Younger dogs eating Senior food?!?
 

So, I've been trying to get my old man(10 years old) to eat senior dog food. Ive been giving him canned Wellness Senior. I think it's better for him bc it's lower in calories and he's overweight...and he's also got health and heart issues and it's lower in salt and easier to digest. Anyways....he's not very fond of it and he will often try to eat Ricky's food instead(which is the same kind of wellness canned turkey that he used to eat before I switched him to Senior). He may bully Rick off his food, if he's eating it...but generally, Ricky picks at his plate and will take a while to eat it( I think he's got doggie ADD because he just doesn't have the patience to sit in one place for long)...and in the mean time, Princeton will see an open opportunity and come finish the plate before Ricky can eat it. I can't really separate them to eat because it can literally take hours after I've put the food down, for them to actually decide to eat it. So...I've basically gotten to the point where I feed them both the same thing because it's too difficult to get them to eat separate kinds food.

Anyways...I went back to feeding him the canned turkey to both of the boys...but I am wondering if I can just switch both of the boys to the canned senior. Will my 2 year old be ok with it...or will he suffer from deficiencies if I feel him senior food??? I think that both of the boys would eat the Senior, if that's the only food around...but if they have the option to eat something else, they will leave the canned Senior on the plate.

What is the protein percentage of the food?

I have a vague recollection of reading that senior dog foods are formulated according to the school of thought that seniors should have less protein and maybe some nutrients. That belief has been challenged by new research.

I would compare the ingredients of the senior food to regular food to decide. I don't think I would feed a young dog senior food.

Feeding two dogs different foods when they don't eat right away is a big challenge. Is there a low sodium alternative that they both can have? For weight maintenance, you could feed your Princeton less. If he is still hungry, green beans might be an alternative, if he can handle them. Use the unsalted frozen.

It is fine. The senior canned is approved for maintenance. A long as they both do well on it.. However, Wellness doesn't do AAFCO feeding trials, so I'd skip the company entirely.

Anyway, if feeding canned it should be treated as if you yourself are eating a fresh meal (you wouldn't leave it out for hours - same goes for canned food). Down for 15 minutes...separate rooms. Pick up what they don't eat and offer at the next meal.

How do you find out which companies do the feeding trials???

It says on the side of the can that it's balanced according to AAFCO standards so I assumed it was AAFCO approved.