Nutrition and ageing dogs
Good care is essential if a dog it to remain in good health throughout its life. Regular physical activity will ensure that the dog maintains its muscle mass and controls its weight. The condition of the teeth and the coat should also be mentioned. In terms of energy requirement, intake should be adapted to the animal's activity level, which depends on its age and any health concerns. An arthritic dog will move around less and so expend less energy, putting it at risk of unhealthy weight gain. A low energy diet is only imperative if the dog is overweight. It is very important not to simply assume that reduced enthusiasm for physical exercise is a normal consequence of ageing. The dog must be examined to check whether it is suffering from a chronic disease. Regular weighing and medical check-ups are the best way to ensure that ageing-related problems are detected at the earliest opportunity.
Ageing is also accompanied by the modification of digestive capacities and particular nutritional requirements, so food for ageing dogs should have the following characteristics:
- higher vitamin C, E content.
- high quality protein
- higher proportion of the trace elements iron, copper, zinc and manganese
- higher quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids
-slightly higher fibre content to act as "ballast"
As the age dogs suffer from teeth problems, that's why shape, size and hardness of their kibbles must be tailored for their jaw.
A dog that reaches to three quarters of its expected lifespan is regarded as ageing dog. The signs of ageing will start to become more and more apparent and therefore easier to recognise from 12 years for a small dog, 10 years for a medium-sized dog and 8 years foe a large dog. Dietary measures to help combat the signs of ageing need to be intensified when dogs enter this life stage. This will help stay healthy for as long as possible. The following factors are especially important:
- helping to combat cell ageing
- improving immunity and increasing resistance to infection
- combating development of cataracts, degenerative diseases, tumours
- alleviating arthritis
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