What's the Best Senior Dog Food?

Oxidative damage, reduced brain mass and blood flow, and the accumulation of toxic substances can all cause age-related changes to the brains of ageing dogs. The brain also becomes less able to metabolise glucose as an energy source, and all these factors together contribute to cognitive dysfunction - what we would call dementia in humans. Pro Plan have developed their Bright Minds senior dog food range to help combat these changes. The Pro Plan senior dog foods contain enhanced botanical oils (also known as medium chain triglycerides) to provide the brain with an alternate energy source to glucose, along with antioxidants and other brain supporting nutrients, to support the brain to function at it's best.

Along with these cognitive benefits, the Pro Plan Bright Minds dog foods contain omega 3-fatty acids and glucosamine to support joint health and mobility, as 2 out of 3 dogs over the age of 7 suffer from some form of arthritis.

What our customers say: "I have been feeding this to my now 16 year old dog for nearly a year now. It has made a huge improvement in her health as far as her alertness, movement and coat condition. Thankful to have found it."

For dogs showing signs of cognitive dysfunction, including disorientation, confusion, pacing, loss of toilet training and excessive sleeping, it's important to have your best mate checked out by your vet. Your vet will ensure that there are no other causes to explain these symptoms, and may prescribe Hills Prescription Brain Aging Care Dry Food.

This is a specialised therapeutic diet with a combination of mitochondrial cofactors, antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids proven to help support cognitive function and reduce age related behavioural changes in older dogs. As it is a prescription diet, it needs to be recommended specifically by your treating veterinarian.

To find out more, check out our article about Cognitive Dysfunction in Dogs.

What our customers say: "My standard poodle of 12 years old was struck down with a neuromuscular disease last year and as a consequence ended up mostly blind and deaf with dementia. He was not sleeping, had no spark, spent the whole night pacing the house and panting. We put him on meds plus the brain diet... What a difference! He started playing with his sister, sleeping and basically having a lovely golden years life. I ran out of biscuits recently and he started to regress, the biscuits arrived and his spark returned. Amazing!"

Dominating the market for their range of senior dog foods, Royal Canin offer varieties for dogs of all breed sizes, in both mature and senior varieties. For small breed dogs under 10kg bodyweight, the Mini Adult 8+ and Ageing 12+ foods contain green tea polyphenols for joint support, along with antioxidants and enhanced palatability to satisfy the commonly fussy appetite of small breed dogs. The Ageing 12+ Mini variety also contains an adapted phosphorus content to support kidney function.

For medium sized dogs, the Medium 7+ contains green tea polyphenols for joint support, while the Ageing 10+ also includes glucosamine and chondroitin. Both the Maxi 5+ and Maxi 8+ contain green tea polyphenols and glucosamine and chondroitin, since large breed dogs are more prone to joint issues as they age.

Each of the Ageing varieties (Mini 12+, Medium 10+ and Maxi 8+) is also available in an equivalent wet food, ideal for mixed feeding. This is particularly helpful as dogs can become more fussy with food as they age, and wet food can help to increase palatability and overall acceptance of food.

All varieties contain antioxidants to help fight the ageing process. Unfortunately, all the varieties are poultry-based so they are not suitable for dogs with sensitivities to poultry proteins. Each variety also only comes in only one bag size option.

For dogs with diagnosed arthritis, prescription mobility diets offer a greater level of joint support, so we would recommend speaking with your vet about the best dietary options for your dog in these cases. Diets such as the Hills Joint Care Diets and Royal Canin Mobility Support contain therapeutic levels of joint support ingredients.

To find out more, check out our article all about Arthritis in Dogs.

What our customers say: "After trying ALL the other aged dog foods this one excelled. Dry food was gentler on his teeth and the wet food he loved. Pricey, but compared to all I have wasted over the years - I am now saving... anyone who is in the same boat and has tried everything including gourmet chicken and raw should try this. "

What our vets say: "I like to recommend the Royal Canin ageing dry food range for senior dogs for several reasons. Firstly, Royal canin is a premium brand of dog food which is highly nutritious and based on the individual dog’s life stage and suited to that. For example, our giant breed dogs age faster than our smaller breeds so there is a maxi adult 5yrs + and 9yrs+ option (for our large breed dogs) and small breed having an 8yrs+ and 12yrs+ option. All the senior diets are formulated to help prevent age related loss of muscle mass which all dogs will experience with ageing. They also contain omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and glucosamine to help your dog stay active by supporting their bones and joints. The kibble size is related to the breed size with the mini ageing 12 plus diet having a unique kibble which is rehydratable and has exclusive flavours to stimulate appetite in our ageing small breed dogs. All the senior dry food range contains nutrients to bind salivary calcium which helps to reduce dental tartar formation for good oral health." - Dr. Angie

The only dry food formulated specifically for senior dogs with digestive sensitivities, the Hills Perfect Digestion 7+ goes one step further, offering a small bites variety for small breeds as well! The Perfect Digestion contains a specially developed blend of prebiotics, as well as whole grain oats and pumpkin to nourish the good bacteria in the gut and support the digestive process.

The Hills Perfect Digestion senior variety has controlled fat and calorie content to prevent excessive weight gain (and all the complications which go hand in hand) in the less active senior years. It also contains omega fatty acids, however does not offer any additional joint support, so for dogs with digestive sensitivities as well as deteriorating mobility, it would be ideal to use a joint supplement in addition, or speak to your vet about the most appropriate diet for your dog.

For more information, read all about the Best Sensitive Stomach Diets for Pets.

What our customers say: "My fussiest fussy Cavvie loves it - and this is a high claim. He is 14 yo and never really liked any dry food - I went though all of the top shelf brands before. So he was mostly on a human grade diet like meats with a bit of kibbles to snick through when you are lucky. Surprisingly for me he is willingly eating it. I like how kibbles are smaller and flat; it helps with older dog chewing difficulties."

What our vets say: "Senior dogs with digestive sensitivities would benefit from a diet specifically made to support their dietary needs at this advanced stage of life. The Hill's Science Diet Perfect Digestion 7+ recipes are complete and balanced diets that come in a regular kibble size and a Small Bites version that's perfect for small and toy breeds. They contain high quality lean protein to maintain healthy body condition, a special blend of prebiotics to nourish gut health, and clinically proven antioxidants to keep your older dogs feeling bright, healthy, and happy throughout their golden years." - Dr. Tony

Every Open Farm product is proudly produced with a focus on transparent sourcing and traceability, humane production animal welfare standards, ethically sourced ingredients, and sustainable fishing practices in line with Ocean Wise Standards. For an environmentally friendly, grain-free senior dog food, you can't go past this one.

Alongside their environmentally friendly values, Open Farm foods are made with the most premium proteins and superfoods, providing the highest quality ingredients for your dog. Their recipes are free from grain, corn, wheat and soy.

Along with glucosamine, chondroitin and green lipped mussel for joint support, the Open Farm Senior dog food also contains flaxseed, salmon and coconut oil for skin support, as well as ingredients for gut support.

On the down side, the Open Farm foods are expensive options, though you do 'get what you pay for' with the highest quality, premium ingredients. The Open Farm foods are also not made locally - they are imported from Canada.

What our customers say: "I am very happy to have found this dry food for my dog. The quality and the mix of ingredients are great. My dog has a sensitive stomach and after several tries, this food has not given him any reaction and he loves it! Open Farm will always be my first choice. "

ADVANCE is a premium quality, Australian made product backed by over 45 years of experience and science to deliver the best nutrition to your dog. ADVANCE focuses on top of the range nutrition and providing for long term health with all of their diets using omega fatty acids and zinc for a healthy skin and coat, antioxidants for immune support, fermentable prebiotic fibres for healthy gut and a delicious, highly palatable formula to tempt even the fussiest eaters.

Whilst there are cheaper foods, we have chosen ADVANCE as the most affordable senior dog range, because we know that premium foods are the most beneficial to your dog's daily health. Supermarket foods, while they may look cheaper initially, often have batch inconsistencies that can lead to frequent tummy upsets and subsequent further expense. They use lower quality ingredients and poorly digestible nutrients that lead to you feeding more food to meet your dog's daily requirements, which makes them more expensive in the long run. The use of lower quality ingredients can also mean more wastage, with larger, smellier poops! Supermarket diets also often lack added supplements for health support such as joints, skin and coat, and dental as well. So, while you are looking to cut costs wherever you can, it is still important to ensure that your dog is receiving a nutritionally balanced and complete diet that is going to nourish them and keep them looking and feeling their best.

The ADVANCE range of senior foods contains ingredients to support many aspects of the ageing process, including DHA and antioxidants to support brain function, green lipped mussel powder to help maintain healthy joints, antioxidants to support a strong immune system and prebiotics to support healthy digestion for smaller, firmer stools.

What our customers say: "My 11 yo dog was struggling with jumping onto the couch and general mobility. Changed his diet to Advance and he's a puppy again."

What our vets say: "I love that Advance is Australian made, so you can support the local industry whilst feeding your dog a premium, nutrient-dense diet backed by science. Advance has a wide range of diets available so you can ensure you are choosing the best tailored diet for your dog's life stage, breed or health concern. Advance is a great option if you're looking for value for money, as it compares to the quality of other premium brands but often at a reduced price." - Dr Jacqui

Advance Healthy Ageing Single Serve trays are a great way to add variety to your senior dog's diet. They contain a tailored fat content, to help prevent excessive weight gain as dog's age, as activity levels do tend to drop with increasing age. The Advance Healthy Ageing wet food also contains antioxidants to help reduce the effects of ageing on the body.

I personally feed my senior dog the Advance Healthy Ageing Single Serve trays as her nightly meal, and it's safe to say, dinner time is her favourite time of the day. As taste and smell can reduce with age, offering food that is at it's freshest is ideal, and as this Advance food comes in single serves, it's easy to ensure that what you're offering is the freshest it can be.

On the downside, as it comes in single serve trays, the Advance Healthy Ageing wet food is more expensive than other premium senior wet foods that are available in cans per 100g, and also uses more packaging. The number of trays which would need to be fed to larger breed dogs may make this food uneconomical.

What our customers say: "Small but good for pill pockets or a lickymat - I have a senior greyhound who loves this product and it seems to agree with her stomach too."

What our vets say: "For our older dogs, I recommend Advance Healthy Ageing wet food trays to support their changing needs. It contains antioxidants to improve their brain health and nutrients for healthy digestion and strong immune system. Wet foods help to increase hydration which is beneficial for our golden oldies to support their kidney and urinary health." - Dr. Michelle