Nutritional needs change significantly as dogs age. Evidence-based senior nutrition supports organ health, mobility, and quality of life in the final life stages.
Senior dog nutrition is an area where good management delivers meaningful welfare improvements. The common mistake of severely restricting protein in senior dogs "to protect kidneys" is not evidence-based and may cause muscle wasting that worsens mobility and quality of life. Current recommendations support maintaining adequate high-quality protein while monitoring kidney function. The primary nutritional welfare concerns in senior dogs are obesity management, joint health support, and appropriate prescription nutrition for diagnosed conditions — all highly actionable.