Taking care of senior pets needs a lot of attention. Dogs go through final process, which is aging. Read and get to know more about aging in dogs: can it be recognized from the beginning. Make sure you know the signs of aging in dogs.

Through the process of aging, you will surely need to pay attention to every single thing you give them, specifically the food you feed them. There are some nutrients that are needed by senior pets, such as dogs. Moreover, there are even some types of food that should be avoided by them.

Senior dogs are easily exposed to diseases. That’s why every food you feed them should be nutritious for them.

If you have senior dogs at home, then make sure you read about these essential nutrients for your senior dogs you should pay attention to.

Amount of Calories a Senior Dog Should Consume

Senior dogs tend to have less activities than the young ones. Moreover, the metabolic rate in their bodies also change so that fewer calories are burned. If they take more calories, then it will be stored as fat. As a result, they might be overweight.

There’s a recent study showing that senior or mature dogs need 20 percent less calories than the younger ones to maintain their weight. Instead of feeding your senior dogs food with great amount of calories and fat, you’d better feed them food that is rich in amino acids.

It can be found in red meats, fish, chicken and dairy products. These types of food will help the body use the fat for energy.

However, it is not as simple as that. Older or senior dogs are mostly thin as they stop gaining weight and losing weight instead. While they are losing weight, they will need more calories. Regarding to the amount of calories needed for your senior dog, consult it with your vet.

Don’t Limit the Protein Intake

Protein is essential for senior dogs. While there are bad impacts of excessive proteins for senior dogs, indeed the fact is protein is beneficial for fueling the muscles. Senior dogs tend to lose their muscle mass. As a result, if the loss of muscle mass is too much, the dog may not be able to walk unassisted.

Senior dogs need around 50% more protein than the younger ones to maintain the mass of their muscles. Unfortunately, the diets programmed for adult dogs don’t provide sufficient protein. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention recommends around 28 to 32 percent protein on a dry-matter basis for maintaining healthy older dogs.

Eliminate Fiber

Some diet designed for senior dogs commonly adds levels of fiber along with fewer calories. This way will be helpful for weight loss. However, senior dogs don’t have to lose weight.

Moreover, fiber can also decrease the intake of some essential nutrients. For instance, cellulose-based fibers, which are poorly fermented can decrease the digestibility of other nutrients in the food.

However, fiber is also good for senior dogs, in a moderate amount that is consulted with vet first. Fiber also helps relieve constipation, which is one of the problems in senior dogs.

That is why fiber becomes one of the essential nutrients your pets should have. Before deciding to give fiber to your dog, you’d better consult with your vet.

Supplements are Needed

Senior dogs might need some supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin. These supplements will be beneficial for combating osteoarthritis. However, there is no certain proof about the effectiveness of these two supplements.

Osteoarthritis is one of the harmful effects of obesity in your pets. That’s why it is important to keep your senior dog well-shaped. If you have an overweight dog, see these ways to lose your overweight adult dog.

Besides these two supplements, omega-3 fatty acids are also needed. These omega-3 fatty acids are also beneficial for combating osteoarthritis and cognitive losses.

You can consider giving this in the range of 700 to 1,500 mg. Start at the low end and cut back if your dog experiences diarrhea or vomiting. Beware of these foods that cause diarrhea in dogs.

Palatable Food

Practical aspect of feeding your senior dog should be considered too. Dental problems might make your dog difficult to chew the food. If your dog suffers from dental problems, then your dog should be treated first.

If it seems impossible to treat it, you may wet the food or feed canned and soft food instead. If you wish to have dry food, consider feeding a small kibble size.

Very old dogs may lose their appetite, so warming the food might be one of the ways to stimulate their appetite. Waiting your dogs until they’re hungry won’t work since senior dogs’ mechanism may not be working correctly.