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Are age-specific diets really necessary?

6 October 2023

What’s the go with age-specific diets?

Is ‘puppy’ or ‘senior’ food just marketing hype?

Puppy and kitten diets. Adult dog and cat diets. Senior 7+ and 12+ diets. So many diets are recommended for different stages of your pet’s life. But do different ages truly need different diets? Or is it a load of fluff made up by pet food companies to sell more food?

It’s indeed a fact. Pets do benefit from age-specific diets.

Different age, different nutritional needs.

Puppies and kittens should be on a special diet until they’re at least 12 months old (or 18-24 months for larger dog breeds). Not only do growing animals need more energy than adults, they also have different requirements for protein and nutrients like calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, amino acids, and fatty acids. All play a big part in healthy development and growth.

On the other hand, senior animals need less energy and absorb nutrients differently to youngsters. Senior diets take this into account with a special balance of protein and electrolytes to help mature pets get the best out of their old age. It’s generally recommended to switch from an adult to a mature or senior diet at around 7 or 8 years of age, depending on breed.

Diets that aren’t tailored to age can impact health.

For example, feeding growing puppies the wrong diet can lead to abnormalities in cartilage and bone development, which can mean deformities for life.

In fact, nutritional imbalances in dietary calcium, vitamin D and phosphorous have been linked to developmental orthopaedic diseases in puppies, including hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis dissecans1,2.

Nosh’s puppy and kitten diets have what’s best for growing pets.

Nosh’s puppy and kitten diets have been independently tested by Massey University’s Nutrition Laboratory to ensure the best nutrition possible. Balanced with the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and essential nutrients, they’re perfect for giving your little friend the best start to life.

Shop Nosh today

 

Want to learn more?

  1. Effects of limited food consumption on the incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs by RD Kealy, et al. Journal of the American Veterinary Association.1992;201(6):857-863.
  2. Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism occurring in a strain of German Shepherd puppies by K. Kawaguchi, et al. Japanese Journal of Veterinary Research.1993;41(2-4):89-96.

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