BARF for seniors is just as possible as a form of nutrition for younger dogs or puppies. Depending on the breed, health and lifestyle of your dog, there are of course a few things you should consider, as in every phase of a dog's life. We would like to introduce these to you in this article.
BARF for seniors – when is a dog actually “old”?
If the question of BARF for seniors arises, the first question that needs to be clarified is when a dog is considered a senior. Basically, there is no set age limit - depending on the breed, a dog can be considered a senior from the age of 8 or 9, for example. From this age, it is advisable to have your dog's blood work done regularly by your trusted vet. You should have your animal checked about every six months in order to detect possible age-related diseases, such as changing liver or kidney values, early on and to be able to counteract them accordingly.
Depending on your dog's values and lifestyle, you will find that you can adapt the BARF diet for your animal. BARFing for a senior dog, for example, can contain a lower proportion of animal products and more fruit and vegetables. If this ratio is still 70:30 or even 80:20 percent for younger animals, it may make sense to only use a 60:40 or 50:50 mix of animal products and fruit and vegetables for your BARF senior in the future. It also depends on your dog's lifestyle - if the animal needs less energy due to less exercise, the proportion of animal products in the food can be reduced. Reducing the total daily amount of food, for example to 1.5 percent of body weight, is also an option for adaptation.
BARF for seniors: Supplements can help with specific ailments
An important part of BARF for seniors are the so-called supplements in your animal's food. There are various ways to support joints and bones in particular, such as green-lipped mussel or collagen powder . For example, green-lipped mussel can stimulate the regeneration of connective tissue structures in your senior's body. You can clarify what is best for your dog with your vet, for example, as part of a special nutritional consultation for dogs.
BARF for senior dogs: Avoid bones?
Bones can still be part of the BARF diet for your senior dog - provided that the dog is in good health. Both the teeth and digestion are important. If the teeth are still strong and intact and digestion is working as expected, there is nothing to stop you from feeding whole bones.
In our senior category you will find meat mixes especially for seniors and many other items that are particularly suitable for older dogs. You will also receive value packs in sizes of 9 kilograms and 15 kilograms, which are made up of various products.
