Feeding Older Pets

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Feeding your older dog or cat

As your pet gets older, its nutritional requirements change. Several studies have shown that a scientifically developed diet for older pets, can delay the onset of age-related diseases and can prolong the life of your pet.

It is important to understand the nutritional requirements of any pet, but even more so with older pets. The onset of old age happens between 5 and 7 years, depending on breed, size and type of animal, as well as factors such as genetics, nutrition and lifestyle. It is at this time that they become more susceptible to disease and require a change in diet to ensure their health is maintained.

Older Dogs

Some basic factors to take into consideration when feeding older dogs, are:

Older dogs as with all pets require continuous access to clean water and you as a pet owner should closely monitor their water intake, as increased water intake is an indication of kidney disease, a common senior affliction.
Due to a drop in activity older dogs require less energy density in their meals to ensure that they do not become overweight.
Protein intake must be regulated, but this becomes increasingly difficult as the correct amount of protein required depends on the overall health of your pet. Most commercial life-stage pet foods have been scientifically developed to ensure that your older pet gets the correct amount of protein in its diet. The quality of the protein becomes important as better quality protein allows for less to be added, an advantage in older pets.
Sodium and Chloride (salt) should be reduced in seniors as excessive amounts can exacerbate heart and renal disease in older dogs.
Due to an older dog's decreased activity, lower energy intake will help prevent obesity. Very old dogs may, however, start losing weight in which case increasing the fat content will increase energy intake, improve palatability of the food and enhance the absorption of certain vitamins. Generally the recommended fat levels vary between 7 and 15% DM (Dry Matter), but fat levels should be selected for each individual dog to achieve ideal body weight and condition.
Fibre will assist in regulating your older dog's gut function and also dilutes calorie intake. It is therefore good to increase fibre intake should your older dog be prone to constipation. This is however not the case if your older dog is losing weight.
Added effective levels of l-carnitine will help maintain muscle mass and prevent obesity
Added effective levels of antioxidants will help decrease the damage caused by free radicals and slow the aging process.

Another factor to keep in mind is food texture - older dogs are more prone to oral disease, which has a direct impact on their eating habits. Also, you must assess the nutritional status of food, and purchase one that meets your pet's nutritional requirements at its specific life-stage. Do not forget to include any snacks or treats that you give your pet. The way in which you feed your dog also plays a big role. Meal-restricted feeding allows you to ensure that your ageing dog gets the required amount of food at each mealtime.

Finally, ensure that you re-asses the nutritional status of your older dog regularly. It is recommended that this be done at least every 6 to 12 months to ensure your older dog is always fed the correct diet to ensure optimum health.

Older Cats

As with dogs, it is important to ensure that your older cat drinks enough fresh water. Many older cats show increased water loss due to a decline in renal function and this can lead to chronic dehydration, which will affect a number of your cat's bodily functions.

In terms of energy in-take for cats, it is best to rely on the expert and scientific advice of commercial pet food manufacturers, as there are different schools of thought on these requirements. Different health statuses also dictate the amount of energy required by your older cat.

If your older cat is healthy, there is no need to restrict dietary protein intake. The recommended protein levels vary between 30 and 45% DM and it is important that a healthy older cat receive sufficient protein to meet its needs and avoid malnutrition. Fat should be highly digestible and should only be reduced if your cat is prone to obesity. Higher levels of fat should be fed to thin cats and cats with poor appetite as it improves the palatability of the food.

Dietary fibre is a very important part of your older feline's diet. Sufficient amounts are required to ensure a healthy digestive system, because they are more susceptible to constipation. Too much fibre will however have a negative effect on your older cat's health by reducing calories and food digestibility.

Osteoporosis is not very common in older cats and it is said that once skeletal maturity is reached, there is no need for additional calcium and phosphorous. In fact excesses can be harmful (kidney disease and bladder stones). An older cat often requires higher levels of potassium as it reportedly improves attitude, appetite, muscle strength and renal function. However, healthy older cats do not show much benefit from increased potassium levels. Magnesium should be provided in moderate levels – research has shown that lower levels of magnesium, does reduce the risk of struvite-mediated lower urinary tract disease. This does not, however, mean that magnesium must be cut out completely, as this could also impact on your cat's health.

It is very important to avoid excessive sodium intake as your cat gets older. The reason is that the risks associated with chronic diseases, such as hypertension, become prevalent as your feline ages. So, although nutritional needs of sodium and chloride should be met, excesses should be avoided. When feeding an older cat it is very important to note the acidifying potential of the food used. Older cats often have impaired ability to compensate for acid-base alterations and this must be monitored in their food

As older cats' senses start to deteriorate and oral disease sets in, pet owners should consider palatability and digestibility when choosing food for your ageing pet. These two factors can have a large impact on appetite and food intake. Texture is also important, as older cats with poor oral health may have difficulty in eating. And then finally – the feeding method. Take into account that feeding methods are largely dependent on the cat as well as the owner's time schedule. The two most common feeding types when it comes to cats is ad-lib feeding (where the correct amount of food is measured out and left for the cat to eat whenever it wants) or meal feeding (a specific amount of food is offered one or more times per day). Many owners use a combination of the two.

Visit www. petwise.co.za and read more about pet nutrition and pet care. You can also learn about reliable manufacturers in the pet food industry, who are also members of the Pet Food Industry (PFI) Association.