In order to select the best senior dog food, you must understand your pet’s unique needs. While factors like dental health, joint support, and weight management are typically top priorities when selecting food for an aging dog, there’s one aspect that is often overlooked: preserving lean muscle mass. Dogs, like humans, suffer from sarcopenia, or muscle loss as they age, so protein intake for healthy senior dogs without dietary restrictions is important.
Although protein alone cannot entirely prevent the natural loss of muscle mass that comes with aging, it plays a significant role. Therefore, I have compiled a list of the best senior dog food options from reputable brands that prioritize protein content. However, it’s crucial to consult your veterinarian to discuss your pet’s individual needs before making any dietary changes.
Selecting the Best Senior Dog Food
1. consult with your vet
Selecting the right food for your senior dog is a crucial first step, as each dog’s nutritional requirements can vary greatly. Several factors should be considered before choosing a diet, including lab results (such as kidney and liver function), body condition score, muscle condition score, dental health (can your dog comfortably chew dry food?), fiber content (does your dog require less fiber for improved digestibility?), sodium content (is your dog dealing with a heart condition?), and fat content, among others.
Your veterinarian might recommend a specially formulated diet for your senior pet. It is possible that your veterinarian might refer you to a board-certified nutrition specialist or collaborate with a nutrition service like Balance It (endorsed for healthy pets by Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine).
2. Ingredients
When choosing food for senior dogs, prioritize animal protein sources over plant-based ones. According to Dr. Joseph J. Wakshlag, Chief of Nutrition at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, animal protein provides a better amino acid profile for dogs compared to plant protein. The fiber content of animal protein makes it more digestible than plant proteins, which becomes increasingly important as a dog ages. Generally, dietary fiber can reduce a dog’s ability to digest and absorb certain amino acids.
Another critical consideration is dietary fat. As dogs age, they tend to accumulate more body fat. Overweight dogs or those with reduced activity levels may benefit from switching to foods with reduced fat content.
3. Dry vs wet food
Dry food has the advantage that tartar does not build up on the teeth compared to wet food. However, dogs that suffer from toothaches or do not have enough teeth to chew comfortably may swallow the grains whole, thereby avoiding the chewing process altogether. Proper chewing is essential for digesting food.
On the other hand, wet food is best for dogs with dental problems, such as dogs with few or no teeth left. Additionally, wet food has a high water content, which helps keep them hydrated. Whether your older dog needs wet food, a combination of wet and dry food, or dry food with water should be determined based on individual needs.
When analyzing the protein, fat, and fiber percentages listed on wet food labels, the “as-fed” values do not directly match the values listed on dry dog food labels due to differences in moisture content. It is important to note that. You can convert these percentages to dry matter using an online calculator. Dry matter represents the nutrient content when all water is removed. However, dry dog food still contains water, usually up to 14%. Some fresh pet food products provide both “as fed” and “dry matter” values on their website, while others do not. Comparing wet and dry food is easy by looking at the calories per cup. However, if your pet requires specific amounts of protein, fat, and fiber for medical reasons, this may not be enough. Your veterinarian can help you make an informed decision by examining pet food labels.
Here are our top selections for the best senior dog foods.
1. Best wet dog food for senior dogs: Nom Nom Turkey Fare
Nom Nom is a relatively new company in the dog food industry, having been founded in 2014. The company specializes in providing four carefully crafted recipes for dogs, prepared with the utmost care. Suitable for all life stages, these recipes are carefully crafted by board-certified veterinarians with expertise in nutrition. Nom Nom’s products are available in frozen format and can be easily purchased through a subscription service or in-store at PetSmart.
What sets Nom Nom apart from many other dog foods is that it does not contain certain ingredients. Notably, her recipe does not include peas, chickpeas, lentils, or dried beans. These ingredients are currently under scrutiny due to a possible link to canine dietary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a type of heart disease. This careful approach highlights Nom Nom’s commitment to prioritizing the health and well-being of our dogs.
Also, Nom Nom recipes do not use potatoes or sweet potatoes. Although these ingredients are less of a concern than legumes, they still need to be evaluated to determine their potential effects on your dog’s health. By eliminating these ingredients, Nom Nom is proactively addressing new nutritional challenges in the pet food industry.
Specifications:
- First five ingredients: Turkey, brown rice, eggs, carrots, spinach
- Flavors: Beef Mash, Chicken Cuisine, Pork Potluck, Turkey Fare
- Estimated calories: 168 kcal per cup
- Crude protein (min): 10%
- Crude fat (min): 5%
- Crude fiber (max.): 1%
- Packaging size: Sizes are customized for each pet
- Price at publish: Prices vary depending on custom orders, but can be quoted.
2. Best dry dog food for senior dogs: Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Senior
While some of Blue Buffalo’s senior dog products fall short in terms of the protein levels needed for a senior dog’s overall health, this particular product does a good job of meeting those needs. It stands out. The special thing is to consciously avoid potentially annoying legumes such as peas, lentils, chickpeas and dried beans. Instead, they contain ingredients like chicken, oatmeal, and brown rice, which are not only rich in protein, but also provide important nutrients essential to your senior dog’s health. This thoughtful formulation highlights Blue His Buffalo’s commitment to providing high-quality nutrition tailored to the unique needs of older dogs.
Specifications:
- First five ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, dried chicken, oatmeal, barley
- Flavors: Chicken, Beef (but this one also contains chicken)
- Estimated calories: 390 kcal per cup
- Crude protein (min): 30%
- Crude fat (min): 12%
- Crude fiber (max.): 7%
- Packaging size: 13, 24 and 28 pound bags
- Price at publish: $47 per 13-lb. bag, $67 per 24-lb. bag, $80 per 28-lb. bag
3. Best senior dog food for small breeds: Wellness CORE Small Breed Digestive Health Chicken & Brown Rice
One thing to note about many senior dog foods is that they tend to be low in fat, which is generally an advantage. However, protein content is often insufficient, typically between 18% and 23% in dry foods, which is not ideal. Personally, I prefer a senior dog food with a higher protein content, ideally around 30-32%, as recommended by the doctor. Wakshlag recommends it for maintaining the overall health of senior dogs.
Several premium his dry foods designed for “every life stage” meet this optimal protein level, including Earthborn, Zignature, and Solid Gold. However, these foods often have a higher fat content, around 17% to 18%, and are not suitable for all seniors. The exception to this is Wellness CORE’s “All Life Stages” food. This was originally created for small adult dogs and is surprisingly perfect for my protein preferences. Additionally, this food is rich in nutrients that positively impact gut health, skin and coat care, and joint support.
Specifications:
- First five ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice, oat groats
- Flavors: Chicken & Brown Rice
- Estimated calories: 424 kcal per cup
- Crude protein (min): 34%
- Crude fat (min): 14%
- Crude fiber (max.): 4%
- Packaging size: 4 and 12 pound bags
- Price at publish: $19 per 4-lb. bag, $38 per 12-lb. bag
4. Best large breed senior dog food: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Healthy Weight with Chicken
Dr. Wakshlag emphasizes protein content as an important factor when choosing food for senior dogs. Although some senior dog foods are low in protein, he doesn’t necessarily recommend switching to a senior dog food. For older large dogs, consider Blue He Breed Buffalo Wilderness Large, an adult dog maintenance food containing 28% protein, 9-12% fat, plus additional joint support with glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega-3 fatty acids He suggests doing so. It is important to consult your veterinarian to determine if this diet is appropriate for your healthy older large dog. However, depending on your dog’s specific needs, this diet may not provide enough joint support. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you if additional joint health supplements are needed.
Specifications:
- First five ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, dried chicken, oatmeal, barley
- Flavors: Chicken
- Estimated calories: 347 kcal per cup
- Crude protein (min): 28%
- Crude fat (min): 9%
- Crude fat (max): 12% (most foods don’t list a max but this one does.)
- Crude fiber (max.): 10%
- Packaging size: 28 pound bag
- Price at publish: $86
5. Best senior dog food for weight loss: Solid Gold Fit & Fabulous Weight Control with Alaskan Pollack
This diet is designed for older dogs and provides a low-calorie option for dogs that are less active or need to lose a few pounds. It contains a variety of nutrients from ingredients such as pollock, carrots, blueberries, and salmon oil, making it an attractive option for dogs who love seafood.
Specifications:
- First five ingredients: Pollock, pollock meal, pea fiber, pearled barley, brown rice
- Flavors: Alaskan Pollock or Chicken & Sweet Potato
- Estimated calories: 330 kcal per cup
- Crude protein (min): 26%
- Crude fat (min): 6.5%
- Crude fat (max): 9.5%
- Crude fiber (max.): 10%
- Packaging size: 4 and 24 pound bag
- Price at publish: $22 per 4-lb. bag, $73 per 24-lb. bag
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