If we really are what we eat, so too are our pets and any responsible and committed pet owner will want to ensure that their furbaby is getting the best possible nutrition at all stages of their life. Many people who are fairly new to pet ownership don’t realize that, like our own, our pet’s nutritional requirements change throughout their lifetime. When they are young, certain combinations of ingredients are needed to help animals grow and develop properly. As adults, they need the right nutrition to keep them healthy and active, and as your pet enters her senior years, she will need her diet adjusted again to reflect her advanced age.
To help reassure you that you are giving your senior pet the appropriate diet for her age, here are our top tips for the nutrition and supplements that she needs to ensure she can live out the rest of her years as healthy, active and happy as possible.
When is a pet classed as being ‘senior’?
One of the most important things to remember is that our animals become senior much earlier than we might expect. This is because they have a shorter lifespan which means that their bodies age faster than our own. This also means that age-related decline, which humans don’t often see until they reach their 50s or 60s occurs much earlier in animals. Exactly when your pet will reach her senior years will depend on her species and breed, but typically cats are around 9 while large dog breeds can be 7 or 8, while small dog breeds, which live longer, are usually around 9 too.
You must take into account any pre-existing health problems
The older your pet is, the more likely she is to have some pre-existing health problems. These could range from mild issues such as a touch of arthritis to something more significant like diabetes or heart or kidney problems. Nutrition has been found to play a key role in the management and treatment of specific health conditions and your veterinarian may recommend that your pet follows a diet based around this. For example, diabetic pets are usually recommended to follow a meat-based, high protein diet that is moderately restricted in the amount of fat and carbohydrates given.
You need to watch your senior pet’s weight
Weight management doesn’t stop once your pet reaches her senior years – far from it. Obesity is the leading cause of the development of many health problems, and so it is vital that your pet maintains a steady weight at all stages of her life. However, since their body is starting to deteriorate and she is almost certainly less active than she once was, you will need to make some adjustments to her diet to ensure that she doesn’t put weight on. This is one of the most important things that you can do to keep your furbaby healthy regardless of her age.
You may need to adjust the texture of her food too
Dental problems aren’t just for humans and your pet may experience tooth pain and loss as she gets older, both of which can make it harder for her to eat. Some owners who notice that their pet is struggling with raw meats or biscuits decide to switch to a predominantly soft diet.
Ask your vet for advice on the right supplements for your pet
There are some nutritional needs that can’t always be met by food alone. However, your vet may recommend that your pet takes supplements to ensure that they are receiving the optimal amount of the vitamins, minerals and other goods needed to stay healthy. For example, if your pet is suffering from joint problems, a daily supplement of glucosamine and chondroitin can help manage their condition. Some owners also like to feed an additional vitamin/mineral supplement if their pet isn’t eating a full balanced diet, or extra antioxidants to help boost their pet’s immunity to illness.
If you would like advice about what to feed your senior pet, or you aren’t sure if your furbaby would benefit from supplements to her usual diet, please don’t hesitate to contact us and get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable veterinary team.
