# No Kirkland Food for Seniors



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

Hi all. I have 2 male pit/lab mixes, ages 5 and 13. The older one has had hypothyroidism since age 1. All their lives I have fed them Kirkland (Costco) Lamb & Rice Adult dry food, no complaints. 1 kind, purchased at one store, dumped into 1 storage tub for both. Now I am wondering about food for older dogs. My vet doesnt feel strongly about it, so I am on the fence about it. But Kirkland doesnt make a senior dog food. 

Is there a food that is equivalent to Kirkland in cost and quality? Should older dogs be switched to senior food automatically, or does it depend on certain things? I have not noticed any changes in the dog's eating habits or digestion. but he is losing some weight. (the plan is to feed him extra and reweigh him in 2 weeks) It would be nice if I could stick to the present menu for cost, storage and shopping reasons, but of course the dog's health is more important than my issues.
Thanks!


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## PUNKem733 (Jun 12, 2009)

No need to feed senior formulas to an older dog. Most of the time, the it's all marketing, and a gimmick. I have a 15 year old dog, and he gets fed Evo (or was), Orijen, and Horizon Legacy, and those are among the highest protein, fat foods out there, and my dog isn't active at all, and he is normal weight. Usually senior formulas are nearly the same as an adult formula, it just has less fat.

I say keep feeding them the normal Kirkland brand, and adjust your feeding amounts according to weight loss/gain.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

thegoodstuff said:


> Hi all. I have 2 male pit/lab mixes, ages 5 and 13. The older one has had hypothyroidism since age 1. All their lives I have fed them Kirkland (Costco) Lamb & Rice Adult dry food, no complaints. 1 kind, purchased at one store, dumped into 1 storage tub for both. Now I am wondering about food for older dogs. My vet doesnt feel strongly about it, so I am on the fence about it. But Kirkland doesnt make a senior dog food.
> 
> Is there a food that is equivalent to Kirkland in cost and quality? Should older dogs be switched to senior food automatically, or does it depend on certain things? I have not noticed any changes in the dog's eating habits or digestion. but he is losing some weight. (the plan is to feed him extra and reweigh him in 2 weeks) It would be nice if I could stick to the present menu for cost, storage and shopping reasons, but of course the dog's health is more important than my issues.
> Thanks!



Kirkland, Diamond Naturals, Tractor Supply 4Health, Chicken Soup for the Soul...they are all Diamond made foods...pretty much similar fomulas....I'd try all of them if thats what you are looking for.


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## ziggy29 (Feb 1, 2010)

I really don't think most healthy senior dogs need a special "senior formula." If he's losing weight, that's all the more reason to NOT use a "senior formula" because they are lower in fat and calories.

If your dog is healthy and doing well on the Kirkland, there's no reason to switch to a comparable "senior formula" elsewhere since you'd probably have to spend at least twice as much per pound to get comparable quality with a different food.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

Senior dog food is a marketing gimmick. It is no different that regular dog food except in a few instances they add glucomsimine and maybe chondroiton but in those cases, it is in such small amounts as to make no difference physically in your dog. If you feel your dogs need those chemicals, it's far better to give them in pill form.


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## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

One thing I forgot to mention is the 13 y/o, 90 lbs 6 months ago, now 82 lbs, gets the chewable glucosamine/chondroitin 250/250 tabs twice a day.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

Raw is spot on w/ the Glucosomine comment. 

It's a marketing gimmick and anything added to food is too small to do a damn thing. 

If you feel Glucosomine is appropriate for your Dog, give him a supplement.


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

thegoodstuff said:


> One thing I forgot to mention is the 13 y/o, 90 lbs 6 months ago, now 82 lbs, gets the chewable glucosamine/chondroitin 250/250 tabs twice a day.


I would really just try upping the amount of food that you are feeding him and see how that goes. Going to a senior food will just make his weight loss worse. It has less calories, and they generally achieve this by removing meat and adding fillers.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

I have a 10 year old GSH Pointer who eats Taste Of The Wild. It is an all life stage food and she is doing great on it. She also gets glucosamine/chondrotin chews daily.

I agree to just up his food intake and re-weigh in a few weeks. :smile:


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## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

Thanks for all the quick responses! Its unanimous. Clearly, it is BS. I feel much better. Thank you


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