Best dry dog food for seniors
Typically, you might consider a senior dog food around age 6 or 7 for a large breed, and around 10 or 12 for a small, says Richardson. The right food for a senior dog depends on the specific senior and how theyre doing, says Shepherd. If theyre maintaining a healthy weight and muscle tone, their stool is well-formed, and theyre enjoying their food, you may not even need to change their diet.
That said, there are lots of dog foods tailored specifically to the needs of older dogs who may have certain health issues. “Senior diets are formulated to target some of the common ailments of older pets, such as joint health, digestive health, immune health, and possibly others,” says Swanson.
Senior dog food is usually easier to digest and may be lower in calories since older dogs arent always as active. Food for senior dogs may be higher in protein to help maintain their muscle, fiber to help them stay regular, and extra antioxidants to limit oxidative stress and keep their immune system healthy. You may also see omega-3 fatty acids for cognitive performance because some senior dogs suffer from cognitive dysfunction, aka “doggy dementia.”
For older dogs, a bit of extra protein is a plus. As long as your dog doesnt have any health conditions, look for a senior dog food thats lower in fat and calories and has extra protein beyond the AAFCO minimum of 18%.
Our senior dog food picks are protein packed and have nutritional boosters that can support an older dogs changing needs.
Best wet dog food for seniors
Wet foods offer a tasty option for senior dogs to continue receiving complete and balanced nutrition in their golden years and have several specific benefits for this age group. For example, senior dogs with advanced dental disease will have an easier time chewing and swallowing wet food than kibble.
Wet foods high moisture content is good for senior dogs with urinary stones. “If a senior dog has recurring urinary stones, maximizing water intake by soaking kibble or replacing kibble with wet food may be ideal,” says Dr. Shepherd. The extra water intake will encourage urination, which helps reduce the risk of stone formation.
Wet foods strong flavor and aroma can stimulate appetite in senior dogs that may feel lousy from a chronic illness, such as chronic kidney disease.
Shepherd advises dog owners to consider calorie count when feeding wet food to senior dogs. One cup of wet food has fewer calories than one cup of kibble, meaning that your dog would need to eat more wet food to maintain the proper calorie and nutrient intake. Fat content is also worth considering. “Compared with dry food, canned food tends to be higher in fat,” she adds. Not all senior dogs can tolerate a high-fat diet.
You may see various age designations on senior dog wet food labels, such as “mature adult,” “adult 7+,” or “senior.” As long as the food meets the AAFCO standards for maintenance (minimum 18% protein and 5.5% fat), it will be nutritionally appropriate for your senior dog.
The wet foods that we selected for senior dogs meet AAFCO standards for maintenance and contain additional nutrients to help senior dogs maintain good overall health.
Our picks for senior wet dog food:
This food lists chicken as its main protein source, with pork liver as an additional animal-based protein source. Barley, whole grain corn, and corn gluten meal provide the food’s carbohydrates. Other ingredients include vitamins C and E, which have antioxidant properties and support immune health, and various minerals to support heart and kidney function. It contains 22% protein, 15% fat, and 2% fiber. Each 13 oz. can contains 375 kcal, or about 29 calories per ounce.
This food contains protein sources of chicken broth, chicken, and whitefish. Carbohydrate sources include barley, bran, and sweet potatoes. Flaxseed provides an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C, zinc, and cobalt round out the ingredient list. A 12.5 oz can contains 36% protein, 18% fat, 4% fiber, and 379 kcal, or about 30 calories per ounce.
This food contains chicken, chicken broth, and chicken liver as its protein sources. Brown rice and barley provide whole grain sources of carbohydrates. Other healthy ingredients include flaxseed, blueberries, and cranberries. A 12.5 oz. can contains 40% protein, 28% fat, 1% fiber and 396 kcals, or about 32 calories per ounce. Given this food’s relatively high fat content, it may not be appropriate for senior dogs that cannot tolerate a high-fat diet.
Over the course of our decades of writing and editing for pet and veterinary publications, weve interviewed many veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists. Weve also had the chance to feed our own dogs lots of different brands and types of foods.
Its important to note that our veterinary experts didnt specifically endorse any of the products in this guide. When you think about it, this makes sense, since most veterinarians agree that the best food for each individual dog will vary based on a variety of factors. So, to make picks for this guide, we consulted four veterinarians, including a board certified veterinary nutritionist and a professor of animal and nutrition science, on what qualities to look for in a healthy dog food and what to avoid. From there, we used the information gathered to guide our selections.
Every food in this guide is complete and balanced according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines, contains high-quality ingredients, and offers the right levels of protein, fat, and fiber for their respective categories.
What is the best food I can feed my dog?
Theres no end-all-be-all, best dog food ever. Thats because every dog is different. Some dogs may do better with more protein or fat and some with less. Dogs handle amounts of fiber differently too. Its also important to find a food your dog enjoys eating, which can take some trial and error. According to Shepherd, youll know youre feeding your dog a food thats right for them, when they maintain a healthy weight (meaning their body condition score is a 4 or 5, and they have a normal muscle condition score); have formed stool thats easy to pick up, but not so firm that theyre having a hard time pooping; arent vomiting between meals; have healthy skin and coat (meaning they dont have dry, flaky skin); and are growing appropriately if theyre a puppy. Other signs of good health, Osborne says, include clear eyes and nose, ears that arent smelly, and bowel movements that are homogeneous, meaning they dont have little undigested pieces of food in them.
If a dog food says its “human-grade,” that means the finished food is processed, handled, stored, and transported according to the manufacturing practices for human foods. This process needs to be meticulously documented, and the label should clearly mention the food is for dogs. In his years of experience, Swanson has tested a few human-grade pet foods in his lab. “While I dont have a strong preference to any one type or brand of diet, I can say that the human-grade foods I have had experience with are highly palatable, highly digestible, and resulted in a low volume of stool that allowed for easy clean up,” he says.