when is a good age to feed senior dog food??

[dobro_21]

I was just wondering what age to start feeding senior dog food. Or signs to look for. My BC is 8 years old.

 

Been feeding blue buffalo grain free chicken and putting water in it. Has been fine eating it for months almost a year. But here the last weeks when he eats the food it causes diarrhea. When feed dry with no water his poop is normal.

 

Wasn't sure if sings of age or sensitive stomach.

Any advice would be greatful thanks

[Gideon's girl]

As dogs age, their ability to use the protein in their diet diminishes, but the amount of protein that they require does not decrease at all. So in reality, a senior dog may actually need a boost in the quality and amount of protein just to get the same amount out of it's food. For this reason, I do not believe in feeding senior diets to healthy dogs at all. Senior diets were designed on old faulty research. They believed that protein caused kidney problems and that senior dogs were automatically susceptible to kidney disease and needed decreased protein. They have since learned that protein is not the issue so much as quality of protein and toxic exposure through out life. They have also learned that limiting proteins can cause its own problems in dogs that do have kidney disease. Stick with a good quality food and add some fresh meat protein to it.

[D'Elle]

My border collies are 13 and 14 years of age. I am sticking with their grain-free kibble. The only thing I have changed is to add raw meat when I have access to it and salmon oil on a daily basis. They are both doing well - they have stiff joints but otherwise are very healthy.

[Cass C]

I agree my family has never bought into the 'senior' diets. If a food doesn't agree with the dog anymore we would change foods, but otherwise we just use what works for the dog.

[Tommy Coyote]

1. I'm glad you brought this up. My 2 older dogs are 6 and I was wondering if I should put them on senior food. They don't act one bit senior yet.

[GentleLake]

I've never fed a senior food.

 

Now that I feed raw, the only accommodation I make for my 17 1/2 y.o. is to give her ground meat and bone because she seems to be having some trouble on some days with bone. (I'll be having her teeth checked at her regular vet check next month.)

[Gloria Atwater]

 

1. I'm glad you brought this up. My 2 older dogs are 6 and I was wondering if I should put them on senior food. They don't act one bit senior yet.

 

Oh, goodness, 6 is not even close to senior - that's the prime of life! My boy will be 7 in May and he's just hitting his stride. I think of senior as like ... 12.

 

I never have used a senior diet and my last old guy lived to 14. I just add whatever supplements they might need, but I don't change from "regular" food.

 

~ Gloria

[CptJack]

Yeah, agreed, all around with Gloria.

 

6 is literally still the prime of life. 10+, at least, before senior status.

I never change food to a senior food. If a dog needs an RX diet I'll feed that but otherwise, nah. I don't feed puppy food either. Just good quality all life stages stuff.

[Ttiffany20191]

My girl is 8.5 years old and I still feed adult food/grain free. That was interesting Gideon's girl..I didn't realize that but it is good to know.

[gcv-border]

Gideon's Girl--

When you say "add some fresh meat protein", is it better with raw ground meat or cooked ground meat? Otherwise, I usually feed a quality grain-free (usually grain-free) kibble topped with hydrated Honest Kitchen.

[Liz P]

I don't switch my seniors over unless I have a medical reason to do so.

[diane allen]

Well, I don't feed kibble...but if I did, I wouldn't change to a "senior" diet. Most of that is just marketing anyway.

 

As far as adding fresh protein - raw is fine, cooked is fine. Meat (vary it - beef, chicken [admittedly I do prefer this cooked], turkey, and anything else you can get! I have used canned salmon or jack mackerel, but do rinse as much salt out as possible), eggs, cottage cheese yogurt - any or all!

 

diane

[D'Elle]

This isn't exactly on topic, but what experience do you all have with glucosamine and MSM for dogs with stiff joints? I have given it to my Kit, gave it a few months try, and never noticed any improvement from it, so I discontinued its use. Now Jester is stiff, and a friend suggested I try it with him. I hesitate, because it didn't help Kit, and it is expensive. They are all getting salmon oil.

[Cass C]

My grandma gives one of her toy poodles glucosamine from the vet that has a low dose pain killer for when the poodle is acting extra stiff or sore, but it is not a daily supplement.

[Maralynn]

I've both CetylM advance and Animal naturals Joint Strong with my first dog (only one at a time) and both seemed to help her

[simba]

Glucosamine- reasonable evidence it is safe, at least in humans, good evidence it's not effective.

 

Not much evidence on MSM in pets at all. Most things thought to be effective or promising turn out not to be.

 

I was considering supplements for my own dog, looked at what was out there, and decided against it. She gets regular, steady exercise. Unfortunately she doesn't like to swim, swimming is supposed to be really helpful.

[Gideon's girl]

I think raw or cooked is a personal preference. There are both positives and negatives for each. I personally prefer raw, except I like to lightly cook egg whites.

 

The only concession I have had to make when feeding my seniors has been for medical issues or adding fiber for my JRT, who gets constipated. I did have a cancer scare with her and I started feeding more anticancer foods.

 

I like MSM and HA for joint and arthritis issues. I also feed duck, chicken, and turkey necks, they have a LOT of cartilage in them.

[juliepoudrier]

I've been known to put senior (14-16) dogs on puppy food, but not on senior food.

 

I agree, 6 is NOT old. My main working dogs will be 9 in a few months and they're still quite capable of doing the work I reguire. By the time they're 13 or 14, I'll consider them "older." That said, Twist is 13.5. I refuse to think of her as old, even though she's grouchy and arthritic....

 

J.

[mum24dog]

A dog is only old when it starts acting old. Same as humans.

 

I can't believe that anyone would think a collie was verging on old at 6.

[Root Beer]

I consider 6 - 8 to be the prime of life for my dogs!! And then I don't really consider them old until they start to act it.

 

I also have never used a senior dog food. I did transition my old Sammie over to a full raw diet when he was about 12.

[Ttiffany20191]

I think the confusion comes with calling 6 old because dog food companies say 7 is senior..yes, I know..lol marketing but I think it confuses people.

[border_collie_crazy]

Like everyone else said...never. Happy is 14.5, her diet has been altered but it has nothing to do with age, she has Kidney Disease, just stage 1, so nothing major yet but she's on been banned from kibble, 100% raw only is vets orders(she only ate kibble a few times a week granted) through trial and error I have found the "mix" that works best for her, which IS different from my younger dogs, but again, she has Kidney Disease so that have an effect on what she does her best on.