Dietary Guidelines for Senior Dogs

Why do dogs need to change to a senior dog diet when they get older? Wu Yiru said at the outset, because the body of the old dog will gradually weaken, if there is no dietary adjustments, the organs may degenerate or fail faster in the long term; if there are chronic diseases, it will also be more difficult to control.

Aging makes the dog’s metabolism slow down and body organs degenerate, so the diet naturally needs to be changed to meet the physiological needs; what’s more, when the dog suffers from the common diseases of old dogs, such as diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, heart disease, arthritis, etc., the #dog needs to adjust the diet to slow down the deterioration of the disease.

The signs of aging are all too common in #dogs!

The timing of a dog’s aging varies depending on breed, size, and lifestyle, with large dogs becoming seniors earlier and small dogs later. When the dog is about 6 or 7 years old, the owner should start to pay attention to the signs of aging!

Signs of aging that owners can observe from the outside:

Clouding of the eyes: Old dogs’ eyes may look cloudy due to nuclear sclerosis or cataracts in the crystals of the eyes.

Lack of teeth: old dogs often have periodontal disease or tooth loss, owners may find that their dogs’ eating speed slows down, their appetite deteriorates, or the feed falls out of their mouths when they eat.

Dull coat color: The coat of an old dog will become less shiny, and in dark-colored old dogs, whitening of the coat can be clearly observed.

Decreased mobility: Older dogs sleep longer and are less active.

Loss of weight: Chronic illnesses, oral problems leading to loss of appetite, or joint degeneration leading to hypermuscularity are some of the factors that can cause an old dog to lose weight in an unhealthy way!

In addition to appearance, there are many physical changes that occur in older dogs:

Digestive system: Older dogs have slower gastrointestinal motility and fewer gastrointestinal bacteria, which can lead to indigestion, constipation, or flatulence.

Brain deterioration: Due to the oxidizing effect on the brain, some old dogs may develop cognitive impairment, also known as Alzheimer’s disease. Owners may notice a decrease in their dog’s reflexes, forgetfulness of past actions, behavioral changes, and changes in bowel habits.

Heart problems: When dogs have heart problems, they may cough, wheeze easily, lose mobility and become lethargic. For example, some small dog breeds are prone to heart valve degeneration as they age.

Decreased kidney function: With different degrees of kidney failure, old dogs may show symptoms such as decreased appetite, thirst, nausea and vomiting.

Endocrine problems: A common problem in old dogs is atrophy of the thyroid gland. This can lead to decreased mobility, lethargy, dark spots due to melanin deposits, loss of coat luster, and even symmetrical hair loss on both sides of the body.

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