The Best Senior Dog Food, According to a Veterinarian

Selecting the best senior dog food requires knowing what your individual pet needs. Though things like teeth, joint health and weight are often the first things that come to mind when thinking of food for a senior dog (and rightfully so!) there’s something that often goes overlooked: Maintaining lean muscle mass. As with people, sarcopenia—the loss of muscle mass that accompanies aging—is also a concern for dogs. For healthy senior dogs who don’t have a medical reason for needing a low protein diet, protein intake is a priority.

Though dietary protein alone won’t help any of us maintain all the muscle mass of youth, it is an important component. With protein in mind, I’ve rounded up my choices for the best senior dog food from some of the best dog food brands. Please discuss your pet’s individual needs with your veterinarian before making any changes.

How to choose the best senior dog food

Talk with your veterinarian

This is an absolute first step. One senior dog’s dietary needs may be significantly different than the next. Factors that need to be evaluated before selecting a food include—but are not limited to—lab results (such as kidney and liver function), body condition score, muscle condition score, dental health (can my dog comfortably chew dry food?), fiber content (does my dog need less fiber to increase the digestibility of their food?), sodium content (does my dog have a heart condition?), and fat content, to name a few.

Your veterinarian may also choose to formulate a diet specifically for your senior pet. They may partner with a nutrition service, such as Balance It (which is recommended for healthy pets by Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine), or they may refer you to a specialty veterinarian who is board certified in nutrition.

Ingredients

Look for foods where the protein is primarily from animals. Dr. Joseph J. Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, DACVN, DACVSMR, the Chief of Nutrition at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine says that for senior dogs, animal protein sources may be better than plant protein because animal protein has a better amino acid profile for dogs. Animal protein is also more digestible than higher fiber-containing plant proteins, which becomes important as a dog ages. In general, dietary fiber decreases a dog’s ability to digest and absorb certain amino acids.

Dietary fat is another factor when selecting a food. As dogs age, the propensity for body fat increases. Dogs who are overweight and/or have decreased activity levels may need to be switched to foods with reduced fat.

Dry versus soft/wet food

An upside of dry food is that dogs may accumulate tartar more slowly compared to wet food. A downside is that dogs with dental pain or not enough teeth to comfortably chew kibble, may gulp down unchewed kibble. Food is meant to be chewed.

Wet food is great for dogs who have dental issues, such as no teeth or just a few teeth left. Wet food also has significantly more moisture content, which can help with hydration. Whether or not a senior dog needs wet food, a combination of wet and dry, or dry food with or without added water, should be determined on a case by case basis.

Keep in mind that when evaluating the percent of protein, fat and fiber on a label for wet food, because of the moisture content, these ‘as fed’ values don’t directly correlate to the values on dry dog food labels. There are calculators online to help determine what the percentages translate to on a dry matter basis. ‘Dry matter basis’ is the percentage of nutrients in a food when all moisture has been removed. But to complicate things further, dry food is not void of all moisture. It contains up to 14%. For fresh pet food products, some of them have both the ‘as fed’ values and the ‘dry matter basis’ values on their website but some do not. A simple way to compare wet food to dry is calories per cup, however that won’t be enough information if your pet’s protein, fat and/or fiber intake need to be between specific values due to medical reasons. Your veterinarian can serve as a resource in sifting through pet food labels.

Senior food versus adult maintenance versus all life stages

Due to various biological factors as dogs age, their muscle mass decreases. Dr. Wakshlag says, “We may not necessarily see it because the dog remains the same weight” due to the amount of body fat increasing. He says that veterinarians often focus on Body Condition Score (BCS) but don't assess Muscle Condition Score (MCS.) Even though dietary protein alone isn’t enough to maintain lean muscle mass in an aging pet, it is an important component.

Since senior dog foods (which are labeled for dogs older than 7) vary widely in their nutritional composition—particularly in the area of protein—they may or may not be suitable for your pet. For example, Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Senior Chicken & Brown Rice has 18% crude protein (min.) whereas Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior High Protein—that I featured in this article—contains 30% (min.) Breed also needs to be taken into consideration. A small breed dog isn’t a senior until 8 to 10 years of age but a large breed is a senior at age 7, and a giant breed at age 5.

For some dogs—based on their physical exam, lab work, breed and physical activity levels—an adult food (labeled for dogs between 1 and 7 years old), or an all life stages food (for dogs of any age), may be more appropriate. Your veterinarian, or a board certified veterinary nutrition specialist, is your best resource on which food best suits your pet’s needs.

Our top picks for the best senior dog foods

How we selected the best senior dog food

Quality

I selected foods based on the overall quality of ingredients, favoring meat as the first ingredient instead of non-meat ingredients, by-products or meat meal/by-product meal. There are two exceptions on my list (Earthborn Holistic Venture and Purina ProPlan JM,) however veterinary nutrition specialists say that a quality food can still contain these types of ingredients. I also tried to pick foods with at least 28% protein, but several of them didn’t meet this amount. Finding the “perfect” ready-made food can be a challenge, which is why your veterinarian may decide to partner with a veterinary nutrition service who can help you create, or find, the ideal diet.

With the exception of the prescription JM diet and the Iams diet, the products I selected aren’t formulated with corn, wheat or soy. I also picked foods that contain nutrients which support digestion and overall health, such as prebiotic fiber and omega fatty acids. Some even contain glucosamine +/- chondroitin for joint health, though I’ll admit, they may not be in sufficient quantities to make a clinical difference.

Labeling

All of the foods I chose are complete and balanced, and are from reputable brands. The diets meet the nutritional guidelines of the Association for the American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for the life stage for which they are labeled, with the exception of senior dog foods. AAFCO doesn’t have specific nutrient recommendations for senior dogs, so senior dog foods meet the AAFCO requirements for adult maintenance. This is all the more reason to discuss your senior pet’s nutritional needs with your veterinarian or a specialty veterinarian who is board certified in nutrition.

I also chose foods based on their protein content and fat content. For protein, I aimed for 28% to 32% and for fat, I aimed for under 15%, though some of the foods fall outside both of these ranges. How much dietary protein and fat your dog requires should be determined by your veterinarian.

Pulses and exotic protein

Whether or not a food contained pulses—peas, lentils, chickpeas or dry beans—in the first three ingredients was a big factor in the foods I selected due to the FDA’s concern that, for some dogs, these ingredients may be linked with some cases of diet-associated DCM, a type of heart disease. Since more research is needed, I avoided exotic protein sources (e.g. kangaroo, buffalo, etc) for the same reason.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is senior dog food really different?

Yes, but not always in a good way. Many senior dog foods have reduced protein (e.g. 18 to 22% min. for dry food) but Dr. Wakshlag says that in many cases—for dogs who are generally healthy and don’t have medical conditions where protein needs to be decreased—dietary protein may actually need to be increased, such as to 28 - 32%. However, senior foods do tend to be reduced in fat, and that is generally a good thing.

Senior dog foods (and even some All Life Stages foods) will have a type of omega-3 fatty acid called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA.) EPA reduces joint inflammation and can improve mobility in dogs. However, the amount of EPA in most non-prescription dog foods won’t be enough to make a noticeable difference. This means additional supplementation under the guidance of a veterinarian may be needed. Dogs may need other types of joint health products as well, such as collagen and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs.)

Besides diet, what else is important to help maintain muscle mass in a senior dog?

An important factor for maintaining or building lean muscle is exercise, specifically concentric exercises (e.g. weight lifting in the form of carrying a weighted backpack.) Eccentric exercises, like walking and running, are also important but this type of activity doesn't do as much for building and maintaining muscle mass. But to avoid injuries or worse, talk with your veterinarian before implementing concentric exercises into your dog’s routine. Realize that for some dogs, concentric exercises just won’t be feasible.

And two products worth discussing with your veterinarian that pertain to muscle health are Myos Canine Muscle Formula and CanEVA PETS.

If I buy dog food with joint supplements in them, will that be enough for my dog’s arthritis?

Just because a food contains glucosamine, chondroitin, and/or omega-3 fatty acids, doesn’t necessarily mean the amounts are going to be sufficient for a dog’s joint health needs. In fact, it’s likely that the amounts in non-prescription dog foods aren’t going to be enough. Depending on what stage of arthritis your dog has, they may need additional joint health products. Your veterinarian can help you determine what those are.

Another interesting factor is that research is showing that though they are helpful for joint health, glucosamine and chondroitin don’t actually improve a dog’s mobility that much. So these two ingredients alone aren’t going to be sufficient for an arthritic dog with joint-related mobility issues.

How old should my dog be for senior dog food?

That depends on your pet’s breed. For small and medium breed dogs, they are a senior at 8 to 10 years of age. Large breed dogs are a senior at 7 years, and giant breeds at age 5. That being said, some dogs’ nutritional needs may be better met with an adult maintenance food or an all life stages food.

What is the healthiest food for a senior dog?

There is no one food that is the “healthiest” for all senior dogs. The nutritional needs of a 15 year old chihuahua with heart disease will be different from, say, a large breed senior dog who is generally healthy and active.

What is the best food for a very old dog?

There is no one best food for a very old dog but factors to consider are the dog’s ability to chew food (do they need a smaller kibble size or wet food?), moisture content (would the additional water of wet food benefit this specific pet?), protein content (more or less?), fiber content (more or less?), sodium content (less?), fat content, and of course, palatability.

Keep in mind that dogs may turn their nose up at diets with less sodium and less fat. Let’s face it. In certain amounts, salt and fat can make food taste better! Ultimately, my personal take is that the quality of a dog’s life is more important than the quantity. That is, being miserable and hating your food—but living longer—is something to consider when assessing quality of life. And of course, this is a very personal decision.

Should senior dogs eat wet or dry food?

Senior dogs don’t automatically need to be switched to wet food. Wet food is great for dogs who have dental issues, such as no teeth or just a few teeth left. Wet food also has significantly more moisture content, which can help with hydration. Whether or not a senior dog needs wet food, a combination of wet and dry, or dry food with or without water added, should be determined on a case by case basis. A downside of wet food is that dogs tend to accumulate tartar more quickly.

Is high protein food better for older dogs?

That depends on the dog. Some older dogs have medical issues that require them to be on a lower protein food. Other dogs may be generally healthy, and keeping them on a food that’s around 28 to 32% protein is important to help them maintain as much muscle mass as they can. However, diet alone won’t prevent the loss of muscle as a dog ages. Dr. Wakshlag says that even with a higher protein diet, older dogs will still lose muscle mass, partly because of their decreased ability to produce muscle. However, he says dogs on a higher protein diet may lose less muscle compared to dogs on lower protein diets.