Once dogs hit their senior years, a change in lifestyle automatically follows. As responsible dog owners, you have to make sure that your older dog gets the right kind of food, exercise, and accommodations to guarantee continued good health. More often than not, this starts with the right diet. For many, raw dog food recipes is the answer.
When are Dogs Seniors?
Dogs reach seniority in different years of their life. The rule is that smaller dogs have longer life spans, which means that small breeds become seniors around the 11th year of its life. Large breeds usually hit seniority at 8 years while medium-sized dogs become geriatric at 10 years. As your dog approaches this age, they will start to lose much of their energy. They may have blurry vision, experience arthritis, have weaker jaw strength, and start gaining more white hairs.
It’s best to pay close attention to your dog in order to properly figure out if they’re already in their older years. You will soon notice some changes in the dog’s temperament such as weaker energy, more frequent sleeping, decreased appetite, and slow movements. Fresh dog food platforms offer customized meals for all life stages, so you might consider this if you are a busy pet parent. Not quite sure of the differences, see our raw vs fresh dog food comparison.
Why Raw Food for Seniors?
Pet owners usually switch to raw feeding when their dogs hit its seniors years. This is because raw dog food diet tend to have more enzymes that contribute to the dog’s overall health. In many cases, when you make your own dog food, it is open to customization which is perfect if you have a senior dog with dietary problems. With homemade dog food recipes, you can add or take out certain ingredients from the dog’s raw diet while still maintaining excellent health.
Homemade Raw Dog Food Recipes for Seniors
If homemade dog food already sounds tricky to you, there are fresh dog food delivery services that can customize meals for your pup—even raw food, like those offered by We Feed Raw. These are delivered straight to your door so all you need to do id put it in your dog’s bowl.
Raw food diet for seniors is largely similarly to feeding adults. Hence, the senior raw recipes you find for adult dogs can also be used. However, there are key differences or slight changes you need to do, such as:
- You need to make the dog’s food more digestible. This means using a food processor or introducing thick gravy into the mix for easier chewing. Older dogs may have a hard time digesting the food so serving ground turkey, ground beef, ground chicken necks, beef stew meat, or ground pork is preferable to large chunks of meat.
- Give food with high fiber content in the form of cooked sweet potato, brown rice, green beans, carrots, kale, and berries. This will further help with digestion and give your dog solid poops.
- Supplement your dog’s diet with essential fatty acids, olive oil, bone meal, vegetable oil, or fish oil. Omega-3 fatty acids in particular have been shown to help with joint and inflammation problems [1].
- Older dogs tend to eat less because they’ve lost some of their appetite. Raw meat can help stimulate the hunger pangs and keep your dog motivated for food. Exposing the meal to medium heat before serving can also warm up the food and stimulate the smell to make it more palatable.
- Make sure the dog is properly hydrated at all times. An advantage of making your own raw dog food is that you’re introducing water through the food itself. This helps meet the dog’s daily hydration needs.
- Aside from homemade food, bone meal to chew on every week can help promote their dental health. This should help clean the teeth and keep your dog’s gums in perfect health. Note though that if your dog already suffers from dental problems, offering bone meals may not be a good idea.
Note that raw dog food can start at any life stage of your pup’s life. Even a puppy or adult dogs can start eating raw meaty bones as part of their balanced diet. Switching early from dry dog food to fresh food can help prevent possible problems in your dog’s health. You know what they say about prevention being better than cure? Well, the same is true when it comes to dogs.
Beginner Recipe – Beef and Chicken Neck
Here’s a recipe you can try out with your senior dog:
- 2 lbs lean beef
- 1 lb beef liver
- 1 lb beef heart
- 3 lbs skinless chicken neck
- 1 lb chicken heart
- 10 eggs, pasteurized
- 12 oz mixed berries
- 8 oz kale
- 8 oz dandelion greens
- 8 oz broccoli
- 3 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp geen lipped mussel powder
- 0.5 tsp himalayan salt
Prepare by grinding all the meat ingredients and combining them in one bowl. Take the eggs and puree it together with all the other ingredients. Now carefully mix all of them together and then divide into portions, depending on the size of your dog. Freeze the rest for future servings, making sure it is completely thawed before each meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is raw food good for senior dogs?
Yes. Raw dog food is actually good for dogs of any life stage, provided that it’s made with AAFCO standards in mind. When creating your own recipe or following one online, make sure to check it against the gold standard on dog good essential components. This way, you can make sure that your dog gets the nutrition he needs.
Unfortunately, there is currently no AAFCO profile specifically for seniors. However, you can follow the adult guidelines and simply tweak it to complement your pet’s needs. Done correctly, raw meals can make it easier to maintain the dog’s ideal weight, support digestion, and keep the pooch at peak health.
What is the healthiest homemade dog food for senior dogs?
The healthiest pet food recipes are the ones approved by your vet, especially if your pet has pre-existing health conditions. If feeding raw meals, make sure you’re getting the recipe from reputable sources, as well as the ingredients you use for the homemade food. A well-rounded meal composed of quality protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals is the best way to go.
How much raw food should I feed my senior dog?
The amount of food you give depends on the dog’s body weight. Ideally, daily meals should be equal to 2 or 3 percent of your dog’s weight. So if your dog weighs 30 pounds, then you should be giving him at least 0.6 pounds worth of food.
Note though that seniors are usually less active than adult dogs so their calorie consumption is lesser. As a result, you want to pay attention to his servings and keep it minimal at just 1.5 or 2 percent.
How do I start my senior dog on a raw diet?
If you typically serve dry food, switching to a raw diet is actually kinder to your dog because organ meat takes less jaw power to eat. However, you can’t just perform a 100 percent switch overnight.
It should be done gradually by replacing 25 percent of the dry meal with ground beef, muscle meat, or any other protein you want. Do this for a week before upping the amount by 25 percent each week. Observe your dog during this time to make sure there are no adverse reaction.
