Pros/Cons of Senior Dog Food?

[CWNSF]

I have 3 dogs - a Bernese Mountain Dog (2yo) and 2 Basset Hounds (a 5yo and a ~8+?yo). Right now I have them all on the same food, Purina Pro Plan Savor Lamb and Rice, which they seem to be doing well with. Shiny coats, good weight, good energy etc.

Should I switch the older guy to a senior food? I see the there’s a Pro Plan “Bright Mind” line for dogs 7+. He’s doing well on his current food and I like the convenience of them being on the same kibble but I wonder if he’s missing out on something? He also gets a Cosequin supplement, if that makes a difference.

[Jarpur]

My vet (of whom I have a very high opinion) is not a fan of senior diets, speaking generally of the class. He told me that most of them restrict calories, in the theory that older dogs are less active and may be obese, and he feels that is not necessarily the best thing for the oldsters. His recommendation was to stay with high quality “regular” dog food.

I did personally try feeding Bright Minds; I noticed my (already naturally sharp) elderly dog did seem to “brighten up” a bit, eventually, while on it. But, after several months, I was not happy with coat and condition, so I changed foods.

[CWNSF]

Thanks @Jarpur ! That makes sense regarding the calorie restriction. We keep all of our dogs at a good weight but especially watch the bassets’ weights as they each have their own variety of joint issues.

[SonnysMom]

I have never bothered with a senior food. My Eskimo dog lived to be 17+ years old. My first retired foxhound to be 15 years old. My current lab is 11 years old and going strong. The lab get glucosamine/condroitin since he has elbow displysia. I feed a good quality food but have not bothered with senior.

We keep them in good weight by how much we feed. The lab gets only a little bit of kibble and to make him think he is getting more food he gets frozen vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and mostly green beans. Although recently I accidently picked up a bag of frozen brussel sprouts from Costco. Yup he eats them too.

Current foxhound thinks all vegetables are poison and leaves them in the bowl or spits them on the floor. The last one would eat all of those vegetables.

[GoodTimes]

This is a good overview of senior food. They bring up a good point that there are huge variations. If you can identify an issue or potential issue that your dog may have, you may be able to find a senior food that could address it better than the current diet.

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/03/when-should-i-switch-my-pet-to-a-senior-diet/

Purina makes some claims that should be taken with a grain of salt.

https://www.purina.com/articles/senior-dog/nutrition/feeding-older-dogs

[Pep_n_Ann]

I don’t use senior dog food. My last dog lived to 14 1/2 on Diamond beef and rice. He was a super active herding mutt and didn’t really slow down till 12 yrs old or so. I currently have a 13 yr old little mutt on Taste of the Wild lamb, along with my 5 yr old hound mutt. Both dog’s are doing very well. Good coats and lots of energy.

[CWNSF]

Wow @SonnysMom - that’s funny about the vegetables! My young basset wouldn’t touch them, the Berner might eat them under duress but I’m pretty positive the older basset would inhale them. He’s really not fussy about food, in fact, his favorite thing to do is steal empty toilet paper rolls and eat them

Thanks for all the thoughts guys! It sounds like keeping him on his current food is probably the way to go.

[stb]

The Purina Bright Minds food is an excellent food with some really good research behind it. I have breeder friends who engage in dog sports and most of them put their senior dogs on this food and swear by the results. I put my senior Labrador Retrievers on it with great results.

I think your vet has a bit of an outdated idea about senior dog food. 20 years ago I would have agreed with him, but not now.

Having said this, the ProPlan your dogs are currently eating is a really good food too. You probably can’t go wrong either way. The benefit to the Bright Minds is for cognition. There is a bit of glucosamine included but not enough to be therapeutic, so you would still want to continue the Cosaquin.

You could give the Bright Minds a try and see if you see a difference. I saw cognitive changes in my dog in about two weeks. It was like turning the clock back. It’s good stuff.