Lifestages: Senior

Senior Over 7 Years

Even though your dog may still perform at the same outstanding level, once it reaches 7 years of age it officially enters the senior life stage. Senior dogs have a greater risk of developing health problems, as their metabolism is slower and kidneys are less active so their nutritional needs start to change too. Senior dogs typically require fewer calories from fat, yet protein is still critical for maintaining muscle tissue. A diet that carefully balances high quality protein and other nutrients will help your senior dog maintain the ideal body weight, maximise its ability to stay healthy, promote muscle tone and digestive health and keep it active throughout later years in life.

Feeding a Senior diet will help to prevent the following:

Increased risk of joint and mobility problems

As your dog grows older you will find it becomes less willing to become involved in physical activity and may find climbing the stairs or playing games more difficult. Senior Complete foods contain glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate to help promote healthy joint cartilage and support overall joint and health mobility.

Risk of obesity

Senior foods contain less calories than standard dog foods, helping to control your dog’s weight as they become less active.

Deterioration of skin and coat

Senior dogs tend to have drier, flakier skin than those of adults. Choose a food that contains Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids as these can help rejuvenate dry skin and help maintain a healthy skin and coat.

Decreased immune system

Older dogs become more prone to infections; antioxidants such as Vitamin E and betacarotene help to keep your dog’s immune system healthy.

More frequent intestinal problems

Choose a Senior food that contains the fibres beetpulp or rice bran to help support your dog’s digestive system.

Large and Giant Breed Food

Large breed dogs are those that typically weigh 25 to 45kg. So a Golden Retriever, Labrador, German Shepherd and Boxer are all considered to be large breed dogs. Giant breed dogs are those that typically weigh over 45kg, e.g.Great Danes.

Large and Giant Breed dogs are considered senior between 5-7 years old and ideally need a large breed senior food that contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate to help promote healthy joints and support overall mobility. It is also important that large and giant breed dogs are fed a diet that delivers lower levels of energy so they maintain a healthy weight, meaning less joint stress.

Click here for information on solving more specific problems with your dog's diet