Home / Gaia Toast / Dietary Needs for Senior Pets - An Easy Guide
These faithful companions of ours deserve some attention to their nutritional needs.
For healthy dogs and cats, there are generally 3 stages for nutritional requirements:
Puppy/kitten stage (The first year)
Adult stage
Senior stage
Nutritional requirements differ for each stage. Your pet's metabolism rate will also change with age.
If your pet has special conditions, e.g. obesity or life-long diseases, do consult your vet or come to Gaia for a more comprehensive assessment.
This article addresses diets for healthy senior dogs and cats.
Healthy senior dogs in particular need more proteins than at the adult stage, to maintain muscle mass and organ function.
For calorie intake, the amount of carbohydrates is dependent on their activity level. Highly active seniors will consume more calories. On the other hand, pet owners should reduce calorie intake for sedantry senior pets to maintain a healthy weight.
Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to help with osteoarthritis, which is common in senior dogs.
Just like us, quality and quantity are inseparable when it comes to a balanced diet. For example, quality of proteins will impact quantity. You can feed a smaller amount of quality proteins and still get the same nutritional value as large amounts of low quality proteins.
High-quality proteins for dogs and cats = proteins derived from animal sources e.g. meats (poultry, fish, beef etc.) and even eggs. These are sources of essential amino acids which your pets cannot manufacture themselves.
It’s not uncommon that senior dogs and cats have trouble digesting complex proteins. As such, diets with hydrolysed proteins may be a better choice. Antioxidants are also beneficial for senior pets to boost their immunity level. If you buy dry or canned food for your pets, check the label.
For senior pets, as long as you can keep them within the healthy weight range with the diet, you are doing well. Not sure if your pet is too fat or skinny? Check the chart here for dogs and here for cats.
The best thing you can do for your pet is to consult a vet.
Here’s why. Vets assess all the factors that impact your pet’s nutritional needs to make the most informed recommendation for you. Key factors they look at include breed/genetics, life stage, medical history, dental conditions, activity level and weight. They are also updated on new research findings on pet nutrition. This helps to correct confusing advice or myths floating around on the internet.
