To see your dog aging can be heart aching. However, you should be brave to understand that aging is not a disease but can make him vulnerable to diseases.

This is where you need to foresee some scenarios, especially his diet patterns and act smart to ensure that your beloved pooch stays longer with you.

Small dogs have higher expectancy than larger breeds. Statistically, you should consider changing the diet plan of smaller dogs at the age of 10 years and a larger breed from five years.

This blog post will feature what you should be feeding your senior dog, which will help you save some money, time and on top of all, more quality time with your four-legged friend.

Stomach problems

Older dogs tend to have a sensitive stomach. This is where changing the diet can become an additional challenge. With diarrhea and constipation on the cards, you need to extra careful when changing the diet of your dog.

Avoid fat and bone dominated diets as they tend to take time or not digest at all. It is ideal to introduce a fiber-rich diet. This is where something like psyllium husks or ispaghula can be a good choice.

Diets rich in ispaghula help normal bowel moments in addition to preventing hemorrhoids and anal fissures.  

Teeth problems

If your dog seems to be struggling with teeth problems, the first step is to get him examined by a veterinarian.

A veterinarian can recommend the ideal diet for your dog based on his health statistics and age. You can also resort to diets like Royal Canin dental diet which can help your dog to maintain a healthy mouth.

Look for any additives that can be added to water or any watery diet, which can help to mouth bacterial in your senior dog.

Additives like citric acid are ideal when it comes to eliminating calculus (hard material tagged to teeth) formation on teeth.

Kidney disease

Dogs over seven years are more vulnerable to kidney disease. Kidney disease is also one of the common factors that lead to non-accidental deaths in dogs.

It is ideal to avoid or drastically reduce all forms of food that has salt in it. Consider this even while you are preparing a homemade diet for your dog.

Also, note that your senior dog’s digestive system can also find it difficult to digest or absorb an excessive amount of protein. Keep your dog’s protein intake under control after consulting with a veterinarian.

Weight

Senior dogs can tend to be a bit lazy. On the contrary, their metabolism also slows down, which makes them highly vulnerable to obesity.

Obesity can be a bigger concern as it can make way to other chronic diseases affecting the heart and skeletal structure of your dog. Avoid all the fatty food including bones at any cost. Even if you are providing your dog with some fatty food, ensure that he is taken for a short walk on a regular basis.

Taking care of your older dog can be challenging. Stick to the basics and always think ahead to ensure that your pooch has a happy and healthy life throughout this period.