As your dog ages, his metabolism slows down and becomes less active. Senior dogs usually develop health problems, including weight gain, arthritis, and stunted hip and elbow joints. Changes in the joints can cause lameness and pain. Others may be less obvious, such as a weakened immune system or a decline in cognitive function. There is evidence that diet can help delay these age-related changes. senior dogs do not need to consume as many calories a day as when they are young and energetic. They need a high-fiber diet. Adding probiotics, glucosamine and chondroitin to a diet that promotes digestive health or supplements that help with joint and hip health, digestion, cognition, and skin and fur care are recommended.
To ensure nutritional balance for senior dogs, here is a compiled list of homemade dog foods that are safe for senior dogs. Not only are these recipes nutritious, they can also serve as a delicious treat for your furry friend.
Contents
Beef & Sweet Potato High Protein/Grain-Free Senior Dog Food Recipe
Ingredients
4.3 lb. (1953 grams) 85% Lean ground beef, COOKED/pan-browned
16 1/8 cup (3225 grams) Sweet potato, COOKED/baked without salt
6 1/4 teaspoon (29.6 grams) Corn oil
8 3/8 cup (1131 grams) Canned green beans, drained
26 3/4 tsp (67 grams) Canine powder
Directions
①Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
②Rinse sweet potatoes, poke the skin a few times with a fork and place them on a foil-covered sheet pan. Roast in the oven until they’re slightly soft when pressed, about 40-50 minutes. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool. Scoop the flesh out and discard the skins.
③While sweet potatoes are roasting, cook ground beef in a large pot on the stovetop until there is no more pink color to the meat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat (discard pan drippings) and allow it to cool.
④Open and drain your canned green beans while waiting for sweet potatoes and beef to cool.
⑤Measure all ingredients according to the recipe using a kitchen scale, measuring cups and spoons. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well.
Tips
Sweet potatoes are mainly composed of water and dietary fiber, protein, starch amino acids, etc., senior dogs eat sweet potatoes to help its intestinal peristalsis, thereby improving constipation. Sweet potatoes contain carotene, vitamins, potassium and other substances that are effective in preventing cardiovascular disease and are good for dogs’ hearts. Sweet potato skin has a substance called chlorogenic acid, this substance has a strong biological activity, its main role is to prevent fat accumulation, help dogs lose excess fat. The large amount of vitamins in sweet potatoes can increase the dog’s resistance, and the adiponectin in sweet potatoes can mediate the metabolism of insulin in the dog’s body. It is important to note that although there are many benefits to eating sweet potatoes, dogs should not eat too much of them. Because sweet potato starch content is also high, eat much easy not to digest, and may bring about flatulence.
Green beans are a great source of fiber, which helps dogs by boosting their metabolism, especially if they need to lose weight. Fresh green beans can be used instead of cookies. You can also heat them up and add them to dog food. It is rich in B vitamins, copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium, fiber, can maintain vascular elasticity. In addition, green beans are rich in protein to maintain the nutrition of senior dogs.
Blueberry & pumpkin chicken brown rice
Ingredients
1/4 pound 75-80% lean ground beef
2 cups COOKED brown rice
1 hard boiled egg (with shell)
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup blueberries
Directions
①Brown the beef in a frying pan until cooked completely through. You’ll need about 3/4-1 cup of DRY brown rice to make 2 cups of cooked brown rice. Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packaging.
②Mash the boiled egg. Combine the egg, cooked brown rice, cooked ground beef, pureed pumpkin and Blueberries in a medium-size mixing bowl. Mix until thoroughly blended.
③Once the food has cooled, you can feed it to your dog. The recommended serving size is about 1/2 cup for every 25-30 pounds of body weight. This recommendation is for 2 servings per day.
Tips
Blueberries are chock-full of nutrition, including some of the most essential vitamins and blueberriesminerals that are good for dogs: Antioxidants, Silicon, Selenium, Zinc, Iron, Rich in vitamins. Blueberries have the highest antioxidants of all foods and help to improve heart health, and blood pressure, and improve memory/brain function. They have even been shown to protect against aging and cancer!
Pumpkin is also a superfood for senior dogs. Pumpkin is incredibly nutritious with relatively few calories and a huge amount of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. One of the biggest benefits of adding pumpkin to this homemade senior dog food is its high fiber content, which aids in digestion and helps with weight control.
