Feeding your ageing dog
As he ages, your dog moves around less, but he still needs quality protein to hold on to his muscle. In practice: slightly fewer calories, digestible protein, fresh water always available, and a meal that's easy to eat if his mouth is fragile.
Why his needs change
A dog enters his “senior” years in the last quarter of his life expectancy: that's the benchmark used by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). In practice, it comes early for a big dog, often around 6 or 7, and later for a small one, more like 9 or 10. His body changes, and his bowl has to follow. The trap is believing that “old” means “less protein”: it's the opposite. He moves less, so he needs fewer calories, but because he loses muscle with age, he needs quality protein.
You can't stop your dog getting older, but you can adjust his bowl. Here's what changes, and why.
Ease off
Protect, even boost
These pointers give you a direction, they don't replace a tailor-made diet. Kidneys, heart, excess weight, diabetes: a medical diet is calculated by your vet, never guessed at.
Adapting the bowl
These simple moves make his meals easier.
Split it into two or three meals
Smaller portions go down better than one big meal, especially when digestion is slowing down.
Soften the food with water, or warm it
A splash of warm water softens kibble and wakes up the smells: precious for a dog with a sensitive mouth or a smaller appetite.
Weigh, then adjust to his shape
Kitchen scales avoid the drift of eyeballing it, which usually means overestimating; then adjust to his shape.
Put water in several places
Several stable bowls around the house, a fountain if running water tempts him, a bottle on walks: a senior should be able to drink without effort.
A raised bowl can relieve a small or medium dog whose neck hurts when he lowers his head. But in a large dog, a study published in 2000 linked raised bowls to a higher risk of stomach twisting. More recent work hasn't found that link: to be on the safe side, keep his bowl on the floor and slow his eating down.
When he eats less well
He gulps his food or chews on one side only
- Soften his food with water, or offer a more tender texture.
- Have his mouth checked: in an old dog, a loose or lost tooth is never “just age”, it's pain that needs treating.
- Breath that starts to smell bad is often the very first sign.
He's been turning his nose up at his bowl lately
- Warm or moisten his food: that often brings back the appetite of a fussy dog.
- Stick with the same food rather than adding cheese or salmon: he'd quickly learn to hold out for something better.
- An appetite that keeps dropping is a signal, not a whim: dental pain, nausea linked to the kidneys, a lump, or cognitive decline (his ageing brain losing its bearings).
He's losing weight even though he's eating
- If he's losing weight without you meaning him to, that's a signal not to let slide.
- A senior mainly loses muscle: help him rebuild it, not put on fat.
- See your vet before “fattening him up”: an illness isn't cured by filling his bowl.
- Kealy et al. — Effects of diet restriction on life span and osteoarthritis (cohort of 48 Labradors, Purina study) (2002)
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee — Body Condition Score and nutritional needs of the dog
- AAHA — Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats (2023)
- Niemiec et al. — WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines (2020)
- Glickman et al. — Risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large-breed dogs (2000)
Going further
Frequently asked questions
Why has my older dog stopped eating his kibble?
In a senior dog, a falling appetite is a signal, not a whim: a painful mouth, nausea linked to the kidneys, cognitive decline, or simply a duller sense of smell with age that makes the bowl less appealing. Warm his food or soften it with water: it'll be more tempting. If it settles in, talk to your vet, and resist the urge to raise the stakes with cheese.
What can I feed an old dog with no teeth?
First of all, a dog doesn't lose his teeth “because he's old”: it's almost always a gum infection, and it needs treating. In the meantime, soften his kibble into a warm mash, or switch to a complete and balanced wet food, with your vet's agreement. No fatty table scraps.
Which kibble for a senior dog?
There's no miracle brand: aim for quality, digestible protein, calories that match a lower energy output, and judge by his body, ribs you can feel under your fingers and a clear waist. Senior kibble doesn't mean “less protein”. If there's kidney disease, heart disease or excess weight, your vet is the one who chooses the diet.
At what age is a dog a senior?
It mostly depends on his size: a large or giant dog becomes a senior early, often around 6 or 7, a small one more like 9 or 10. The benchmark that counts is the last quarter of his estimated life expectancy.
My old dog drinks a lot, is that normal?
A senior dog who starts drinking and urinating noticeably more is never something to shrug off: it can point towards the kidneys, diabetes or Cushing's, a hormonal imbalance that causes thirst. Tell your vet quickly. And never take the water away to make him urinate less.
Should you give an old dog less protein?
No, not by default. A senior loses muscle, and quality protein helps him hold on to it. Cutting back (for the kidneys, for instance) is decided with your vet, case by case, never as a reflex just because he's old.
Updated on Sources
Read nextNext in this pathArthritis and mobility: keeping my dog comfortableReadLoading your progress…