# Healthy and YUMMY senior dog food



## BlackAce (Apr 18, 2013)

So we have two family dogs, both of which I grew up with and obviously they both still live with my parents. The "puppies" are getting up there in age, Lexi is 10, however she acts like she's 8 weeks old still  

Jasper is showing his age a lot more these days seeing as how we just celebrated his 15th birthday!! The problem is that he has always, always, always been a picky eater. He only will eat a select few doggy treats, almost no table scraps...which is pretty cute and quirky  In his old age this has become a problem though because he is starting to refuse his dog food, and it's hard to get him to try any new food. Heck, it's hard to get him to eat plain rice and chicken that my mom specially prepares for him. He is also blind, and we think pretty hard of hearing. The vet ha just told us to soak his current senior food with water, but he doesn't really approve of that. 

I know this is in part due to his advanced age  (it's so hard to watch your puppies get old) but does anybody have any suggestions as to senior dog food that is nutritionally complete that even a picky eater would enjoy? Thanks bunches!

Also a picture of him enjoying a nice, relaxing summer day. My handsome boy has aged very gracefully


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

I have a couple ideas. Science diet like you get at the vet is generally not good all the time but for older dogs who generally have issues with weight, and for those who refuse everything, it can be a great thing. The canned food is like crack and they usually like the dry pretty well to. It would be worth talking to your vet about which kind would be best as they make diffrent kinds. Also canned pumpkin puree mixed with their dry food, dogs tend to love it and it's gentle on their stomechs. We did the pumpkin with our lab when she refused to eat due to illness, and it helped her keep eating till she got to sick.


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## BlackAce (Apr 18, 2013)

Thanks for the suggestions. I also wondered about the canned foods, they've never been on them but our other dog, Lexi, has the opposite problem. She loooooves any and every food. Because of this they don't eat the same food, she's on a diet while we want Jasper to gain weight because he's steadily losing weight. I'll have to tell my mom about the canned food, because her one hesitation was that it would difficult for him to digest but I had thought that it would be the opposite. It's just become difficult to feed them now because Lexi eats everything in sight instantly while Jasper is a grazer and likes to eat throughout the day. So we have to watch the food bowls and yell at her if she gets too close to his bowl. But thank you we appreciate it, I'm passing this on to my mom!


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Okay, what kinds of things DOES he eat? Anything he'll never refuse? Do you have any price restrictions (ie: family on a budget, don't want to pay x amount, will pay up to x amount, etc)? Have you talked to your vet about things that could be causing him to be picky? 

Have you tried refrigerated or pre-prepared raw foods? Primal, Nature's Variety, etc 

What brand is your current kibble? While I never suggest Science Diet, sometimes theres only so much you can do. If its the only thing he'll eat, at least hes eating. What brands have you tried? 

The pet food business is steadily growing every day. I've worked in a few pet stores and my current job is at a locally owned shop that only carries all-natural and "holistic" foods. There are SO MANY brands out there now! Compared to just 10 or 20 years ago. Once upon a time dog food was dog food. Now, its just as insane as people food.


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## BlackAce (Apr 18, 2013)

Well right now he's on the senior diet from blue buffalo. It's still hard being separated from him, but my parents are very understanding and give me updates everyday  however, we live in a pretty rural area of Minnesota, and he's been to several vets. None of which have genuinely cared for him as a patient we've felt like. He was originally my "therapy" dog, as my parents got him for me when I was younger and in and out of the hospital to lift my spirits. I think he's always known that, so he's especially special to me  But back on topic, that's his main food. He likes his milk bones for treats but not much else. We're all pretty worried now because he's started to refuse his staple food. There are some days where he'll refuse to eat anything and get sick to his stomach because of it. The vet has recommended we start considering his quality of life, however this has been his only issue. He's still able to get around and play, and does play on a daily basis with his sister and with his people. He seems completely normal and happy besides he's refusal to eat. 

We haven't tried refrigerated foods though. Is there a specific brand you would recommend?


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Ever tried soaking his food with warm, low sodium vegetable broth (chicken or beef work well too)? My pit will usually turn up his nose at plain dry food (I blame my in-laws for spoiling him) so broth is a nice healthy way to get him to eat. Mixing a small amount of soft dog food with his kibble might work as well.


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

I actually spoke to a doggy nutritionalist not too long ago while in petco. She recommened I get science diet for senior dogs (many different flavors) and add a few table spoons full of the canned science diet food with the dry. Mix it well so they can't just lick it off. Your dog is small so they even have little bites whih a rat can hold comfortably. If you pm me your address I have coupons for science diet


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Science diet is one of the worst foods on the market. I can't believe a "nutritionist" recommended that! But its Petco so what can you expect, lol. 

Primal is the best, IMO. But pretty much any brand will do. The best part is you can feed it to both dogs! They are low in fat and soft, perfect for older dogs. If he likes any sort of meat people food (chicken, beef, etc) check out Weruva. The cans are expensive but if you can afford a few you can mix a few tables spoons in with the dry. Theres also a bunch of different gravys, one called Groovy Gravy that had a lot of pumpkin and other good stuff. 

I also second soaking in broth instead of water.


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

PaigeRose said:


> Science diet is one of the worst foods on the market. I can't believe a "nutritionist" recommended that! But its Petco so what can you expect, lol. Primal is the best, IMO. But pretty much any brand will do. The best part is you can feed it to both dogs! They are low in fat and soft, perfect for older dogs. If he likes any sort of meat people food (chicken, beef, etc) check out Weruva. The cans are expensive but if you can afford a few you can mix a few tables spoons in with the dry. Theres also a bunch of different gravys, one called Groovy Gravy that had a lot of pumpkin and other good stuff. I also second soaking in broth instead of water.


 she wasn't from petco. She was hired through a private company. Human food is horrible for dogs. It can lead to clogged arteries if its too high in fat and two dogs that have different issues such as over weight and under weight need different foods. Its actually a great brand. Broths are high in salt and bad for eveyone on the whole furred or otherwise.


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

I got the ingredient list as best I could with this crappy phone


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Good that the first ingredient is meat but every single thing after that is filler junk. Dogs should not have carbs. A grain-free diet is the way to go. Science Diet is junk. Its "dog food" but its not healthy. Its like saying Mcdonalds is food. Is it tasty? Sure. Is it healthy? No. 

Check out dogfoodadvisor.com you can compare brands and ingredients list and it will tell you exactly what is bad and why.


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## BlackAce (Apr 18, 2013)

Thanks for all the help. Yeah what is mainly making this tricky is that not only is one overweight and one underweight, but their eating styles also differ. While we want Jasper to have the option to eat his food whenever he wants, it turns into taking shifts of "policing" the food bowl area to make sure Lexi isn't sneaking any of his lol.

Also that website is fantastic! Great resource.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Yeah, Science Diet is NOT good food, no matter what any nutritionist tells you. Just look at the ingredients and see for yourself. "Chicken meal" looks good as the first ingredient, but it is NOT "just" meat. "Meal" actually refers to how it is processed (rendered) - it is made up of boiled down scraps and leftovers that can be anything from expired meat to restaurant grease to euthanized animals, depending on the source quality. That is the ONLY animal protein source in that food. The rest is grains/wheat/soy. How can you say that is GOOD food?

Blue Buffalo is an okay brand, but most "senior" food formulas have added fillers and the BB Life Protection stuff is no exception - the second ingredient is rice. Senior foods tend to be lower in protein and calories overall, and that isn't good for a dog who isn't eating as much as they should. I would go for a decent to good quality normal "adult" food. The Blue Buffalo Wilderness senior food looks okay as well, but it's not a whole lot different than the adult formula. The most important thing is that he eats it.

Also, has he had a dental examination lately? If he has bad tartar, gingivitis, infection, needs extractions, etc. that could really be preventing him from eating. Our old Shihtzu went through something similar - turned out she had an infected/abscessed tooth that needed extracted. It was causing her so much pain she couldn't eat hard kibble.


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