The Benefits of Switching Your Pet to Senior Pet Food

It can be hard to come to terms with your pet being a “senior.” At Instinct, we prefer to call it “Adult 7+” because senior years can start as early as age 7! Many pet parents don’t realize the senior stage begins this early or that pets 7+ can benefit from nutrition tailored to their life stage – especially if they’re displaying signs of aging (like slowing down). 

Dogs spend over half their lives as seniors, while for humans, it’s only 37%. To ensure that pets have optimal nutrition for this long stage of their life, we formulated Raw Longevity Adult 7+ recipes.  

If your dog is age 7 or older, here are top reasons to consider transitioning them to a Raw Longevity Adult 7+ recipe:

NUTRITIONAL NEEDS EVOLVE: Your pet’s nutritional needs change as they age, and one food does not fit all. Puppies, for example, need different nutrient levels than senior dogs. Our Instinct Raw Longevity recipes support those changes and are specifically crafted for the unique nutritional needs of pets ages 7 and up to keep them feeling young and healthy. 

PROACTIVE NUTRITION ADDRESSES AGING: Proactive raw nutrition, like that found in Raw Longevity Adult 7+ recipes, can help address normal aging changes. These changes run the gamut from less efficient digestion and loss of muscle mass to changes in microbiome, cellular stress, diminished immune defense, and cognitive decline. At Instinct, we strive to increase every pet’s healthspan (the amount of time they spend in their healthy years) with proactive raw nutrition.  

More specifically, Raw Longevity diets include high protein with guaranteed levels of amino acids – and specifically, leucine – to aid in muscle maintenance and retention. They have extra antioxidants and probiotics to support your pet’s immune system through added vitamins A, D, E, zinc, and selenium. Our frozen and freeze-dried raw diets also have turmeric and New Zealand Green Mussel to help with mobility; DHA, medium chain triglycerides, and lemon balm for cognitive health, and so much more. 

FROZEN RAW HELPS AGING PETS: Finally, frozen raw pet food is better for aging pets than kibble. As animals age, they develop mild, chronic inflammation. This is a normal aging change, but it is exacerbated by diseases that are common to older animals (such as osteoarthritis, obesity, and kidney or heart disease). Chronic inflammation can even damage DNA, which is one cause of cancer.  

Processed, cooked pet foods contain high levels of AGEs (advanced glycation end products), which worsen inflammation. Raw food, on the other hand, contain minimal to no AGEs. When pets suffering from generalized inflammation switch to raw food, they get relief from these AGEs and thus the inflammation is better controlled.   

Check out our Instinct Raw Longevity Bites and Patties, Freeze-Dried Meals, and 20% Raw Meal Blends for Adults 7+ to get started. Because your pet deserves the best life possible—and it starts with the real nutrition of raw.