This is a specific conversation about Senior dog food — what changes as they age — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Moving an eight-year-old Aussie off raw onto a commercial senior food is genuinely one of the trickier switches to get right — raw-fed dogs often have digestive systems that are well-adapted to fresh protein and can react badly to a sudden change in format, not just ingredients. Senior dogs do tend to need fewer calories, easier-to-digest protein, and more joint support, but the right product and pace depends a lot on the individual dog. What's going on with your Aussie specifically — any existing health issues like joint stiffness, sensitive stomach, or weight concerns — and what are they on right now in terms of raw?
She's 8, an Australian Shepherd. No major health issues but she's starting to slow down a bit and I've noticed some loose stools occasionally. She's been on raw for about four years — mostly chicken and beef mince with some veg. I want to move to something more convenient but I'm worried about upsetting her stomach.
inparticular.ai
That makes a lot of sense. The occasional loose stools on raw can actually be a sign the format is starting to suit her less as she ages, so you're not imagining things. The key with a raw-to-kibble switch is going slower than you think you need to — raw sits in the gut differently, and the digestive enzymes needed to break down processed food take a few weeks to ramp up. For an Aussie her age, I'd also want something with good joint support built in, moderate protein from a named single source, and no cheap fillers that are going to keep irritating her digestion. Is she a healthy weight right now, and is cost a factor in what you're looking for?
She's a good weight, maybe very slightly on the lean side. Cost isn't a huge issue as long as it's reasonable — I don't need to go to the absolute top end but I want something that actually works.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — slightly lean actually gives you a bit of flexibility, because some senior foods are quite calorie-restricted and you don't want to drop her weight further. My recommendation for your situation is Forthglade Complete Senior Dry Dog Food with Chicken and Oats. It's a cold-pressed kibble, which sits much closer to raw in terms of how it processes in the gut — lower temperature manufacturing means more intact nutrients and it's noticeably gentler on digestion than standard extruded kibble. It's single-protein chicken, which she's already used to from her raw diet, so you're not introducing a new protein on top of a new format. It has good joint support from added glucosamine and chondroitin, and the oats give it a prebiotic fibre base that actively helps settle digestion during the transition. For the switch, I'd go 80% raw, 20% Forthglade for the first week, then 60/40, then 40/60, then full switch over about four weeks. That slower pace will make a real difference to her stools.
That sounds really sensible. Should I be adding anything alongside it, like a probiotic, to help with the transition?
inparticular.ai
A short course of a canine probiotic during the transition weeks is genuinely useful — it's not essential but it does smooth things out, particularly for a dog coming off raw. Pro-Kolin Enterogenic is a solid option and widely available. That said, if you stick to the slow four-week transition and her stools are looking good after week two, you probably don't need to continue it beyond the switch period. The bigger thing to watch is that her energy stays stable and she's actually eating the Forthglade with enthusiasm — Aussies can be opinionated about food changes, so palatability is worth monitoring early.
Really helpful, thank you. One last thing — the Forthglade, is that easy to find? I usually buy from Amazon.
inparticular.ai
Yes, Forthglade Complete Senior is available on Amazon UK — the 10kg bag is the best value for a dog her size and is typically well-stocked. Just make sure you're selecting the Senior variety rather than the Adult, as the calorie and joint supplement levels differ. Good luck with the switch — given she's already used to chicken and she's in decent health, I'd expect her to settle onto it well within the month.
