Hi! My senior dog passed 2 years ago, she was 17 and half
when she died. I had her on a premium senior dog food
for years. You not only have to watch there weight as they
get older but you should watch the protein levels. It gets
harder for a dog to break down the protein as they get older.
When a dog is over weight and has arthritis it puts more pressure
on there bones and joints. I have a German sheperd and she
has elbow dysplasia. She is 3 years old now, but before her
first birthday she already had arthritis in her elbow joints because
of the disease so the vet advised me to really watch her weight.
It would be a good idea to talk to your vet and get his advice
on a good healthy diet for your friend.
I also took very good care of my old friends teeth, a lot of times
dogs teeth get real bad over time and when they are real old
they cannot chew there food well or not at all.
Usually the protein levels are lower in senior dog foods and they
add needed vitamins and mineral for the senior years.
Also the larger the dog the lesser the life span. My shepherd mix
died at 13 of old age. And my 17 and a half year old was a
medium sized dog around 40 pounds. Although some big dogs
suprise everyone and hang around for a long time.
You could also try petfinder.com they have a library of information
on all sorts of dog information.
Give your sweetie a hug for me!