food for a 14 year old lad mix

Drop the dry food completely. Instead give him a couple chunks of canned sweet potatoe once a day. Sweet potatoe or canned pumpkin are a great source of vitamines and fiber for dogs.

I'd cut back just a little on both. He's probably just like us people who are getting older--we aren't as active as we used to be, and we're losing muscle mass and thus burning fewer calories even at rest. He probably just doesn't need quite as many calories as he used to. Of course if his appetite is really off, or if you're noticing anything else then a vet visit is always a good idea.

Is his weight staying constant? Any changes in water consumption or urination or BMs? Any other changes in behavior or physical signs? Have you had any blood work done recently and a physical? If not, probably be best to have someone look with their own eyes and feel with their own hands and listen with their own ears. I'd particularly recommend a comprehensive blood panel if one has not been done recently.

If everything is normal, I wouldn't be too concerned. If this diet has been fed for some time and has resulted in a 14+ year old lab - you have done well!!

I worry about changes in a dog of that age, but that's my job.

Doug, DVM

donn0128, I read your post about the sweet potato. I have a 1-1/2 old lab. She is constantly chewing. I gave her a raw sweet potato and she went nuts over it. She will have one daily now foR one of her treats. Thanks for the info.

Listen to a vet to maintain a healthy diet for your dog. What works for others may not be good for yours.

dturm wrote:
Is his weight staying constant? Any changes in water consumption or urination or BMs? Any other changes in behavior or physical signs? Have you had any blood work done recently and a physical? If not, probably be best to have someone look with their own eyes and feel with their own hands and listen with their own ears. I'd particularly recommend a comprehensive blood panel if one has not been done recently.

If everything is normal, I wouldn't be too concerned. If this diet has been fed for some time and has resulted in a 14+ year old lab - you have done well!!

I worry about changes in a dog of that age, but that's my job.

Doug, DVM

x2.

My Moose-dog is older. He was eating less but when we (vet and I) put him on arthritis meds, his appetite picked up. His hips just hurt and he didn't want to stand that long to eat it all. So, it may be something unconnected.

As dogs age they can lose some of their liver and kidney function. It makes metabolizing protein more difficult for them. Senior dog food has lower protein by percent than regular food. Talk to your vet about adding sweet potatoes, green beans and other items to your older dog's diet.

We feed a lot of meat to our dogs. My last Border Collie was backpacking at age 16. She eventually develped liver damage. She lived on things like cottage cheese, canola oil, and a few other things.

Twice I have had vets give up on my dogs including the BC above. I got busy doing reasearch and fed the right stuff. I gave her supplements from a human health food store. She lived another year and a half after the vet said there was nothing he could do.

We have a lab who will be 14 early December and she eats 1 cup of grain free fish/sweet potato dry with a couple of tablespoons of Hill's Prescription ID, twice a day. She takes Ostilox every other day along with a 5mg melatonin as support for Hemolytic Anemia that she survived four years ago. She's healthy other than showing the signs of age.