It’s always important to give your dog good food. Senior dogs have, just as humans do, some changed needs that appear when they get older. For example, they need a little higher protein intake and more easily gain weight. In this article, we will explain this a little more and give you our 11 tips on what we consider the best dog food for senior dogs.
Read more: Are you having a new furry family member and are looking for the best dog food for puppies? Read this article.
What you should look for when you choose
There are many different options on the market, some better than others. Whether you are looking for a wet food or a dry food for your dog, you should always look at the ingredients-list first and see if it is high in protein and low in calories. Senior dogs need protein to maintain healthy and lean muscle mass and often gain weight more easily because of a decreased metabolism, which makes low-calorie food an important factor for their health.
Older dogs also need minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. You should look for food that has glucosamine, omega fatty acids and chondroitin to ensure your dog gets what it needs to be able to grow old without unnecessary problems that can be caused by not getting the nutrients in properly.
We also recommend you consider the price when looking at food for your senior dog. If you want high-quality dog food, you often need to pay more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you HAVE to. Look at the ingredient list and the price and then compare a few to get a broader picture.
Depending on who you ask, the opinion of what really is the best dry dog food for senior dogs or the best soft dog food for senior dogs can be different. What we have been looking for is a high-quality protein source as the first ingredient, that it has vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients and that it is a low-calorie food.
There are also what people would consider the best senior dog food for small breeds and the best large breed senior dog food, but we decided to present our list in general for senior dogs and not connected to any specific groups or breeds.
Our tips in closer detail
1. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Senior Wet Food
Information: Is this the best canned senior dog food? This is a wet food that contains high-quality chicken, vitamins and minerals, and wholesome whole grains that your senior dog needs. It has no artificial flavors or preservatives and real chicken is the first ingredient. In our opinion, this is the best-wet dog food for senior dogs.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Peas & Brown Rice.
Type of food: Grain-inclusive wet food.
Calories: 396 kcals per can.
Senior Wet Food for Dogs
2. Canidae Grain Free PURE Senior
Information: Canidae PURE delivers a clean recipe with high-quality protein and good, healthy fats for your senior dog. This formula contains less than 10 key ingredients which makes it easy to see if your dog will be able to eat it if it has any allergies or a sensitive stomach. If you are looking for a pure food, this is a good alternative and is one of the best dry dog food for seniors.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas & Peas.
Type of food: Grain-free dry food.
Calories: 409 kcal per cup.
Grain Free dog food
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3. Diamond Naturals Senior Dog
Information: Diamond Naturals Senior Dog is a dry dog food with high-quality ingredients and contains protein and fats that your aging dog needs. It has probiotics and good fiber for digestion, chondroitin, and glucosamine for the joints, and also superfoods and other antioxidants.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Ground White Rice & Egg.
Type of food: Grain-inclusive dry food.
Calories: 347 kcal per cup.
Grain-inclusive dry food
4. Halo Holistic Grain-Free Senior Dog
Information: This dry food has real, whole turkey as the first ingredient and is made in the US. Halo Holistic has high-quality ingredients to ensure good digestion and nutrition and does not contain any artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors. You also get DHA, fiber, and superfoods.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Turkey, Dried Chickpeas, Dried Lentils, Dried Peas, Dried Egg Product & Turkey Liver.
Type of food: Grain-free dry food.
Calories: 387 kcal per cup.
Dog Dry food
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5. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Senior 7+
Information: This senior dog food is easy to digest for your dog and supports your dog’s activity levels and energy throughout the day. It contains high-quality protein, minerals to support the heart and kidneys, and omega-6 and E-vitamin to help the coat and skin.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken Meal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Wheat & Whole Grain Corn.
Type of food: Grain-inclusive dry food.
Calories: 353 kcal per cup.
Diet Adult Senior Dog Food
6. IAMS Proactive Health, Healthy Senior
Information: IAMS Proactive Health, Healthy Senior is a dry dog food that was created specifically for the needs of an aging dog. The first ingredient is real chicken that provides high-quality protein and has a formula that supports the bones and joints. It also has antioxidants to boost the immune system and fiber and probiotics for digestion.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum & Dried Plain Beet Pulp.
Type of food: Grain-inclusive dry food.
Calories: 350 kcal per cup.
Healthy Senior Dog Food
7. Nutro Ultra Senior
Information: Nutro Ultra Senior has a trio of proteins from chicken, lamb, and salmon. It’s called the superfood plate because it contains a blend of 15 superfoods such as chia-seeds, blueberries, and kale. Nutro Ultra gives your senior dog a balanced diet with good nutrients and amazing taste.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Brown Rice & Whole Grain Barley.
Type of food: Grain-inclusive dry food.
Calories: 316 kcal per cup.
Grain-inclusive dry food
8. ORIJEN Senior
Information: This recipe is crafted to keep your senior dog healthy with lean muscles and weight maintenance. It contains 85% of high-quality animal ingredients, healthy fats and protein and the freeze-dried liver gives a delicious taste.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken, Turkey, Flounder, Whole Mackerel, Turkey Giblets, Chicken Liver & Eggs.
Type of food: Grain-free dry food.
Calories: 417 kcal per cup.
Orijen Grain-free dry food
9. Petcurean GO! Solutions Carnivore Senior
Information: Petcurean GO! Solutions Carnivore Senior has a recipe with maximum meat protein to support muscles and digestion for aging dogs. It is made specifically for meat loving dogs and fits even the picky eaters.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Salmon Meal, Deboned Chicken, Deboned Turkey & debonated trout.
Type of food: Grain-free dry food.
Calories: 394 kcal per cup.
Senior dog food
10. Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind 7+
Information: This dry dog food for seniors intends to boost mental sharpness and alertness. Chicken is the first ingredient and contains nutrients that support the brain, such as DHA, EPA, antioxidants and E-vitamin and also probiotics for both digestion and the immune system.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken, Poultry By-Product Meal, Rice, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal & Whole Grain Wheat.
Type of food: Grain-inclusive dry food.
Calories: 423 kcal per cup.
dry dog food for senior dogs
11. Wellness CORE Senior
Information: Wellness Core Senior has a recipe with added chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine and hydrochloride for the joints and hips. It also has omega fatty acids, vitamins and minerals for the fur and skin. The recipe is made based specifically on the philosophy of the nutritional needs of dogs and ensures that your dog gets what it needs and that makes it one of the best dog food for seniors.
The first 6 ingredients on the list: Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Lentils, Dried Ground Potatoes, Peas & Turkey Meal.
Type of food: Grain-free dry food.
Calories: 375 kcal per cup.
Core Senior dry food
Read more: Do you want to know more about the best dog food brands? Read here.
Frequently asked questions
1. At what age is my dog senior?
It depends on the breed of your dog. Small dogs age more slowly than bigger dogs and are considered seniors at around 11 years of age, if speaking generally. Medium sized breeds are seniors at around 10 years, large breeds at 8 years and giant breeds at 7 years.
2. Do I have to feed my senior dog food made for seniors?
You may continue feeding your senior dog regular dog food for adults, but there are many benefits of switching to a senior dog-diet. Older dogs for example need more protein to maintain a healthy amount of muscle mass and other nutrients such as omega-3 and glucosamine to keep mobility in the joints.
3. How much should I feed my senior dog?
This depends on the breed of your dog. We recommend you look at the feeding-guide on the bag that the food comes in. There you can see what the brand recommends for specifically this type of food. If you are unsure, contact your vet or your breeder for more information.
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