Originally Posted by
smartrock
My older boy will turn 10 in September. He currently eats regular dog food, not one meant for seniors, with a good percentage of protein (26-30%). He gets some additional supplements, Dasuquin, Vitamin C, and fish oil, to try to maintain joint health. Most folks on here would not recommend changing to a "senior food" as long as what he's currently eating is working well for him.
Some of the senior foods have lower protein, more fiber, or claim they have glucosamine/chondroitin for joint health. Generally the amount of those supplements in the food is insufficient to make any therapeutic difference so if you want to supplement, do it separately. If you're concerned about cognitive issues, I'm not sure supplements contained in the food would make a difference either. I've only seen one person on here that I recall say they supplement with anything that might effect cognition, although others may. I know at least one company makes a food for seniors that they claim keeps their minds sharper. It can be hard to sort out fact from marketing hype.