Study Reveals Owners Are Confused About Senior Dog Food

Dog Food For Seniors

As dog owners, we want to keep our dogs around as long as possible. But as one study on senior dog food reveals, many dog owners are confused about what type of senior dog food to give their pets.

According to a study published by veterinary nutritionists at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, how people perceive senior dog foods is quite different than the actual nutritional content of the food.

For example, most of the survey respondents felt that senior dog foods likely contained fewer calories. However, calories in the senior foods studied ranged from 246 to 408 calories/cup. While some dogs gain weight as they age, others lose weight. This means that the large range in calories might prove problematic for owners of older dogs, said Lisa Freeman, D.V.M., Ph.D., who worked on the study with Dana Hutchinson, D.V.M.

The researchers polled more than 1,300 people online about their perceptions about foods marketed for old dogs. Their responses were correlated with the actual nutritional content of almost 40 commercially available “senior” dog foods.

About 43 percent of respondents fed their dogs a senior diet, but only one-third of them did so on the advice of a veterinarian. In addition, about 84.5 percent felt that senior dogs have different nutritional needs compared to adult dogs.

The study also revealed that most respondents believed that senior dog foods likely contained less fat, protein and sodium.

“If an owner, for example, had a senior dog with heart disease, they might be inclined to feed them a senior food, thinking that it had less sodium,” Dr. Freeman said. “Instead, they might replace a diet that had a perfectly acceptable amount of sodium for one that is considerably higher.”

The study illustrates a great deal of confusion in the marketplace, Freeman said. It’s important for owners to be aware that every senior diet is different, and it may or may not be appropriate for an individual dog, depending upon his or her body condition and health, she added.

The researchers noted that the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and National Research Council have not set official dietary requirements for aging dogs. As such, foods marketed for “longevity” and “maturity” or “senior,” “old” or “mature” dogs do not have to adhere to a standard nutrition profile beyond the AAFCO nutrient profile minimums for adult dogs.

Hutchinson and Freeman are continuing their research to help determine optimal nutritional levels for aging dogs.

Story By Elaine Furst For Dog Files

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Laura
12 years ago

This article said a whole lot of nothing. “It’s important for owners to be aware that every senior diet is different, and it may or may not be appropriate for an individual dog, depending upon his or her body condition and health, she added.”

Senior dog food is just another marketing campaign for dog food manufacturers. Sure, they might advertise that they provide proper nutrients like glucosamine and chondroitin for ailing joints, but the amounts are so trivial, that they do not help the dog.

Laura
12 years ago

This article said a whole lot of nothing. “It’s important for owners to be aware that every senior diet is different, and it may or may not be appropriate for an individual dog, depending upon his or her body condition and health, she added.”

Senior dog food is just another marketing campaign for dog food manufacturers. Sure, they might advertise that they provide proper nutrients like glucosamine and chondroitin for ailing joints, but the amounts are so trivial, that they do not help the dog.

Dasher's Window To Wellness

Really like how the article mentions that all senior dogs have different needs. Because AAFCO has not set official requirements for pet food, I personally would never feed any of my dogs a commercial diet or prescription diet. Many mainstream pet foods have very similar ingredients so there aren’t too many out there that acknowledge the unique needs of each dog. I want my dogs to thrive & have the highest quality of life which means they’re gonna’ have all their nutritional needs met (which in my opinion, will never be met through commercial diet). Just because a dog is a “senior” dog doesn’t mean their quality of life has to diminish. If people looked beyond the fancy labeling & take control of their pet’s health, they would have a better idea on what their “senior’ dog needs. Well written article, thanks!

Lynnie M.
12 years ago

As a veterinary technician with a particular interest in canine nutrition, what owners need to do is discuss their senior’s specific needs with their vet, then find a brand of food that uses the best quality ingredients and makes ‘tested’ foods, not formulated diets. There are commercial brands available that are excellent senior diets – the trick is knowing how to read the food labels in general, and this is something that even some professionals don’t know how to do, correctly. AAFCO may not have set standards for a specific “senior” diet, but using their standards for adult and growth diets an educated owner should be able to find which senior pet food is best for their pet to keep them at optimum health as they age. A good suggestion would be to look into which companies voluntarily do food trails before releasing a diet, then looking at how they do their ingredient control and grading. I definitely agree though. For pet owners in general, and not just senior pet owners, finding an appropriate food can be very confusing.

Lianne
Lianne
12 years ago

My dog is eight years old,she is a mongrel about the same height as a staffie and over weight.I have fed her on bakers complete and tripe or chicken most of her adult life (hence her now being over weight).I love my dog dearly and was wondering if any one on this site would be able to give me some advice as to what i can feed her now to make her lose weight and stay healthy.She also suffers from arthritis.She does not take to canned food and i am pulling my hair out trying to find a diet that she likes that is healthy…

Jasper
Jasper
12 years ago

Lianne, try Doctor Karen Becker on fb. Lots of good food advice.

Mcinnesp
Mcinnesp
12 years ago

Lianne: My dog is almost nine. He is a German Shepherd/Australian Shepherd x who has pre-existing arthritis in his left shoulder. He has been on Orijen for quite a while, mixed with 1 tbsp of wet to mix up his proteins. While he still gets Orijen for supper, we feed him raw for breakfast with a fish oil supplement for his joints, skin and coat and a supplement to address his arthritis which has Cetyl Myristoleate, Glucosamine and MSM.

Because of his age, we decided to introduce raw to him slowly. We chose Nature’s Variety because it is a complete diet that includes 95% meat, organs and bone and 5% veggies and fruit. He’s had carbs all his life, so didn’t want to deny them now.

Eventually, we hope to give him raw for supper too to see how he does. He’s doing great with the half and half, but we think he’ll do even better later.

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