Barf Tips for Senior Dogs
Just as we, as we age, need to strengthen our diet to compensate for the passage of time in our bodies, so do our dogs.
The nutritional basis remains the same, that is, continue feeding it with Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (Barf/Acba diet) but we must take into account the following:
Vitamin Supplement:
Accompanying your dog's daily diet with green tripe or the herbs we will tell you about below will stimulate the dog's metabolism.
The herbs that you can use in small doses are:
- Equisetum: effective against infections and other serious conditions of the kidneys and bladder, stones and sand.
- Spirulina algae: Spirulina algae is rich in protein, amino acids (including the 9 essential amino acids), vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Spirulina algae detoxifies and helps cleanse toxins and heavy metals from the body, strengthens the immune system, promotes healthy skin and shiny hair, helps maintain good digestion and promotes the health of the dog's mouth,
- Dandelion Root: It is a natural diuretic product that stimulates the production of bile. For this reason, it is especially indicated for dogs with stomach problems due to an increase in acid in their stomach. In addition, by stimulating the production of bile, it helps improve circulation in the liver. Dandelion root also helps with liver problems and inflammation of the kidneys. Attention: In large quantities it can reduce the dog's blood sugar levels.
- Burdock root: It purifies the blood, encourages hair growth and helps fight tumors. It is mainly used as a preventative, especially in breeds prone to tumors.
Less exercise, less quantity
If your dog does less physical exercise due to problems such as arthritis, to avoid being overweight, it is advisable to reduce the amount of daily food.
If your dog is still able to do the same amount of exercise as before, and you see that he is not gaining weight, you can continue giving him the same amount of food.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin
When dogs reach an advanced age, their body does not produce enough collagen for their body and, either due to having played a lot of sport, due to a genetic predisposition due to their breed or because they are large breeds, when they reach senior age, dogs may suffer from dysplasia, osteoarthritis, hernias, joint wear or other locomotor pathologies.
It is therefore important to provide them with a greater amount of Chondroprotectors natural such as:
- Pig ears, legs or masks.
- Mussels and other mollusks such as clams, octopuses… (the meat, not the shell).
- Windpipe pork, lamb, beef, etc.
- Dogfish, blue shark and other types of sharks for consumption.
- Chicken skin.
Remember that if you are not feeding your dog a Barf diet, but rather feed, 12 hours should pass between the feed and any raw food. And between the intake of raw food and the feed, 6 to 8 hours should pass.
Grind food and reduce bones
Especially for dogs with worn teeth and who produce less saliva, it is best to facilitate their intake by not giving them pieces that are too large. In addition, it is advisable to reduce the amount of raw meaty bones, but then they should be supplemented with a calcium supplement.
If your dog continues to have a perfect mouth, you can continue to keep the large pieces and continue giving him raw meaty bones.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that a senior dog needs a reduction in protein, but if this is the case, the immune system would be weakened and the activity of enzymes would be reduced, which would accelerate the aging process. The dog's body needs protein to build and maintain tissues.
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