Senior Dog Food

Dakotazeb

Dakotazeb

Well-known member
I know, another dog food question. But, I was wondering how many of you feed your dog a Senior Formula? My female Brittany is now 8 years old and due to my age and health she doesn't get a tremendous amount of exercise nor do I hunt her as hard as I use to. She's in great shape and still runs "balls to the wall" in the field. Generally after a couple hours in the field we are both about done. I've have her currently on PPP Complete Essentials 26/16. She gets 1.5 cups on non-working days and 2+ cups on working days. I don't think she needs as much protein and fat as in the past and a lower fat diet might help manage her weight better. Just throwing this out there for some thoughts.
 
My oldest is 14 and I have been reluctant to do it because of the convenience of one dog food for 2 dogs. I just feed her less. However her stools are frequently not as hard as they used to be so I probably should consider it. If I only had her I absolutely would give her lower cal senior food right now.
 
I have an old Vizsla at home that is almost 12 and I switched her over to PPP Salmon & Rice Sensitive stomach 26/16 a few years ago. It is likely very similar to what you are feeding. I think it makes sense to move older dogs to lower protein/fat and calorie food as they become less active. Mine doesn't hunt anymore but we still feed her 2 cups a day. We could likely cut her back off of that a bit but she likes to eat.
 
After looking at some other senior dogs foods like Blue Buffalo and NutriSource I decided to stay with PPP. But instead of the Complete Essentials Adult 26/16 I swithced to the Complete Essentials Adult 7+ that is 29/14. Very much the same but a little higher protein and a little lower fat. I really doubt my dog will know the difference. Ingredients and nutritional value are pretty much the same.
 
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My Brittanys move to IAMs senior dog food when they turn about 8 or 9. My dogs have no problem hunting hard and the past 3 have all lived to 14-15 years of age. My current oldest Brittany (14 years, 8 months) retired because she had severe breathing issues when hunting hard (she never knew the word slow down). She walks two miles every day with the rest of us and is pretty active in the backyard when I am putzing around back there.

IAMs may not be "the" food of choice in the sporting dog industry, but it has worked darn well for us. IAMs Lamb and Rice is what all my 1 - 8 year old prime hunting Brittanys have ate for 20 years now.

During the heavy work time of hunting season I do on occasion supplement with higher fat content hamburger or egg to increase the protein content and to be honest to encourage them to eat when exhausted. I do not like them passing on supper and then being hungry the next morning.

I try to keep my dogs near hunting weight year around. Most lose a few pounds during the hunting season (as I do too), but do not believe I had a dog not perform because they were undernourished. One time I had a dog go "hypoglycemic" on me ... (the older dog above). She always ran on the lean side ... it was wet, cold, and she never slowed down.
 
BRITTMAN said:
I try to keep my dogs near hunting weight year around. Most lose a few pounds during the hunting season (as I do too), but do not believe I had a dog not perform because they were undernourished. One time I had a dog go "hypoglycemic" on me ... (the older dog above). She always ran on the lean side ... it was wet, cold, and she never slowed down.
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I also like to keep my dog in sahpe year round. Her weight doesn't vary more than a pound or two through out the year. I also have had her get Hypoglycemic on me twice. Bother times were in very similar conditions. Cold, snow and wet. She runs so hard and burns a lot of energy in normal conditions, but add the cold and wet to it and she just ran out of gas. I've learned that under those conditions she needs a little more food and also something during the hunt. Since then I've never had an issue. But now with my Afib I'm only good in the field for about 2 hours so it hasn't been an issue for her.
 
My GSP's are now 10 & 11. I've switched them over to 4Health Lamb and Rice and they are doing well. Not sure it's considered senior food but their coats and stool is good and no more itching from chicken products.
 
I'm hunting a Spaniel that's old enough to have a learner's permit in South Dakota. I haven't fed processed dog food in over 10 years. I live on a highway where 2-3 whitetails die every night. It's the best free dog food you could ever ask for. If my dogs don't eat it, the bears at the tourist trap do. I have a pressure cooker big enough to cook a whole deer. Venison, brown rice, eggs and green beans are my base ingredients. My guard dog, a 105 pound Catahula/Pit Bull is an awesome beast fueled by it. My 8 year old female Spaniel, both stifle joints repaired, hunts creek beds and cattails day in, day out. The 15 year old can still see. He can still hear. He can still smell.In a shelter belt or row crop, he does just fine. The only thing he doesn't do is crash cover, unless his nose tells him it's worth it. He's literally never been sick a day in his life. I adjust fat content by skimming the cooking, letting it congeal and mixing the appropriate amount back into each ration. High labor, low cost. Peace of mind in knowing what my dogs are eating. All that stuff on the ingredient label that you can't pronounce? That stuff ain't good. Also, if you are an environmentalist, as I am, procuring local food is always a priority.
 
Right. No problems with finicky eating. He'd dive head-first into the pressure cooker if you let him.
 
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