, they also tend to need less energy. A lot of dogs may be prone to weight gain if on the same food as when they were young adults, but very old dogs may lose weight, and most importantly, muscle mass.

Photo by Reba Spike on Unsplash

How Do We Feed Senior Dogs?

Again, it’s important to note that any changes made to your senior dog’s diet must ALWAYS be approved by your vet, as even small changes can make an enormous impact on their health. That said, there are some general guidelines that can be kept in mind.

Food Texture and Intervals

While seniors do have appetite changes, a lot of times it could just be due to the fact that they CAN’T eat, because of dental disease. So experimenting with softer textures (while getting the teeth checked out) can go a long way to improving their appetite.

As the senses dull with age (still better than ours though), they may not be able to smell  the food as well as they used to, which can also lead to less intake or even refusal. Adding strong-smelling foods like broth, wet food, meat, and warming up the food can help them sniff better.

While you can continue feeding them in the same intervals as they’re used to, if they’re  eating less at a time, consider upping the frequency and decreasing the quantity. With dogs who are losing weight, free feeding can also be an option. This simply means giving them food as often and as much as they wish.

Nutritional needs of senior dogs

• Depending on the activity level and weight loss/gain, they will either need fewer calories than they used to, or more fat in the diet to increase their calorie intake. 

• Protein is a bit controversial, but in general, improving the quality of protein (animal sources instead of plant ones) would be a better choice than tweaking the quantity. Very high-protein diets are not recommended, as many dogs may have undiagnosed kidney disease.

• A bump in fiber intake can be very helpful, as a lot of older dogs tend to be constipated.

• Sodium (salt, canned foods for humans) and phosphorus (organ meats, red meats) need to be restricted, as the latter affects the calcium-phosphorus ratio, and the former worsens diseases like  heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes. Since there’s really no notable benefit to a high-sodium diet, it’s just easier overall to restrict it.

• Antioxidants: Addition of antioxidants (like Vitamin E) is vital to slow down aging in dogs and improve cognitive function.

Practical Translation

• Depending on whether your dog is losing or gaining weight, you will either have to add more fat to the diet (ghee, oil, eggs, etc.), or cut down the amount of food you are feeding at present.

• Unless instructed by your vet, don't fiddle with the quantity of protein you are giving. If you are using plant protein, consider adding an animal source.

• Increase vegetable intake (carrots, beans, etc.) to up their fiber, or even a fiber supplement if they are constipated.

• Avoid salt and canned foods for humans (like canned/pickled fish), which are preserved with high levels of salt.

• Add vitamin C- and vitamin E-rich foods like blueberries, eggs, sweet potatoes, fish oil, spinach, and broccoli.

Age is not a disease, and it’s important to give our dogs the right support to help them through this part of their life. Speak to your vet for more individualized guidance — and do send in any questions you have!

Dr. Ashitha Suresh is a practicing veterinarian—specifically a dog and cat vet, and even more specifically, a vet gynaecologist with a PhD to prove it. She’s based out of Karnataka and has 9+  years’ experience in the field. All opinions shared by the author are their own.