Most dog food companies define "senior" as 7 years or older — but this is a commercial convenience, not a biological reality. A 7-year-old Border Collie and a 7-year-old Great Dane are in very different stages of their health trajectory.
Older dogs typically experience a gradual reduction in metabolic rate, changes in kidney and liver efficiency, reduced muscle mass, and sometimes reduced appetite. These changes warrant dietary adjustments, but the timing varies by breed and individual.
There is a persistent myth that senior dogs need less protein to "protect their kidneys." Current evidence does not support this for healthy dogs without pre-existing kidney disease. In fact, older dogs often need more dietary protein to maintain muscle mass against age-related sarcopenia.
Annual blood panels from age 7 onward can catch early kidney, liver, or thyroid changes that warrant dietary adjustments before clinical symptoms appear.
When Biscuit ate a piece of apple and ended up at the emergency vet, our local surgery had to look up 'fructo-amylase deficiency' on the spot.
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