As dog owners increasingly take a proactive, preventative approach to managing their pets’ well-being, Nestlé’s Purina is partnering with the Senior Dog Veterinary Society to help veterinary professionals address the specific healthy aging and nutritional needs of older canines. The initiative aims to equip veterinary professionals with “actionable strategies” to support more personalized care for older dogs. According to Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, a senior veterinarian at Purina, senior dogs are not simply adult dogs who have reached a certain birthday. She notes that subtle changes in muscle condition, mobility, cognition, and digestive health may begin before a more significant decline, creating an important opportunity for veterinary teams to take a more proactive approach to senior dog care — especially through nutrition.
Purina points out that there is no universal definition of the “senior” life stage for dogs, unlike puppies or adult dogs. This is because life expectancy and aging rates can vary significantly by breed, size, genetics, and environment. Due to this lack of a definition, organizations such as the Association of American Feed Control Officials have not yet outlined specific nutritional requirements for senior dogs.
The company says this emphasizes the need for individualized pet nutrition created together with veterinary nutritionists and backed by scientifically proven benefits. Monica Tarantino, a doctor of veterinary medicine and co-founder of the Senior Dog Veterinary Society, adds that senior dogs don’t wake up one day and suddenly become old. They change gradually, and nutrition is one of the ways we can support them through that process.
Tools for Senior Canine Care
The Senior Dog Veterinary Society issues training certifications from industry specialists and researchers to guide veterinary professionals through advancing their care for older canines. Within the initiative, Purina will provide veterinary professionals with additional tools, including nutrition webinars led by board-certified veterinary nutritionists. These sessions are designed to build clinical expertise and empower veterinary teams to use nutrition as a tool for healthy aging.
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This focus on applying personalized nutrition as an active approach to healthy pet aging reflects similar themes in human nutrition — a trend that suppliers have observed in increasingly “humanized” animal companion diets. Experts suggest studying animal health as an integrated biological system, rather than targeting a single organ, pathway, or biomarker in isolation.
While this partnership focuses on veterinary education, the broader pet food industry continues to expand its physical footprint. Last month, Nestlé announced a CHF520 million (US$641.9 million) investment in a new Purina pet food plant in Mantova, Italy. The facility is scheduled to start manufacturing super-premium wet foods for cats and dogs in 2029 to meet growing demand across Europe. Earlier this year, Purina also launched a new factory in Vargeão, Brazil, to grow production of its wet food for cats and dogs. The site exports products while also serving local demand, which the company notes is still expanding as one of the largest global pet food markets, with around 110 million pets.
Human health and the health of our animal companions share a deep evolutionary history. The way we fuel our bodies has shaped our development for thousands of years. Sugar fuelled human brain growth, and that same metabolic foundation remains relevant in understanding modern aging.
