Dog Food Life Stages: Nutrition from Puppy to Senior Years

Owning a dog can be one of life’s great pleasures and people acquire dogs from young, fresh-faced puppies to adopted golden oldies ready to see out their last years in a loving home. Whatever the age of the dog you have, nutrition is one of the most important things to know about and to get right. Good nutrition creates healthy bones and muscles but it can also make a difference to brain and organ development and even affect training capabilities.

All animals and humans go through what we call different lifestages. As our dogs grow and develop and then start to age, their nutritional requirements change. It’s important as pet parents that we recognise these life stages and change their food accordingly to keep them slim, healthy and in great shape. A lifestage dog food will grow with your dog, so it's important that you understand what your furry family member needs from their puppy to senior years.

What are dog nutritional requirements?

Dogs love to play with their owners and explore, but they need energy to do so. Nutrients are substances that are obtained from food and used as a source of energy and for vital bodily functions. They’re essential for an animal's growth, and can be considered maintenance tools to keep your dog in optimum health. Just as your car requires fuel (and other types of maintenance) to run, your dog needs food to keep them going too.

There are different classes of nutrients that your dog needs in their diet: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. Choosing a complete and balanced food that includes those nutrients will help young dogs grow and older dogs stay healthy. The lifestages of dogs are roughly divided into;

• Puppies - newborn puppies (0-8 weeks)

  • Small/medium breeds 2-12 months, large/giant breeds 2-12/18 months

• Adult dogs 

  • Small/medium breeds 1-6 years, large/giant breeds 12/18 months to 5 years

• Mature dogs 

  • Small/medium breeds 7-10 years, large/giant breeds 6-8 years

• Senior dogs 

  • Small/medium breeds 11+ years, large/giant breeds 9+

Newborn puppies

When dogs are first born and for the next several weeks, their complete nutrition comes from their mother's milk. This is also important for their immune systems because antibodies from the mother should protect the puppies too. However, if the mother is ill or the puppies are orphaned, a commercial milk replacement will need to be given to the young puppies. Your veterinarian can educate you on how to choose a replacement, as well as how to feed newborn puppies who do not get milk from their mother.

Eventually, they'll begin to naturally wean from their mother's milk and begin to digest solids. During lactation the puppies’ mother should be fed ad lib puppy food to help supply all the calories and nourishment she needs to maintain her and her puppies. This can be wet or dry as long as it’s complete and balanced. As the puppies grow they will naturally start to explore the food and mimic their mother. If the mum is on dry food, soaking it prior to feeding will help the puppies when their teeth are very tiny. As the puppies grow they will start to eat more and more solid food and take less milk. Mum will soon get fed up with them too and start to take herself away for longer periods of time. Usually by around 8-9 weeks most puppies should be weaned and ready to go to their new homes.

Puppies (2-12 months)

Once puppies are weaned, they'll get all of their nutrition from dog food, so be sure to choose something that's not only tasty but healthy too. Growth and development is hard work and puppies require and use a lot of energy, so young dog nutritional requirements include increased protein, higher calorie density and certain other nutrients such as fatty acids and calcium to support healthy growth and organ development. Puppies’ stomachs are relatively tiny so they need several small meals a day. Your vet can give you guidance on the number of meals for their age. Some people drop to two meals for adulthood but there is no reason they can’t have more as long as their ration is split and they stay slim.

Dogs come in a huge range of sizes these days and not all dogs are the same when it comes to nutrition. Large breeds are generally those that are likely to be over 25 kg as an adult. These dogs need to grow more slowly than small breed dogs to keep their joints and bones healthy. Always make sure you choose a large breed puppy food for these dogs. Ask your vet if you’re not sure.

Expect puppies to play with their food at first. While eating may start as a game, young dogs will enjoy the taste and look forward to the flavours and sensations of chewing. As we said, at the outset, it may help to slightly moisten dry food to get your dog comfortable chewing.

It’s very important to have regular weight checks throughout life but especially from birth to adulthood. This helps make sure that your puppy is growing properly and not too quickly. Growth charts are really useful for this. It's also important to have regular weight and body condition checks with your vet to make sure your puppy stays slim. Slim puppies tend to become slim adults and vice versa so keeping them lean is great for lifelong good health.

Adult dogs (1-6 years)

Most small and medium sized dogs reach their adult life stage around their first year. At this stage of life, dogs require nutrition for maintenance, so it’s important to transition to an adult dog food at that time. Very large and giant breeds may take up to 18-24 months of age to be skeletally mature so ask your vet about when is the right time to switch from puppy to adult food.

An adult dog's food is based on size and activity level, so an extremely active pet would have different nutritional needs from a less active lap dog. Imagine the difference in the calories needed between someone who sits at a desk all day and a marathon runner! 

If you have any questions as to how much you should be feeding your dog, it's best to check with your vet, but never overfeed your furry friend.

Once you've chosen the type of food that's the best fit for your dog, remember that other elements, such as temperature, will influence changes in your dog's diet. Extreme heat and cold will burn more of your dog's energy, and they’ll need to make up for that in their diet. Also, an activity change, such as starting an exercise regimen, will change the amount or type of food you offer your pet. 

Because adult dogs don't need the same nutrients to help them grow that puppies do, the best dog food for your adult dog is one that is specially formulated for their adult needs. Continuing to feed your adult dog puppy food once they’ve reached their full size can lead to weight issues, as puppy food tends to be rich in growth-based nutrients and too calorific for many adult dogs.

Mature dogs (7-10 years)

Again, this lifestage varies with breed. In general, the bigger the dog, the shorter the lifespan. So a great Dane might be considered senior at the age of 7, whereas a 15 kg crossbreed would be considered only just mature. Seek advice about your individual dog’s lifestage from your vet.

This lifestage is often overlooked. While your dog still has lots of life in them and probably doesn't have problems playing and exercising with you, you may notice that they’re starting to slow down a little and their play sessions aren't as long as they used to be. Dogs are no different than humans in this regard. Just as we slow down with age, so do they, so it’s vital to feed them foods that meet their mature adult needs. Because your dog has slowed down at this stage of their life, they need more nutrients devoted to healthy organ, bone and muscle maintenance. A food formulated for their needs at this age will keep them feeling young and active. 

With increasing years, calorie requirements go down in general. Many humans notice that they hit 40 and suddenly everything seems to result in weight gain! It’s the same for mature dogs. Foods aimed at this lifestage are usually lower calorie but higher fibre so your dog still feels full and satisfied. Again, those regular weight checks are really important. Not only so that you can adjust their ration but so that you can spot early signs of problems such as obesity. Weight loss is also important to spot on these checks. Weight loss can be the very first subtle sign of lots of older dog conditions so spotting it early can actually be a lifesaver.

Senior dogs (10+ years)

A dog will reach their senior years typically around age 10, but again it can differ between size and breed of dog. Every dog differs, so be sure to ask at your dog's annual checkup if they have reached or are approaching their senior years.

As your dog ages, their nutrition needs will change with their bodies. For example, metabolism often slows down significantly, so many senior dogs, like mature dogs, don't need food that is rich in calories. A senior dog food will take this into account and will be specially formulated to help maintain your dog’s normal body functions and mobility. Some senior dogs may struggle to keep weight on. Sometimes this is because they are simply losing fat weight but often it is because they are losing muscle mass. This is a condition called sarcopenia that comes with age, much the same as in humans. Losing lean muscle mass can be problematic because your pet may become weaker and get into a vicious circle of muscle loss and weakness. Your vet may do different measurements to tell if your dog is losing fat or muscle mass and then be able to recommend exactly the right food for your individual dog. 

It’s in the later mature and senior lifestages that dogs may start to get age-related conditions such as joint disease or organ issues such as heart or kidney issues. Senior dogs may also experience brain-ageing, just like humans do. There are many therapeutic diets with specially-altered nutrient profiles that can make a huge difference to your dog’s quality and length of life. Ask your vet about these options if you feel your dog may benefit.

Choosing dog food for each stage of life

Deciding on what to feed your dog shouldn't be a difficult choice. If you need help to decide between the many choices available to you, first narrow down the options to your dog's age group. Next, consult your vet for any individual nutritional considerations for your dog. The vet will consider your dog's breed, size, health and energy output to help you make the right choice.

When you love your dog so much, it's easy to want to spoil them with treats and snacks. Just remember to share healthy dog treats when training your dog. Dog treats shouldn't make up more than ten percent of your dog's diet. And don't forget to keep fresh, clean water available to your dog at all times.