Older Dog Diet and Weight

1 My dog is overweight. What's the best way to help him lose weight and stay fit?

3 My Maltese is 17 years old and has eaten only dry food his whole life. He has only a few teeth left. Will crushing/soaking his dry food lose any nutritional value or should I switch to canned food?

4 Will it affect a 10 year old dog to eat dog food instead of a senior dog food?

5 Why does Senior have 28% protein, when older dogs are meant to consume less protein (to avoid stress on kidneys)?

7 What type of food is better for a 7 year old dog? Regular or something like lamb and rice? She is a 60 pound Husky.

8 How many times a day should you feed a senior dog?

9 My Yorkie is 15 years old and in good health. He is on the Purina ONE Lamb and Rice Formula. Would he benefit health wise to be on the Purina One Senior Protection Formula?

10 My vet said my 15 yr old dog should be on a restricted protein diet. Does Purina ONE make something like this? Thanks!

12 Does Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula have glucosamine in it?

13 Is there any benefit to switching our 8 year old Chihuahua's food to one of the so-called "premium foods".

15 My dog is 13 years old and weighs 102 lbs. I know she is over weight. What dog food do you recommend, and how much food per day should I feed her?

16 I have 2 Yorkshire Terriers; 9 & 10 years old. They've always been on Purina ONE. They're less active now and gaining weight. I was wondering if I should change their dog food?

1 My dog is overweight. What's the best way to help him lose weight and stay fit? Like people, dogs become overweight if they take in more calories than they burn! Do keep in mind that obesity could be caused by any number of metabolic diseases so please have your pet checked out by your veterinarian before you make any changes in diet or activity. To help your dog lose weight, carefully regulate the amount of food that he is fed daily. You also might want to try a lower fat diet to reduce the number of calories that he consumes. Remember to count treats as part of his daily calorie allotment. In addition, you can help him lose weight by starting an exercise program of daily walks.
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2 I have a 13-year-old male Boykin Spaniel that has lost weight as he has gotten older. He is still active and I have had tests run for liver and kidney functions (normal for his age). What can I do to build more body mass? He eats what I consider an appropriate amount of food but he doesn't have a huge appetite. Thanks Older animals are not as efficient in the digestion and utilization of nutrients as younger dogs. Your dog may benefit from a diet designed for the older pet. The protein levels are higher, the food is enriched with antioxidants and vitamins and designed to help an older pet maintain weight and health. If you have not had any tests run that assess endocrine function, you might want to consider a return visit to your veterinarian to determine if diabetes, hypothyroidism or poor adrenal function may be contributing to the weight loss.
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3 My Maltese is 17 years old and has eaten only dry food his whole life. He has only a few teeth left. Will crushing/soaking his dry food lose any nutritional value or should I switch to canned food? First, how wonderful that you have shared your life with your pet for 17 years! Moistening or crushing his food will not affect the nutritional content. However if you wet it be sure not to let it sit for too long. Whatever he does not eat should probably be discarded after a few hours.
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4 Will it affect a 10 year old dog to eat dog food instead of a senior dog food? One of the advantages to eating a senior diet is that it is especially formulated for the nutritional needs of older pets. There is good research evidence that a diet rich in antioxidants can help fight the stress of aging. Many dogs also suffer from arthritis in their joints. A senior diet such as Purina One Senior Protection formula also has additives to help support joint health. Feeding your dog a good quality senior diet may help prolong their life.
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5 Why does Senior have 28% protein, when older dogs are meant to consume less protein (to avoid stress on kidneys)? The role of protein intake in the senior dog is more complicated than first thought and recommendations vary. Some researchers feel that with the decline in lean body mass seen in aging animals and the alterations in protein synthesis that the protein intake in older animals should be higher than that of younger dogs. Adequate protein intake and high quality protein is also necessary for a healthy immune system. In healthy animals, high protein intake has not been shown to contribute to kidney disease. If kidney function is impaired, protein levels may play a role in the progression of kidney disease. Therefore dogs that have been diagnosed with renal disease may need a specialized diet. In general, healthy senior dogs do not need protein restriction and may benefit from higher protein levels in their food.
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6 I have been feeding my 12 yr old 78 lb standard Poodle the reduced calorie Purina ONE turkey based formula. He is slowing down and tends to put on weight. I see Purina has changed the formula. Should I feed the senior formula brand or the weight management formula? I feed Purina ONE mixed with Burger type soft food. Since your dog is getting older, I would suggest you consider Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula. If you do switch diets, it should be done slowly over at least one week. Start by mixing a small amount of the new diet with the old diet. Over the course of the week, if no intestinal upset has been seen, slowly increase the amount of the new diet until he is eating his entire meal of the new food. As for monitoring his weight, I would suggest feeding him a bit less to begin with to see if his weight stabilizes. Also keep in mind that the addition of the burger type food is adding in extra calories, which he may not need.
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7 What type of food is better for a 7 year old dog? Regular or something like lamb and rice? She is a 60 pound Husky. At seven years of age, your Husky is entering into her senior years. As a dog ages they need a diet that is rich in antioxidants, has high quality protein and is easily digestible. Now might be a good time to switch to Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula. Whenever you switch from one dog food to another you should do so slowly over about a week. On a daily basis gradually add in increasing amounts of the new diet as you decrease the amount of the old diet. If diarrhea or vomiting should occur, please contact your veterinarian.
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8 How many times a day should you feed a senior dog? While many dogs are used to eating once a day, I feel that feeding twice daily can be useful. First, it allows you to determine if the dog is well and you can easily watch their intake. Secondly, two smaller meals often help to keep dogs satiated longer and therefore less likely to beg and steal food. Finally, you may want to consider feeding your senior dog a food especially formulated for a senior dog.
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9 My Yorkie is 15 years old and in good health. He is on the Purina ONE Lamb and Rice Formula. Would he benefit health wise to be on the Purina One Senior Protection Formula? Recent research on older dogs has shown that they do benefit from a diet high in antioxidants. It also is known that older dogs benefit from nutritional support for health joints. Purina ONE Senior Protection formula is designed to address both those needs of older dogs. If you decide to switch him to Senior Protection Formula, be sure to do so slowly by gradually replacing his current diet with the new one over one week's time. As you do so, watch for signs of gastrointestinal upset. If these occur, please contact your veterinarian.
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10 My vet said my 15 yr old dog should be on a restricted protein diet. Does Purina ONE make something like this? Thanks! There is controversy about the protein recommendations for older dogs. Some nutritionists suggest an increased protein intake to counter the alterations in protein synthesis and turnover that occurs in older dogs. Others suggest that protein intake be reduced due to the increased likelihood of renal changes in older dogs. Reduced protein intake in the early stages of renal disease may help some dogs and is generally recommended and can be provided with a specialty prescription diet. Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula is designed to meet the complete nutritional needs of older dogs but is not protein restricted.
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11 Dr. Horwitz, my dog, Lucky is an 11-year-old lab mix. Last week I took her to the vet to have a growth examined. She weighed in at 88 lbs. I think this is the heaviest she has ever been. Yesterday she had the growth removed and I discussed her weight with my vet. I told him that we currently feed her Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula. He said that this is a good choice. When I asked him how much and how often she should be fed, he told me that someone at Purina would be more qualified to answer this question. I would really appreciate your opinion since I know that an overweight dog may not live as long and I want to keep her alive and comfortable as long as possible. You are smart to want to watch your senior dog's weight. Lean dogs have been shown to live longer than their heavier counterparts. Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula is a good choice for your Labrador mix. A dog that weighs 50-75 pounds would eat 2 1/2 to 3 1/3 cups a day. A dog weighing 76-100 pounds would eat 3 1/3 to 4 cups a day. If your dog is overweight, you could start by measuring the amount you are feeding her now and decreasing that by 1/4 to 1/3 and see if she will begin to lose weight.
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12 Does Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula have glucosamine in it? Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula contains natural sources of glucosamine to help maintain joint health and mobility. Designed for dogs seven years old and older, the formula provides complete and balanced nutrition, with antioxidants to help fight the stresses of aging. Keeping your senior dog in lean body condition is a good way to maintain a long and healthy life and Senior Protection Formula is designed to help with that goal.
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13 Is there any benefit to switching our 8 year old Chihuahua's food to one of the so-called "premium foods". Purina ONE diets are nutritionally complete and meet all the needs of your dog. Now that your Chihuahua is 8 years old you might want to consider feeding her Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula. This diet is specifically designed for dogs 7 years and older and is rich in antioxidants and supports joint health.
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14 I have two Bichons - Desi is 10 yrs. old and is at her ideal weight. She is very active. I have been feeding her Purina ONE Chicken Formula her whole life. Daphne is 11 yrs old and is not as active. She has been on the reduced calorie Purina ONE Formula her whole life to help control her weight. Is it time to switch them both to The Senior Formula? Will it have too many calories for Daphne? Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula is designed to meet the needs of dogs over 7 years of age. The diet has antioxidants to help fight the stresses of aging and also supports joint health. Purina ONE Healthy Weight Management diet has 335 Kcal/cup and Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula had 375 Kcal/cup. In order to keep both dogs at their healthy weight you will need to control the amount they eat on a daily basis. When switching diets remember to do so slowly, gradually adding in the new food as you decrease the amount of the old food. You should take 7-10 days to make the switch.
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15 My dog is 13 years old and weighs 102 lbs. I know she is over weight. What dog food do you recommend, and how much food per day should I feed her? Dogs will become overweight when they take in more calories than they utilize through exercise and activity. Since your dog is older, she might do well on Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula which is formulated to meet the needs of dogs 7 years and older. To help her lose weight, measure out the daily amount she should eat each day and offer it to her split between two meals. It also might help to try and increase her exercise with a short daily walk.
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16 I have 2 Yorkshire Terriers; 9 & 10 years old. They've always been on Purina ONE. They're less active now and gaining weight. I was wondering if I should change their dog food? As dogs age they often have different nutritional needs. Since your dogs are now in their senior years they may benefit from a food such as Purina ONE Senior Protection Formula. Be sure to switch slowly from one formula to another, taking about 7-10 days to fully change over to a new diet. Measuring their food will also help prevent over feeding and obesity.
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