On the latest episode of the Trending: Pet Food podcast, Dr. Kelly Fishman, veterinary sports medicine rehab expert and founder of Strut Animal Mobility Specialists, joined host Lindsay Beaton, editor of Petfood Industry, to discuss the evolving nutritional and health needs of senior pets as lifespans increase.
The conversation explored how improved veterinary care has extended pet lifespans while creating new challenges around mobility and frailty in aging animals. Dr. Fishman explained why conventional senior pet foods may actually harm older pets by reducing protein when seniors need twice as much as adult dogs, and she advocated for the industry to move toward fresher, less processed feeding options supported by independent research.
Here are the 10 takeaways from Episode 99: What should senior pet nutrition look like?
- Senior pet definitions vary significantly by size. Small breed dogs (under 50 pounds) reach midlife around 10 years old and become seniors at 11-13, while large breed dogs hit midlife at seven and enter senior years at 8-11. Cats age similarly to small dogs, reaching senior status around 11-13 years.
Frailty is the top concern in aging pets, not internal disease. Despite having excellent blood work and organ health, many senior pets struggle with mobility issues including difficulty jumping, climbing stairs, and maintaining stamina on walks as their bodies break down physically.
"What I actually see, believe it or not, is more frailty," Dr. Fishman said. "Dogs are starting to break down in terms of their mobility. Having a harder time jumping into the car, unable to go up and down the stairs they used to, doing things slipping and sliding on hardwood floors or tile, other things just not being able to go on walks and have the stamina that they used to. Internally, they're perfect."
New age-related conditions are emerging. GOLPP (geriatric onset laryngeal paralysis and polyneuropathy) has become common in large breed dogs like Labradors and golden retrievers, causing voice changes and hind leg weakness — conditions veterinarians rarely saw a decade ago.
"It's a disease that we as vets didn't see that commonly about 10 years ago, but now I see it in a lot of my large breed dogs," Dr. Fishman explained.
Traditional senior pet foods may harm aging animals. Senior-formulated foods typically reduce protein and fat based on assumptions about kidney disease and obesity, but healthy senior dogs actually need twice the protein levels of adult dogs to combat age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia).
"When people think they're doing the right thing by feeding a senior pet food, all of a sudden they're giving them lower protein, and then they're giving lower fat," Dr. Fishman said. "At the same time, you have that senior dog who is aging and they're losing muscle. They have sarcopenia, muscle loss. They're actually doing the worst thing possible by feeding them a senior pet food."
Omega-3 fatty acids are the top evidence-based joint supplement. Cold-water fish oils have overwhelming scientific evidence supporting mobility benefits in arthritic dogs and cats, though they require proper storage and can cause digestive issues in some pets.
"Omega-3 fatty acids have been overwhelmingly proven to benefit mobility in dogs with arthritis and cats too," Dr. Fishman said. "That is what I really suggest as my number one, top joint supplement."
- Green-lipped mussel offers an alternative for sensitive pets. This New Zealand mussel provides natural omega-3s plus vitamins and minerals for joint support in dogs that cannot tolerate fish oil supplements.
- Different joint conditions require different nutritional approaches. While omega-3s help arthritic pets, type 2 collagen is more beneficial for highly active dogs without arthritis, helping prevent cartilage inflammation. Bovine collagen can support both joints and skin simultaneously.
- Muscle support is as important as joint support. Ingredients like fortetropin have been scientifically proven to build muscle and prevent muscle loss in aging dogs and cats, addressing the frailty issue that affects mobility and quality of life.
The supplement market lacks adequate regulation. The FDA has stepped back from regulating pet supplements, creating a "Wild West" where products can make broad claims without proving ingredients match labels or demonstrating efficacy.
"A supplement can say anything," Dr. Fishman noted. "They can kind of make any claim they want. At the same time, they do not have to have what's actually in the supplement and the ingredients on the label on the bottle may not even be true."
The veterinary community needs better dialogue about diverse feeding approaches. Dr. Fishman hopes the veterinary profession will become more open to discussing fresh, frozen, lightly cooked, and freeze-dried diets alongside traditional options.
"I think as veterinarians -- I really hope as a veterinary community -- we don't look down on those other types of diets as much as we currently do, because I know a lot of people really shut down when they go to their vet and they want to talk about not just feeding the kibble," she said. "I do really hope that as we're moving forward as a profession, that we are learning about what we should be feeding our dogs."
