Senior dogs are generally considered to be dogs that are over the age of 7 to 10 years, depending on the life expectancy of the specific breed. Many senior dogs are naturally very active and healthy but typically they are much less active than they were at the age of two to five years when considered in their prime. Adjusting the food of a senior dog to a slightly lower protein, lower fat diet can help with weight gain that may occur with decreasing exercise and athletic levels. In addition many senior dogs start to have more digestive problems and health issues, so making your own dog food can allow you to simply and effectively adjust ingredients to meet your dog’s specific needs.

It is important to not focus in as much on your dog’s actual age but rather his or her energy and physical activity level as well as overall health. Many older dogs can do very well on the traditional kibble or homemade diet they have always consumed, just cut down on the actual ration size per meal. You may also want to add slightly more vegetables and whole grains to your typical homemade diet to boost up fiber levels while still keeping the food basically the same.

One element of the senior dog’s diet that can increase is the fiber content, which will help with regular bowel movements. Higher fiber also helps the dog feel full even though the protein content is decreased slightly from what they are used to consuming. This will be particularly important if the dog is experiencing any type of kidney problems where digesting high protein levels will make the situation worse. Adult dog food has about 22% protein while a good quality senior food needs to be closer to 18% for healthy dogs and 14% for those with kidney problems.

Senior dogs still benefit from natural protein sources, especially to get calcium, vitamins and minerals. Good meaty bones that are safe for the dog to chew on are a great idea and will help keep the jaw and neck muscles strong. They will also continue to scrape the teeth and help prevent early tooth loss and gum problems common in senior dogs not provided bones. Senior dogs that are not eating home made food may need the food pureed or softened further with warm water, chicken stock, beef stock of the water from canned tuna.

To a basic homemade food that can include shredded lean meats such as chicken, beef, pork, fish or turkey add your usual whole grain such as brown rice, millet or whole barley. Generally the portions should be 2/3 protein to a maximum of 1/3 grain, vegetables and fruit. Add small amounts of steamed chopped broccoli, kale, spinach, carrot, green beans and even small amounts of apple. Some dogs will benefit from a vitamin and mineral supplement added to the food however this is not always necessary if the senior dog is still eating a good balanced healthy meal. Dogs on raw food diets need to be carefully monitored to ensure they are actually eating the food and not having problems with chewing or digestion.

Author Bio: Article by Kelly Perry, check out Petflow for Natural Balance dog food online!

Category: Pets
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