Adapting a Dog’s Diet as They Grow Older

As any animal gets older its dietary needs will change. There are all sorts of reasons for this, there might be novel medical conditions which arise and generally the body will undergo changes, maintaining a healthy weight can be more challenging, for example.

Whilst it is very easy for a human to communicate how they are feeling as they age, obviously a dog will not be able to do this. Therefore, it is very important for you and your vet to keep a close eye on your pet’s health, adapting their pet food accordingly.

Obviously the nutritional requirement for a puppy will be radically different to a fully grown dog. When puppies are born they undergo very fast development and this requires a lot of nutrition. All dogs require five basic things from their diet: fatty acids, protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals, and so any good pet food should contain these.

It is possible to get pet food that is targeted to the specific age of your pet. So, bearing in mind that an older animal might have a medical condition such as arthritis, you can get pet food specially formulated for senior dogs.

It’s also important to point out that because there is immense diversity between different breeds of dogs, especially in terms of their size, you can also get food that is formulated for larger or smaller animals.