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
A 13-year-old Bichon Frise and a 6-month-old puppy under the same roof — that's a lovely but genuinely tricky feeding situation, because what's right for one is actively wrong for the other. Senior dogs typically need fewer calories, easier-to-digest protein, and more joint support, while puppies need the opposite: high energy and growth-focused nutrition. The key is making sure each dog eats their own food, every time. To point you to the best senior option, it would help to know: does your Bichon have any health conditions — dental issues, kidney concerns, weight problems? And what are they currently eating?
She's 13, a Bichon Frise called Maisie. No major health conditions, but she's had some dental work done over the years and her joints are a bit stiff. She's currently on a generic supermarket senior food. The puppy is a Cockapoo and he tries to eat her food constantly.
inparticular.ai
That's really helpful. Maisie's stiff joints and dental history are exactly the things a good senior food should be addressing — and a generic supermarket senior blend usually doesn't go far enough on either front. The joint stiffness tells me she needs a meaningful level of glucosamine and omega-3s, not just a token amount. The dental history means softer kibble or at least smaller, easier-to-chew pieces matter too. One more question: is Maisie at a healthy weight, or has she been creeping up a little in her older years?
She's pretty much a healthy weight, maybe very slightly on the fuller side. The vet hasn't flagged it as a problem.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — that makes the choice straightforward. I'd move Maisie onto Royal Canin Bichon Frise Adult 8+. It's breed-specific, which matters more than it sounds: the kibble is shaped and sized for a Bichon's small jaw and is easier to pick up and chew, which will be kinder given her dental history. The formula has a controlled calorie level that suits a slightly fuller small senior dog, a decent glucosamine and EPA/DHA profile for her joints, and it supports skin and coat health too, which Bichons often need. On the puppy-stealing problem — feed them in completely separate rooms with the doors closed, or use a microchip-activated feeder for Maisie so the Cockapoo physically cannot access her bowl. The Royal Canin comes in 1.5kg and 3kg bags on Amazon UK, so you can trial it without committing to a huge quantity.
That makes a lot of sense. How quickly should I switch her over from the supermarket food?
inparticular.ai
Transition over 7 to 10 days to avoid any digestive upset — start with about 25% new food mixed into 75% old, then move to 50/50 around day four, then 75% new by day seven, and fully switched by day ten. At 13, Maisie's gut is a bit less forgiving than a younger dog's, so don't rush it. If you see loose stools at any point, just hold that ratio for an extra day or two before moving on. Once she's settled on it, you should notice her being keener on mealtimes — the breed-specific formulas tend to be quite palatable.
Great, and is the microchip feeder idea practical? I've heard of them but never used one.
inparticular.ai
Very practical for exactly this situation. The SureFlap SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder is the one I'd suggest — it reads your pet's existing microchip or a supplied RFID collar tag, and the lid opens only for the registered pet. You place it at Maisie's station, register her chip, and the Cockapoo gets nothing when he noses at it. It's widely available on Amazon UK. It also means you can leave food down for Maisie if she's a slow grazer, without worrying the puppy will hoover it up. At 13 she deserves to eat in peace, and it genuinely solves the problem without you having to supervise every meal.
