Recommendations for quality senior dog food that wont break the bank...

[cswoodlandfairy]

I have two dogs at home. One is a 5yr GSD that recently had to get on her own brand due to stomach gastrointestinal issues. So she has her own food, treats, pre/pro biotics etc. We are spending quite a fortune on it all but it seems so far to be working for her system (Yay as we have had many explosive moments when we came home from work in her kennel…)

My second dog is a Border Collie mix who is what the vet guesses to be 11/12 in age. (adopted her from the local SPCA). Before we switched the GSD to her own everything they shared food. The brand that they were both collectively on before the switch is not something my BC needs to be on. Being that we will now be feeding separate dog food I am looking for recommendations on quality dry food for a senior dog that wont break the bank. She’s a bit overweight but not terrible and does have some arthritis in her hind legs.

In doing some research I had decided to pick the Purina ONE Smartblend Vibrant Maturity 7+ Senior Dog but with their brand all over the news with Benefuls I don’t think that’s the one I want to go for, even though the reviews seem great. So does anyone have any suggestions?

[SlabSided]

An otherwise healthy dog does not need “senior” food. Just pick a good quality food and, if the dog is overweight, feed them less.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ is a good place to start. I personally wouldn’t feed anything below a 3-star food. If you are cost conscious, Kirkland (Costco) offers a good kibble.

[Canaqua]

You don’t actually need a senior specific dog food. People used to think that senior dogs needed less protein, but they don’t, they actually need MORE to maintain their muscle. Our 18 year old ACD eats, and always has, regular, adult, dog food. The senior stuff is just a marketing gimmick, IMO.

If you want to keep the cost down and still get a decent dry food, try the warehouse stores. The “Berkely and Jenson” store brand at BJ’s and the “Kirkland” store brand at Costco are good dog foods…waaayy better than Purina.

[LadyBug]

I feed one of my dogs Whole Earth Farms (made by the Merrick but branded differently), which I think gets a 4 or 4.5 star rating on dogfoodadvisor.com. It’s around $40 for a 30lb bag, which I think is reasonable for good quality kibble. Petco sells it. PetSmart does not.

It isn’t specific for senior dogs, but you could supplement with a Cosequin or Dasuquin type product if she has some arthritis issues.

[Nezzy]

yes check dogfoodadvisor.

[drawstraws]

Another vote for the Kirkland brand if you’re a Costco member. A 50 lb bag is just under $30 and it’s rated fairly high on dog food advisor.

[wendy]

You should actively avoid the “senior” dog foods- most of them are based on the old myth that senior dogs need less protein than younger dogs. In actual fact, senior dogs need more protein than than younger dogs- switching an older dog to a reduced-protein “senior” food will take a year or two off your dog’s life. The only good senior food I’ve ever seen is Orijen’s senior food, and it’s not exactly cheap.

Try any good meat-based food with 27% or higher protein. Look on Dogfoodadvisor at the 4 and 5 star foods.

If you are short on funds look at Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete- $35 for 50 pounds, simple easy to digest chicken and rice formula, and it has the protein and fat that senior dogs need.
Also look at the 4Health brand if you have a Tractor Supply near you.

whatever you do, don’t pick Purina ONE Smartblend Vibrant Maturity 7+ Senior Dog - dogfoodadvisor gives it a whopping one star. It’s a truly awful, incredibly unhealthy food. It has NO meat in it at all.

[shayaalliard]

Another vote for Grain Free 4-Health. It’s not the best food on the market, but it’s not bad and is definitely the best food for the price. I pay about 37.00 for a big bag vs 55 for the same stuff packaged as Taste of The Wild

[pezk]

No need for a senior food. I’ve never fed any of my dogs a senior food just a good quality grain free reg dog food. Why do you think you need a senior food?

[vacation1]

From what I’ve read, the two big benefits of senior foods is lower calories - good for controlling the weight problems in many older dogs - and glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate, joint supplements thought to help slow down or prevent arthritis. However, both these benefits can be gotten in other ways (I recommend getting supplements from the vet and feeding separately), so you’re not tied to a senior food.

I tend to be slightly skeptical about the dog food arguments, being old enough to remember when the current WORST FOOD IN THE WORLD OMG!!! was The Food That Cured My Dog’s Cancer And Gave Him Great Poop. But there are some horrible foods out there, and Beneful freaked me out since my dog projectile-vomited it after her first and only meal of it.