FEEDING OF GERIATRIC DOGS

AND CATS

Submitted to Submitted by
Dr. Madhusudhan H MVHK-1917
Assistant prof deprt of Animal Nutrition
Geriatric Dog or Cat

Dictionaries define “geriatric” as “Pertaining to old people” and

WHO has defined “middle aged” as being 45-59 years, “elderly”
as being 60 to 74 years and “aged” as being over 75 years old.
Unfortunately there is no similar classification for our
domesticated species, and there is no specific definition of a
geriatric dog and cat .

The aging process is influenced by breed size, genetics,

nutrition,environment,etc.

In general dogs and cats are assigned to 3 life stages:the

paediatric stage from birth to 1 year, the maintenance stage
from 1 to 8 years and the Geriatric stage from 8 years onwards.
Goldston (1989) suggested the following ages to initiate geriatric
health care programme in dogs and cats.

Small dogs (<9.07kg) : 9 to 13 years

Medium dogs (9.5 – 22.7kg) : 9 to 11.5 years
Large dogs (23.1 – 40.8 kg) : 7.5 to 10.5 years
Giant dogs (>40.8kg) : 6 to 9 years
Cats : 8 to 10 years

Guinness Records

The new Guinness book of records 1995 recorded the age of

oldest dog and cat as 29 years and 34 years, respectively.
Senior dog foods contain nutrients and characteristics that are
used to improve the health of the aging dog. Aging in dogs
and cats causes many changes to occur physiologically that
will require a change in nutrient composition of their diet.

Effect of Age on Nutritional Requirements

As a general rule , dogs and cats of 7 years age or older may

be considered to be “at risk” for age related health problems.

A thorough physical examination should be conducted

including body weight and body condition score, oral
examination ,skin and hair coat.
 Energy Demand
A major change that occurs is the decrease in energy requirements
which is addressed by lowered caloric content of senior pet foods.
Although energy requirements decrease, protein requirements
increase as the dog ages. Senior dog foods include a higher protein
content as well as highly digestible protein sources to deal with this.

The maintenance energy requirement (MER), or the energy that is

required to maintain normal activity, decreases significantly as a result
of lean body mass loss in aging dogs. The MER can decrease by up to
25% as dogs age due to this loss. Basal metabolic rate is maintained by
lean mass energy expenditure, which accounts for 96% of the function
of lean mass.

Most commercial foods for geriatric pets contain a reduced

concentration of diatery fat and calories.
Protein Needs
A classic study was conducted (Wannemacher and McCoy,1966: J Nutr
88:66) to determine optimal dietary protein requirements of young
and old dogs.

The study evaluated the dietary protein needed to maintain

nitrogen balance and maximize liver protein. It was found that old
dogs actually require up to 50% more protein than young dogs. or at
least 3.75 gm of protein per kg BW.

it is extremely important to not restrict protein consumption to a

senior dog as it can be as just as harmful as protein deficiency in
young dogs.
The rest must be provided by good sources of dietary protein in
adequate quantities. Good sources of protein include eggs and fish,
which have a high biological value.

It has been suggested that excess dietary protein may cause kidney
damage .Though the link is logical studies in dogs and cats have
shown that only high protein diets (protein content as 38% to 49% of
ME) were associated with adverse effects and only in the face of
existing renal failure.

Moderate –protein diets (up to 34% of diet or 20-31% of energy) had

no ill effects and were associated with general improvement as
compared with high or low (<16% energy) protein diets.
 Bone and joint health
Joint deterioration occurs as dogs become senior.

Just as senior humans experience joint trouble, your dog is at risk of

arthritis and pain. And while plenty of commercial dog food
is formulated to support joint health, an additional dog supplement
may be appropriate. Look for a product that contains chondroitin,
and glucosamine—when combined, these ingredients promote
healthy joints.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids include docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and

eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). These two fatty acids have been
shown to improve gait score and lameness in dogs with
osteoarthritis.
 To boost the immune system and reduce inflammation,
omega-3 fatty acids are good for aging dogs.

A good source of omega-3 fatty acids in dog foods include

fish oils and other fish sources (especially salmon and herring)
as well as flaxseed.

Calcium and phosphorus

The bones to be able to heal from any injury or erosion, as well as
maintain their strength to avoid these problem, they need a ready
supply of calcium and phosphorus. Both of these are essential
nutrients according to AAFCO guidelines, and should be included in
a senior dog diet. Calcium and Phosphorus are also very valuable in
the maintenance tooth health of dogs
Gastrointestinal health

Fibre
Beet pulp is a good source of insoluble fiber. Beet pulp provides
fiber to the diet which acts as a stool hardener and aids in lower
tract “cleansing”. The composition of beet pulp is such that it is an
insoluble and moderately fermentable fiber. This means it can add
bulk to the diet as well as moisture to the stool.

Brain and cognitive health

A dogs brain undergoes many pathological changes during the
aging process. senior and aging dog can have possible impairment
of proper cognition. This impairment can include complex learning
tasks as well as memory issues.
The addition of Vitamin E as an antioxidant in senior dog food can
have a positive effect on brain and cognitive health. L-carnitine is an
amino acid and precursor of acetyl-L-carnitine which is a
mitochondrial cofactor. which is used to stimulate better cognitive
function.

Skin and coat health

Several physiological changes in the senior pet can lead to a decline

in skin and coat health.
Soybean oil is a good source of linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is a
polyunsaturated fatty acid that is classified as an omega 6-fatty acid.
Linoleic acid plays an important role in the maintenance of the water
barrier of skin. This helps prevent the dryness and scaly skin that
occurs during the aging process.
 Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that aids in the keratinization
process of hair. This process is important in maintaining a healthy
coat in the aging dog and preventing the deterioration of
epithelial tissues. Vitamin A supplements can be included in senior
dogs diets.good sources of vitamin A includes milk, egg yolk, and
liver and carrots.

Zinc
zinc is among one that is recommended for dogs of all ages. Dogs
experience loss of elasticity and dryness of the skin as they became
old. The addition of zinc in the diet aids in the development of
collagen and wound healing, and also will prevent the skin from
becoming dry and flaky. Senior dogs can obtain zinc in their diet
through the addition of various ingredients, including; red meats,
whole grains, poultry by-product meals, and fish meals.
.
 Copper
Copper has been shown to improve coat conditions by reducing dry
skin and improving the overall pigmentation of the coat.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin is required in the diet to prevent cracking and dry skin, as

well as a darkening of the pigmentation of skin. Riboflavin is also
important for the vision of the senior dog as deficiencies can cause
alterations in blood supply to the cornea which may lead to impaired
vision and potential blindness.
Immune system health
Immune functions start to decline due to compromised ability to
efficiently produce various proteins and cells that are important for
the body's defense system as dogs age.

Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are very important for a strong
healthy immune system and for preventing chronic disease in old
dogs.

Prebiotic and probiotic

Prebiotic and probiotic supplements can help maintain healthy gut

flora. Examples of common prebiotic ingredients in dog foods are
Fructooligosaccharides(FOS),Mannanoligosaccharides (MOS), and
beta-glucan. Examples of common probiotic ingredients in dog foods
are Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium.
Common Nutrient
Common nutrient – sensitive conditions of older animals include
obesity, weight loss, chronic renal failure and congestive heart
failure.

Obesity
Approximately 25% of dogs and cats in the USA are overweight or
obese. Low calorie, high fibre nutritionally balanced diets are
suggested for weight loss. Thus, by using these diets, obese pets can
receive normal levels of protein and other nutrients while decreasing
fat and calorie intake.
Weight Loss
Decreased feed intake obviously cause weight loss in geriatric pets.
The reason may be competition among the group of pets in group
feeding , poor dental health, appetite loss.

Offer fresh food frequently and encourage the pet to eat more.
Chemical appetite stimulants (benzodiazepine, diazepam,oxazepam)
may helpful for short term use in overcoming anorexia.

If adequate intake is not achieved , enteral or parenteral nutritional

support should be considered.
Chronic Renal Failure
The animal is unable to eliminate the waste products of protein
metabolism. Dietary management is an important part of medical
manegement of CRF. Uremia more preferentially azotaemia,
hyperphosphatemia and secondary hyper parathyroidism are common
in CRF.

Research studies in dogs revealed that moderate protein diets (20-

31% ME as protein)helps to control azotaemia rather than high or low
protein diets. Adequate water supply should be made to encourage
urination. sometimes little salt may be provided (if dog has no cardiac
problem) as it acts as saline diuretic.
Protein should be of high biological value. Diets with protein restriction
to 20-31% ME or 12-16% (depending on the clinical symptoms) or
straight forwardly 2g protein/ kg BW and phosphorus restriction to less
than 0.4% of dry matter should be used in dogs with CRF.

Congestive Heart Failure

Nutritional management of the pets with cardiovascular disease must
consider the body condition system of the pet whether obese or
otherwise, medication that are being administered
(diuretics ,vasodilators ,etc.).

Although dietary sodium restriction is given priority ,energy intake

and specific nutrients such as potassium ,magnesium ,and taurine are
of particular concern.

carnitine is also an essential nutrient in some breeds of

dogs(boxer,cocker spaniel) with myocardial disease.
Taurine is recognised as an essential nutrient in cat but not in dog.

Calorie intake of the cardiac patients with either obesity or cachexia

needs to be monitored closely. Obesity should be controlled to
reduce the workload on the heart.

Highly digestible ,high-calorie diets should be offered several times

in a day to cachectic patients to help enhance calorie absorption.

Patients with CHF should not be fed acidifying diets because of

likelihood of acidosis in CHF and the link between acidifying diets and
depletion of both taurine and potassium.

A thorough nutritional assessment of the geriatric dogs and cats is

warranted because certain nutrient sensitive condition are prevelent
in geriatric lifestage.
The diet that is offered and feeding management of geriatric animals
along with the blood and urine biochemical parameters help the
assessment in a holistic way.

Accordingly diets have to be recommended considering the client

preferences (vegetarian/non-vegetarian) and the food budget of the
pets.
THANK YOU