By Courtney Prue | October 19, 2025

Ensuring Senior Pets Get The Nutrition They Need

Nutrition for Senior Pets: What Changes With Age?

As our pets age, their nutritional needs usually change. Let’s look at how aspects of the ageing process impact nutritional requirements in dogs and cats.

The effects of ageing on a pet’s nutritional requirements

Dogs:

In general, when dogs age, their metabolism slows down. They become less active, and require fewer calories in their diet as a result.

In addition, their muscle mass declines, and this is difficult to regain, especially for elderly dogs with limited movement mobility restrictions. Therefore, ageing dogs require additional high-quality protein to help maintain existing muscle.

Senior dogs have a tendency to gain weight, and excess weight can exacerbate joint issues and generally make a dog’s life more challenging. Therefore, weight should be monitored, and if your dog is overweight, you may need to discuss a calorie-reduced diet with your regular veterinarian.

Dogs with dental problems may benefit from eating some dry foods, however if they are missing a significant number of teeth, wet food might be easier for them, or you can add some water to their regular dry food to make chewing easier. For more tips on dietary and feeding changes for senior dogs, see “Diet or Supplement Advice” on our senior pets website here.

For dogs with chronic health conditions, like arthritis, dental problems, kidney or liver issues, the absorption of nutrients they ingest may be impacted. They may also have a reduced appetite. All of these factors come into consideration when making changes to their diet.

Common Challenges in Feeding Older Dogs:

• Reduced appetite from medications or illness
• Pain from dental disease
• Limited variety due to food sensitivities or medical diets
• Cost of specialty diets

Cats:

Like with dogs, as a cat ages and they engage in less activity, their muscle mass declines, and they may lose weight. Some cats also may gain extra weight as they burn less energy.

A number of chronic diseases (chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, heart disease, obesity, cancer and so on) can impact how a cat absorbs nutrients, and their diets may need adjusting as a result.

Wet food is preferred for elderly cats, as it has a higher moisture content and is easier to chew, however for dental health, some dry food is also beneficial. It’s best to offer your cat a balance, and observe if they prefer wet over dry food. If a cat only eats the dry food, you should monitor how much water they are drinking, to ensure they’re taking in enough fluid.

Common Challenges in Feeding Older Cats:

• Flavour fatigue and picky eating
• Dental disease or missing teeth
• Digestive issues (e.g., pancreatitis, IBD)
• Dehydration risks with dry food-only diets

For detailed advice and product suggestions for maintaining healthy weight and hydration for your senior cat, see our resources here. 

Identifying Nutritional Deficiency in Ageing Pets

There are certain signs that can indicate your pet is missing out on key nutrients in their diet. Of course, these signs may indicate a number of conditions, so it’s always best to discuss anything you notice with your veterinarian, and they can perform relevant tests to determine the cause. 

At home, it’s helpful if you observe and track your pet’s appetite, weight, muscle condition, and stool quality, so that you can present this information to your vet at the annual or biannual visit. For detailed suggestions on weight management, including how to accurately and regularly weigh your senior pets, click here. 

Common signs your pet may be nutrient deficient are:

Dogs:

• Dull coat,
• Flaky skin,
• Weight loss,
• Lethargy,
• Poor wound healing,
• Gastrointestinal (GI) issues.

Cats:

• Patchy, greasy coat,
• Changes in weight,
• Regular soft stools and/or vomiting,
• Low energy and/or weakness.

To determine the cause of the above symptoms, your vet will likely run urine/stool and blood tests to understand if there are underlying deficiencies, and will also use body and muscle condition scoring to determine your pet’s overall health.

Key Nutrients Older Pets Need

Whilst all pets, no matter their age, require a balanced diet that is rich in nutrients, ageing pets may need additional nutrients. Let’s look at nutrients that commonly need to be topped up for elderly pets.

Dogs:

• Protein: Quality sources of protein are required to maintain lean muscle mass,
• Omega-3s (EPA/DHA): These support cognition, joints, and are anti-inflammatory,
• Glucosamine & Chondroitin: These both support the joints,
• Antioxidants: Vitamins E and C are helpful for cellular health,
• Fibre: Aids digestion.

Cats:

• High-quality animal protein: Cats primarily rely on meat for their nutritional needs,
• Taurine: For heart and eye health,
• Omega-3s: Help with inflammation and brain ageing,
• B Vitamins: For nerve and digestive health,
• Moisture: Wet food helps prevent dehydration.

Ensure you discuss any changes to your senior pet’s diet with your regular veterinarian. 

Caloric and Fat Needs

Dogs:

• Unless they’re especially active or underweight, senior dogs need fewer calories than their younger counterparts,
• Fat intake should be monitored to avoid weight gain,
• Owners should focus on helping their dog maintain good body condition more so than following a low-fat diet. Your vet can help with an appropriate eating plan for your pet.

Cats:

• The caloric needs of senior cats will vary depending on the cat, and on how active they are. Some will gain weight whereas others will lose it. Weight loss may be difficult to detect judging only by appearance (especially with fluffy cats), so ensure your cat is regularly weighed at the vet, or at home if possible. Regular weight checks are ideal, as you can adjust feeding accordingly. For an excellent tip on weighing your senior cat at home, click here, 
• Senior cats benefit from quality fats, like fish oil or chicken fat.

• Wet food is most often best for elderly cats.

Feeding Regular Cat Food to Ageing Pets – Potential Problems

Standard adult pet food is formulated to meet the needs of active, healthy pets that are in their prime. For senior pets, however, these formulations may not offer sufficient nutrient support, and may not cater to chronic conditions. Issues with regular pet food include:

• Protein Quality and Quantity: Senior pets require highly-digestible, high-quality animal protein to help maintain muscle. Many standard adult pet foods don’t provide this.
• Hydration: Older pets are prone to dehydration and benefit from moisture-rich diets, whereas diets for younger adult pets are heavily kibble-based and lack moisture.
• Calorie Density: With age-related changes to metabolism, calories may need to be increased or decreased, depending on your pet. For dogs, a reduction in calorie intake may help to maintain a comfortable weight.
  For senior cats, some need fewer calories if they are overweight, and others may need more concentrated calories to prevent weight loss. Regular adult cat food may not be tailored to your senior cat.
• Palatability: Ageing pets may have reduced senses of taste and smell, which may limit their appetite. Regular adult food may be too bland for your ageing pet, whereas pet foods for seniors are often designed to be more enticing. For an excellent suggestion to enhance flavours for senior pets, see here. 

Choosing a senior-specific or veterinary-prescribed diet can help address these gaps and ensure your ageing pet continues to receive the nutrients they need to maintain health and quality of life.

Identifying Good Senior Pet Food

Dogs:

• Choose tailored senior formulas or vet-recommended diets
• Seek out pet foods that meet PFIAA (Pet Food Industry Association Australia) standards
• Real meat should be the first ingredient in any pet food
• Avoid foods that include excessive fillers or vague ingredients
• For a selection of Rest Your Paws vet-approved senior dog foods and supplements, see here.

Cats:

• Choose foods with specified animal protein sources
• Wet food is preferred for hydration
• Avoid “all life stages” foods, unless your vet has suggested they are okay
• Whilst you should look for “complete and balanced” on the label, you need to also read the ingredients, and ideally, discuss best options with your cat’s vet
• For a Rest Your Paws vet-approved hydration support food for senior cats, click here. 

Feeding Ageing Pets on a Budget

We all want to give our ageing pet the best food possible, however the cost involved with special pet diets can be overwhelming. There are some ways you can keep costs down however. Here are some ideas:

• Buy larger bags of senior pet food, or buy in bulk. Generally, the price per kilogram will be cheaper than for smaller packaged bags. Also, shop around for best deals.
• Consider loyalty programs or pet food subscriptions, which may offer discount prices.
• For dogs, you can supplement their pet food with safe, nutritious human foods (e.g., pumpkin, unsalted sardines). 
• If you have leftover food from a can or sachet, consider placing the leftovers in a container and freezing them for the next feed, to prevent wastage.

And remember to always discuss any changes to your senior pet’s diet with your regular veterinarian. 

Feeding Ageing Pets

When introducing a new diet to your pet, it’s important to transition to those new foods slowly, and to adjust their diet as required based on changes to their energy or weight. Always communicate with your regular veterinarian regarding how your pet is adjusting to their new diet. 

With the right nutrition and care, senior pets can enjoy many healthy, happy years ahead. Thoughtful feeding and regular monitoring go a long way in supporting their aging bodies and bright spirits.

Related Posts: Senior Pet Resources

About Rest Your Paws

We are dedicated to supporting pet owners through their animal’s ageing journey. While we are known for our gentle and compassionate end-of-life care, our focus extends well beyond Pet Euthanasia and Aftercare. We also offer comprehensive Quality of Life Assessments for senior pets, which help owners understand their pet’s health, comfort, and happiness. These assessments provide clarity and guidance around pain management, mobility, nutrition, and emotional wellbeing — ensuring that senior pets can enjoy their later years with dignity and as much joy as possible.