Evanger's #GetPetHealthy Question of the Week: Nutrition for Aging Dogs

Every week we have a contest on our Facebook page and invite Evanger's feeders to ask a nutrition question about their pet. Our certified On-Staff Nutritionist picks one question to weigh in on. Here are this week's question and answer.

Question from Leslie Lynn: 
We have a senior girl who has slowed, and gotten more stiff.  What ingredients should we make a priority in her diet? What meat would you say is the most important to benefit her needs?

Answer: 

Offer your older dog a taste test of each of Evanger's five dry dog foods. Switch to the food your dog likes best. This food will be the basis of your Evanger's feeding protocol. The live probiotics added to Evanger's kibble helps dogs of all ages digest more nutrients from the foods they eat.

Tina Musselwhite's dog, Zoe, turns 15 and looks great!

Healthy senior dogs often need more meat than younger dogs. Aging organs don't assimilate nutrients as easily, so if you feed a bit of additional meat, your dog has a greater chance of assimilating the nutrients she needs. Evanger's canned Hunk of Beef or Whole Chicken Thighs would be good additions to the kibble.

The meat species doesn't matter much unless your dog is allergic to a specific meat. Rotating through two or more meats will provide a more well rounded diet and will help prevent an allergy to a meat that is fed frequently.

The quality of the meat and the way it is processed are crucial to good health. Evanger's meats are all American sourced and American canned. No salt, sugar, colorants, or preservatives are added.

A stiff older dog might need additional joint support. Evanger's Grain Free Chicken with Pumpkin kibble offers measurable glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support. The connective tissue of other species is a natural source of joint support nutrients; this kibble contains chicken cartilage and green mussel. Your veterinarian also offers packaged supplements that will help.

Other medical challenges: Senior dogs often have special health needs that limit feeding options. Overweight dogs or dogs with severe dental problems or kidney disease, for instance, will require a different approach to feeding. If this is the case with your dog, contact your veterinarian to evaluate her needs and then select the appropriate Evanger's foods.

Thanks for sharing your question! We host a #GetPetHealthy Question of the Week every Monday on our Facebook page. The winner receiving a FREE bag of JERKY TREATS, so check in on Mondays at http://www.facebook.com/Evangers