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From Good Dog! Magazine by Debbie Eldredge, DVM As far back as 1977, special diets were being formulated for older dogs. Are those diets really necessary and what should be in them? There's no simple answer. First, we have to ask, what is an older dog? If you go strictly by calendar age, there are differences between large and small dogs. Many small dogs aren't considered older until 10 years of age or more, while a giant breed may reach that designation at age 5 or 6. Then, too, some dogs are still fit and active at 12 or more, while others are dedicated couch potatoes by age 7. The term "geriatric" is now being used primarily for older dogs who show signs of aging -- either clinically or in blood testing. We often think of liver, kidney and heart problems as a result of simple aging and wear and tear on the body. Older dogs tend to be about as efficient as younger dogs at digesting food. But they may need fewer calories due to less lean body mass (muscle) and a lower activity rate. (Interestingly, older cats often require more food to maintain good body weight.) Some older dogs also tend to drop weight instead of gain it and may need higher powered foods than the standard senior products. Senior dogs without any health problems can handle the usual amounts of protein, though they may be better off with a higher biological value protein (meaning the protein is more easily used by the body -- eggs have very high biological value). Now, if Fido has a kidney or liver problem, that may require some special dietary adjustments. So, where do you go from here? No easy answers of course. For an older dog, I would first recommend a physical exam and some screening blood work to rule out any developing health problems. If Fido's healthy, but overweight, a regular senior diet with slightly lower caloric density makes sense. The less weight those older bones and joints have to carry around the better. This should, of course, be combined with moderate, sensible exercise. If Fido's healthy and his weight is good, I'd keep him on the "regular" diet. This is probably an active, fit dog and he'll need the extra nutrition. If his activity level goes down and his weight tends to go up, a switch to a good quality senior food may be in order. An older dog who's losing weight is probably less metabolically efficient (this is the situation with many of the older cats). This pet could use one of the newer, more nutrient-dense, highly digestible, senior pet foods that are coming on the market. Again, you don't want Fido getting chubby, but you do want him to maintain his normal weight. The dog who is older and has health problems -- noted either clinically or even just on a blood screening, will often do best on a therapeutic diet tailored to his problem. This you need to discuss with your veterinarian. So, no easy answers are there? My Kuvasz, Bubba, is 6-1/2 years old. For a giant breed, this is getting on in years. He's quite healthy and fairly active despite some arthritis. I'll be doing a blood screening in the next month or two -- checking all his potential health problems including a T4 for his thyroid. (Many veterinary laboratories offer great discounts on a senior pet panel; check with your vet.) Bubba's quite trim, and right now he's doing well on a regular super-premium diet. If anything is amiss on his blood profile, I'll definitely adjust his diet as needed. That can help keep him healthy and alive even longer, and it's a very simple health care change to make (much easier to change diets with dogs than cats!). We want to keep our beloved big guy around as long as possible! From Good Dog! Magazine Order your Good Dog! Online Subscription NOW and get 6 issues for $12!
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