My female dog is 12 years old, what dog food should I feed her?

Question

We feed her kibbles and chunks. We used to have two dogs and it was economical to buy them a big bag from Sam's club. But now there's only her and the vet says she needs to lose weight. Can anyone recommend a good dog food for her?

Answer 1

OK, at 12 she needs to be on a senior food.
I would take it a step up in quality and buy Iams, ProPlan, or Nutro Senior for her. You can get any of those at places like PetCo.
The senior food would give her less protein (easier on her kidneys) and less fat calories (easier on her waist) without decreasing volume too much. (Which really helps with the begging for more bit). I feed my seniors Canidae Platinum, but I think that moving to a food that rich as suggested by other persons, would be way too rich for her system at this point. I have seen that happen time and time again with my fosters. The top of the line, especially something like evo (no grains) could really upset her stomach, especially with the additional stress of losing her pack member. Go slowly with increasing the quality of her food.
I am sorry for your loss and hope your pup is not grieving too much.

Answer 2

I give my unqualified endorsement to Solid Gold Dog Food based out of Southern California. The food is 100% natural and made from the finest products. You would automatically assume it would be very pricey, but the food is totally reasonably priced and is now sold in many Petco locations. Or, you can call them to see where it is sold near you. There are 3 different types of foods they sell for elders. I particularly like Millenium for my 10 year old Golden Retriever. She has lost 8 pounds in 6 months just by changing the food. She has a million times more energy now, her fur is incredibly healthy and soft, and her digestive issues have ceased (which benifits all parties...lol). I also put my puppy on Solid Gold and it changed all of these things for her as well. The food is lean, natural, and your dog will indeed lose weight. Not to mention, I have never seen a dog LOVE the flavor of food like Solid Gold before. It's crazy.

Although the bargain food seems like the better option at times, if it is possible to feed her Solid Gold, you will prolong the life and happiness of your dog. :)

Good luck!!

Answer 3

Kibbles N Bits??? is pretty junky food - lots of filler - lots of fat...

any food from grocery, wal mart etc is going to be a crappy food - way too much bad stuff - forces pets to eat too much to get any nutrition..

go to pet supply store and look for a good food - one with no corn, no by-products (beaks feet feathers) - the food should be SENIOR weight loss formula... the better foods will cost more BUT you feed less so in the long run you save money

also dont be fooled - Science Diet is NOT good food - vets often receive little or NO training on food brands and nutrition - Science Diet PAID for vet endorsement - its a crappy food.

Answer 4

I use Beneful diet on my 11 1/2 year old dog. I feed her once a day, 3 cups and she is not only satified but healthy. If I give her more she tends to gain so I cut it down to 2 3/4 cups for about a week and she is fine. Water at all times. She is an 80 pound German Shepard Mix

Answer 5

Read the ingredients. By law the first one must be 95% of what's in the bag. So if it's cornmeal then you're feeding her mostly corn and she's a meateater by nature. Try ScieneDiet/ Senior. You should know that you're feeding her the equvilent of junk food now. Like giving sugar-coated cereal to a child everyday.

Answer 6

Canidae All Life Stages:
http://www.canidae.com

Innova/California Natural: http://www.naturapet.com

If you can afford it - Timberwolf Organics: http://www.timberwolforganics.com

Solid Gold: http://www.solidgoldhealth.com

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul: http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com

Even Blue Buffalo: http://www.bluebuff.com or Nutro Hollistic.

Remember to change foods SLOWLY. Mix in a little of the new food at first and add more every few days.

Here is a list of 1-6 star rated dog foods .. 1 being the worst and 6 being the best. Stick with a 5/6 star food: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Answer 7

Science Diet makes several types of dog food for senior dogs (ages 7+). My dog s 12 and I started feeding Science diet to her last fall. she loves it. She is a big dog but prefers the little bites.

Answer 8

The Senior Plus formula at http://www.frrco.com/121668 It has less calories, for the less active senior dog, plus has chondrotin and glucosamine for her joints. This means you won't have to shell out money for supplements, as it is already in there.

You feed 25% less than store shelf brands, and it is not full of corn, sweeteners, by products, animal digest or artificial preservatives that can cause health problems and contribute to illness.

I hope this helps, and enjoy her golden years!

Answer 9

i feed my old 15yr old poodle senior canned dog food. he was eating regular food like my younger ones but he wasn't doing well so i started him on these. you can get senior diet foods at the supermarket. just get the low calorie and rice n lamb mix.she should start weighing less and have more energy.take her for walks everyday also so her joints will keep moving and a tsp of olive oil mixed in her food will help her fur and bowels too. best of luck. i buy the store brand for my ole guy.

Answer 10

Most vets carry "life cycle" dog foods, such as Hill's Science Diet...they range in scope fron puppy to mature adult or senior dogs, as well as specialty prescription diets for special needs dogs. Check with your vet for what's best for your pet.