Can I feed my senior dog Big Dog?
Yes. Senior dogs can enjoy our raw foods.
Our Wellbeing diet is formulated specifically for an ageing dog. Most ageing pets will start to put a little weight on and whilst they are just so damn cute and cuddly, just like us, it’s not recommended that they carry too much extra weight. Extra weight obviously has its own detrimental health effects, but it can also cause extra pressure on their joints. Unfortunately, there is a pattern, weight gain leads to inflammation, which leads to joint issues.
The Wellbeing diet is a lower fat diet than our standard range of diets, you will also find the protein has been reduced, not significantly, but reduced enough so we can include a more extensive range of ingredients that are anti-inflammation and assist healthy ageing.
Our Sensitive Skin recipe is loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients, which is great for nourishing skin conditions but also fantastic for inflammatory conditions, like joint issues. Sensitive Skin raw food diet contains excellent sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids from whole salmon and sardines. This unique recipe is also perfect for dogs with joint issues who need anti-inflammatory dietary support to help manage this condition. Sensitive Skin is higher in fat than Wellbeing, at 13% fat.
Another low-fat option for our senior dogs is our Kanga Single Protein recipe. Kangaroo is a rich, lean protein source and a perfect alternative for dogs who are allergic to other meat proteins. Being a wild game source, Australian kangaroo has minimal to no exposure to environmental chemicals, making it even more suitable for dogs that suffer from allergies. Our Kanga recipe is a beauty and our lowest in fat at only 5%.
For dogs that are facing health challenges, we also have our Nourish Nutrition range. Our Joint+ Support is formulated for dogs for the dietary support of bone, muscle, joint, tendon, ligament and connective tissue. Our Optimal Support is formulated for dogs for the dietary support and maintenance of health organs such as kidney and liver.
Related FAQs
Can puppies eat raw bones?
Yes, puppies can eat raw bones, always supervise this activity. From about 3 months old you can introduce them to poultry bones. We recommend poultry bones for puppies as they’re softer on puppy teeth.
How strictly do I need to adhere to your feeding guidelines for my dog?
Our feeding guidelines that are located on our packaging and website are a guide. It's important to remember that your pet's metabolism, breed, size, age and activity level may affect their overall nutritional requirements. The important thing to focus on ultimately is that your pet is within a healthy weight range. Use our feeding guide as a starting point, feed and monitor their weight and adjust their feeding amount if required.
Our feeding guide is based on the life stage and energy requirements of your dog.
The calculation uses:
Resting Energy Requirements (RER)
Body Weight (BW)
Maintenance Energy Requirements (MER)
Life Stage Factor
Calculation:
RER= BW(kg)0.75 x 70
MER= RER x life stage factor
Refer to link for example calculation and life stage factors:
Many people wish to include a serve of meaty bones for dental health and treats for rewards and / or training - these also need to be considered as part of the daily energy from food being provided to your pet.
Dr Nicole's article on weight management for pets.
Introducing our Kangaroo recipe to your dog
Kangaroo is a very rich tasting, 'gamey' meat. Some dogs will love the unique taste while others may regurgitate or reject the food and need a slow introduction.
How often should I feed my puppy?
Puppies and kittens should be fed more regularly than adults.
A rough guide for your puppy or kitten would be:
2-4 months: 4 meals per day
4-6 months: 3 meals per day
6-12 months: 2 meals per day
Puppies and kittens require more food, more regularly than an adult dog or cat due to the amount of growing and developing they will be doing in the first 6 or so months of their lives. Making sure they get adequate nutrients regularly in this life stage is essential.
Allowing pregnant and lactating pets to feed as often as they want is ideal.
Are low fat diets suitable for puppies?
We generally don’t recommend our Kangaroo recipe for puppies who need a higher fat diet to fuel them as they grow. In instances where a puppy has a suspected allergy and a low allergen protein, like Kangaroo is suitable, extra fat will need to be added to the diet to increase these levels for puppies, or you will need to feed MORE of these recipes to make sure they're getting enough calories each day.
Puppies requiring single protein diets can eat our Turkey or Goat single protein recipes.
Which product should I feed my dog?
Big Dog has a product suitable for dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Our core range of diets are flavour based, mixed protein diets that provide all the macro and micronutrients your dog needs to be healthy and happy. These include protein, amino acids, healthy fats (including omega-3 fatty acids), moisture, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, fibre, phytonutrients, active enzymes and essential vitamins and minerals. Mixed protein raw food diets, most closely represent an evolutionary diet. The predominant protein source in each of our core diet range represents the flavour of that product. Our core range consists of Beef, Chicken, Tasmanian Salmon, Lamb, and Combo (combo being a mix of all those proteins).
Our single protein, allergy range is formulated for dogs with food intolerances to certain meats, most commonly being beef and chicken. As a single protein diet, our Kanga and Turkey diets contain only muscle meat, offal and bone of these species. Additionally, Kanga is a low fat option that may be suitable for overweight dogs.
Our Scientific range has been formulated to address dogs with health conditions, assisting from the inside out. The Sensitive Skin diet contains an abundance of natural anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids designed to promote healthy skin, coat and a stronger immune system, as well as long term healing and reduction of potential future skin issues. Our Wellbeing Diet has been specifically formulated to support dogs with common chronic health conditions including arthritis, pancreatic issues, liver problems, renal conditions and some cancers. It is lower in fat with a mixture of traditional healing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and health-promoting herbs.
Nourish Nutrition has two specialised recipes, Optimal Support and Joint+ Support. Nourish Nutrition is a targeted range of raw, functional diets designed to support dogs managing chronic health conditions, naturally. Backed by research and crafted with care, each recipe combines whole-food ingredients with functional nutrients to delivery gentle, effective support for joint, immune, and organ health. Trusted by pet parents and vets alike, Nourish Nutrition offers a holistic, science-informed approach to feeding our pets.
For more information on each product, see our products page for dogs.