Switching to a "senior" diet…

[Woofless]

Just curious about anybody's opinions regarding the necessity of switching to a "senior" dog food when the pups start getting older.

I have heard both schools of thought on this. Folks say it's either necessary or it's not. I don't feed one of those "all life stages" foods (and buying one means either a 90 mile trip or mail-order, both of which are options I'd like to avoid :).

Jibini will be 9 this December and he seems increasingly less tolerant to dietary changes. Now he seems to get loose stool a lot more frequently- even though he gets NO table food, no extra tidbits, and only one type of treat (Wellness brand) very infrequently. He is currently eating Blue Buffalo adult formula, which he's eaten for probably 3 yrs now with no problems. Chloe eats it as well & she is fine, so I think it's Jibini's problem, not a funny bag of food or something.

I hope to be able to make the switch to raw once we complete our move; I plan on raising my own chickens & rabbits. But for now, kibble it is….and Blue Buffalo is the best food I can get within a reasonable distance since Tractor Supply sells it.

So any opinions? Do I try Jibini on the Blue senior diet; is there a supplement that might help, or do I need to bite the bullet & put him on another brand (suggestions?)
Thanks!

[Basenjimamma]

You might want to try to give him some enzymes or probiotics. There are several pet brands out there, some people even give their dogs yogurt for probiotics and it works great.
I have given Otis in the past, pumpkin in the can, not the pumpkin pie filling but the plain Libby's pumpkin and it works wonders on loose stool.
Give him only 1tbsp mixed in with his food. All my dogs are on raw and I highly recommend it, but understand that you want to wait until you are in a better place in life..Blue buffalo is good food, I really like the grainfree version, maybe "wild??"something I don't remember, sorry.

[BDawg]

My dogs are both on senior diets. I think the main difference is the amount of calories. The senior food is less calorie dense because the assumption is your dog is less active. Most of them also have supplements for joints andother old age issues. My kids will pick Blue Buffalo apart and only eat one type of the pellets. Grrr. So they're currently on Merrick's Senior blend. And I also considered Wellness's Senior forumula. I've also heard salmon oil is supposed to be good for older dogs. ?? But I've never tried it.

[agilebasenji]

My boyz (almost 13, almost 12) are on Evo small bites. One gets probiotics in the evening meal, the other not. Both are on joint sups.