Better nutrition for senior pets, veterinary care and ownership trends are increasing pets’ lifespans. Long-lived pets tend to be the pets that eat less, but they eat those small portions for a longer time. For example, cats tend to eat less and live longer than dogs, and small dogs likewise live longer than big dogs. Many reptiles and birds live far longer than any dog or cat while usually eating less than their fur-bearing peers.
For example, my mom has cared for her box turtle for more than 70 years. Myrtle the Turtle eats a healthy plant-based diet supplemented with earthworms. My son’s ball python, Reggie, will almost certainly outlive my calico cat, Tigra, although she eats premium cat food. Reggie eats a whole-food diet, literally. He eats a rat every two weeks. Abstemious eating may be one secret to ball python’s long lives. What’s more, Reggie could outlive me. The world’s oldest-known snake was a ball python at the St. Louis Zoo, mellifluously named 361003. She was estimated to be 62 years old when she laid a clutch of eggs in 2020, despite not having been housed with a male for 15 years.
Reggie the Ball PythonTim Wall
Snakes aren’t the only creatures that reproduce late in life. Earlier this month, Wisdom the Laysan albatross laid an egg on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Wisdom is approximately 74 years young. Wisdom eats a lot of fish; maybe that’s her secret. Although even rhyming ancient mariners don’t keep albatross as pets, macaws and similar birds are among the longest-living pets. They eat seeds, fruits, veggies, nuts and other nutritious items.
Have pythons, turtles and parrots figured out the Blue Zone for pets by eating healthy foods? The Blue Zones are supposedly areas where people live longer than in other areas. However, Saul Newman, PhD, of the University College London won the Ig Nobel award for claiming to debunk the idea of human Blue Zones. He noted that much of the supposed longevity can be attributed to poor record keeping, pension fraud and other errors. However, there may be some commonalities among long-lived pets and people. One factor in the Blue Zone concept is that people who eat healthy diets tend to live longer. That makes sense, regardless of retirement-income chicanery and bad medical archives.
Senior formulations for pets
The pet food industry focuses on providing nutritious diets for companion animals. While reptile and bird food sales are dwarfed the mammal market, the dog and cat food market have increasingly focused on long-lived pets. Dogs and cats are living longer, thanks to those healthy diets and veterinary advances. As pet ownership trends move towards smaller dogs and cats, the future may hold more geriatric pets living healthy lives. The market for senior formulations may grow in step.
Certain ingredients may appeal to pet owners looking to increase their pets’ life spans or keep older pets healthy. In an internet-based questionnaire, dog owners who fed plant-based diets to their pets reported fewer health problems in their pets. In particular, the dogs’ owners reported fewer disorders of the eye, gastrointestinal tract and liver in their dogs than owners of dogs fed conventional diets. Dog longevity was longer in the plant-based diet group's responses. Likewise, those dog owners did not perceive adverse effects on their pets’ health from plant-based diets. The journal Research in Veterinary Science published the results in 2022.
Despite the positivity around plant-based dog foods, the researchers noted that those dog owners may have been biased and skewed the results toward supporting herbivory. To avoid cognitive dissonance, vegetarian and vegan pet owners may have perceived the effects of plant-based diets on their pets as more beneficial than they really were. Similarly, pet owners with good experiences may have been more motivated to participate, while dogs’ negative reactions to plant-based diets didn’t elicit an urge to answer a questionnaire.
created by Tim Wall using DALL-E 4
Examples of pet foods for older animals
Regardless of ingredients, pet food makers have produced a wide range of products designed for older dogs and cats. The following examples appear in Petfood Industry’s Product Database.
Quaker Pet Group Senior Wellness Soft Chews
Senior Wellness Soft Chews by Quaker Pet Group are available in three natural formulas. Targeting specific issues senior pets are faced with, the soft and easy-to-chew bites help manage skin, coat, hip and joint issues with proper nutrients and vitamins, the company says.
Fitmin Purity senior and light formulation dog food
Fitmin Purity rice, venison and lamb senior and light formulation is a complete food with reduced energy content, ideal for overweight and senior dogs. Crude protein 25%, crude oils and fats 10%, crude fibre 3.5%, crude ash 7.6%, calcium 1.5%, phosphorus 1%.
Natura Pet Products Inc. Innova Senior dry dog foods
Natura Pet Products Inc. offers Innova Senior Dry Dog Food, Innova Senior Plus Dry Dog Food and Innova Large Breed Senior Dry Dog Food, containing ingredients from the five food groups. Innova’s senior dog food varieties are designed to supply higher levels of protein to compensate for loss of lean muscle mass from aging, sickness and stress. They also are formulated with slightly more fiber from whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Senior dog kibble
Nature’s Variety offers Instinct Raw Boost Senior dog kibble, which combines high-protein chicken kibble with freeze-dried raw pieces in a formula developed specifically to give dog's age seven and up energy and vitality. Senior Dog Kibble incorporates glucosamine and chondroitin to support healthy joints and antioxidants to help maintain a healthy immune system. The kibble also incorporates natural DHA to help support eye and brain health and probiotics to support a healthy digestive system. ", "Nature's Variety says its Instinct Raw Daily Boost powder is a raw protein-based supplement that allows pet owners to provide their pet with the benefits of a raw diet at any mealtime. Designed for both dogs and cats as a daily mealtime supplement, the freeze-dried raw powder can be mixed with kibble or canned food to increase the pet food 's palatability.
Natura Pet Products Inc. Evo Senior Formula dog food
Natura Pet Products Inc. Evo Senior Formula dog food is based on a high-protein, grain-free diet. Using turkey and chicken protein, the formula is designed to support lean muscle mass and maintain ideal body condition, according to the company. The EVO senior variety also includes glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food
Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food is designed to defend the cat's body and brain against aging. The cat food includes fish oil for healthy brain function, L-Carnatine for increased lean muscle mass, phosphorus for bladder health and amino acids for healthy organs, Hill's says. The easy-to-digest formula is made with natural ingredients and helps cats avoid hairballs. The food is a small, easy-to-chew kibble for cats over age 11.
Natura Pet Products Inc. California Natural Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Formula Senior dog food
Natura Pet Products Inc. offers Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Formula Senior dog food in its California Natural limited ingredient line. Specifically formulated to meet the needs of aging dogs, the food is high in protein, has less fat and includes L-carnitine to help maintain muscle mass and lean body weight, according to the company. Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids also are included in the senior formula.
created by Tim Wall using DALL-E 4
