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Unlike larger-breed dogs that are considered mature or senior at age 5, small-breed dogs usually don’t experience age-related changes as early. But by age 7, your small dog is mature or senior, and his nutritional requirements are changing. You can help keep your dog active, happy and healthy with a specially formulated mature diet that delivers highly digestible, enhanced nutrition.
The changes your small dog is going through affect him in many ways. You may notice a dull, dry coat and flaky skin, energy loss or weight gain, more frequent intestinal problems, joint stiffness and a loss of lean muscle mass. It’s true that an aging dog may require fewer calories, but your mature or senior dog still needs high-quality protein and carefully balanced nutrients.
What your dog needs is a high-quality, balanced maintenance food formulated for a small dog’s changing metabolism. Look for options with these age-essential nutrients:
These ingredients are the keys to mature nutrition whether you feed dry or wet dog food or give your dog treats.
Additionally, small dogs have small mouths and small stomachs. A nutrient-dense mature formula with smaller kibble may help make food easier for your dog to chew.
Older, less-active dogs are prone to weight gain. Keeping your dog at a healthy weight can help minimize the risk of developing diabetes or joint stress. Your dog can benefit from a weight-control diet with these key ingredients:
While your mature or senior dog’s nutritional needs may be changing, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have many active, happy years ahead. Make sure your dog can make the most of them by feeding him a proper diet designed for mature small-breed dogs.
Wheat is a grain used as a high-quality carbohydrate source in dry dog foods and biscuits. It provides energy for daily activity, as well as processing characteristics for the food. IAMS™ research has shown that including wheat in a complete and balanced diet results in a moderate glycemic response in dogs, which is lower, in general, than the response observed when a rice-based diet was fed. 1,2
A common misconception is that feeding wheat causes food allergies. The facts are:
Gluten (a protein found in wheat) is responsible for wheat-sensitive enteropathy, occasionally found in Irish Setters from the United Kingdom. Gluten enteropathy of Irish Setters is a malabsorption syndrome, which responds to the removal of wheat (gluten) from the diet. This condition is very rare, and the reason some dogs develop it is not yet clear.
1 Sunvold GD. “The role of novel nutrients in managing obesity.” In: Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Vol II: 1998 IAMS Nutrition Symposium Proceedings. Carey DP, Norton SA, Bolser SM, eds. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 1998; 123–133.
2 Bouchard GF. “Effect of dietary carbohydrate source on posprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentration in cats.” In: Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Vol III: 2000 IAMS Nutrition Symposium Proceedings. Reinhart GA, Carey DP eds. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2000; 91–101.
3 Jeffers JG. “Responses of dogs with food allergies to a single-ingredient dietary provocation.” J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1996, vol 209(3): 608–611.
