Diet For The Aging Dalmatian

Dalmatians are considered old when they reach seven years of age.  There are certain changes that occur as dogs age that changes their nutritional requirements.  As they age, their metabolism slows and must be accounted for. If maintenance rations are fed in the same amounts while metabolism is slowing, weight gain may result.  Obesity is the last thing a dog owner wants for his Dalmatian, since it increases his risk of several other health-related problems.

As pets age, most of their organs do not function as well.  The digestive system, the liver, pancreas and gallbladder are not functioning at peak effect.  The intestines have more difficulty extracting all the nutrients from the food consumed.  A gradual decline in kidney function is considered a normal part
of aging.  Elderly dogs need to be treated as individuals.  While some benefit from the nutrition found in "senior" diets, others might do better on the highly digestible puppy and super-premium diets. The latter diet provide an
excellent blend of digestibility and amino acid content, though many are high in salt and phosphorus than the older pet really needs. 

Older dogs are also more prone to developing arthritis and therefore it is important not to overfeed them since obesity puts added stress on the joints.  For Dalmatians with joint pain, supplementing the diet with fatty acid combinations containing cislinoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid can be quite beneficial.