Nutritional Needs of Older Dogs As our dogs age, they go through
a lot of significant physical changes. Their nutritional
requirements change as well. The way the body uses energy
changes, along with the amount of substance needed to produce
energy. This process, known as metabolism, tends to slow down,
especially in dogs, so that the need for fat and calories
decreases. The lack of knowledge in the area of animal
physiology has led many pet owners to unknowingly overfeed their
aging dogs, which has led to a growing population of overweight
and obese dogs, and the illnesses that accompany these
conditions. The Health and Disease Link Older dogs are already
more at risk for developing kidney and heart disease, diabetes,
arthritis, and various forms of cancer. The immune system also
weakens with age, leaving older dogs at a higher risk of
infection and slowed healing. For some, there is a genetic breed
link that predisposes them to disease. To combat, or to at least
mitigate the effects of these conditions, the