Senior dog food for a 10-year-old mixed breed

Senior dogs have genuinely different nutritional needs — typically lower calories, better digestibility, and more joint support — but when and how to transition depends heavily on the dog's breed and current health. A 10-year-old mixed breed hitting that vet-classified senior threshold is a good moment to reassess, but it doesn't mean panic-switching overnight. To point you in the right direction: what breed mix is your dog, roughly how much do they weigh, are there any health conditions in the picture, and what are they eating currently?

That's a genuinely good position to be in — healthy weight, no conditions flagged, a food she's tolerated well for years. At 22kg with a Labrador-collie background, the main things to get ahead of now are joint support (Labradors are prone to hip issues as they age), a modest calorie reduction to keep that good weight as her metabolism slows, and slightly higher protein to maintain muscle mass. You don't need a dramatic overhaul. What you want is a senior kibble that's close in texture and format to what she knows, so the transition is easy on her stomach. Does she have any digestive sensitivity, or has she always been pretty robust on that front?

Perfect — that makes this straightforward. My recommendation is Hill's Science Plan Senior Vitality Adult 7+ Medium & Large Breed dry dog food in the chicken flavour. It's formulated specifically for medium and large breeds from seven years onwards, which fits her exactly. It has controlled calories to protect her weight as her activity level naturally dips, added glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health before problems start, and a higher protein-to-fat ratio that helps preserve muscle. Crucially for a dog who's been on Eukanuba Adult, it's a similar kibble format and palatability level — so you can do a straightforward 7–10 day transition by mixing increasing amounts of the new food with her current one, and she's very unlikely to balk at it. It's widely available on Amazon UK and reasonably priced for the quality.

For the transition: days 1–3, feed about 75% her current food and 25% the Hill's. Days 4–6, go 50/50. Days 7–10, flip it to 75% Hill's and 25% Eukanuba, then full Hill's from day 10 onwards. Because she has no digestive sensitivity you could probably move a little faster, but slower is always safer. On portions: at 22kg, the Hill's Senior Vitality feeding guide puts her at roughly 230–250g per day for a moderately active dog — check the bag for the exact bracket. If she maintains her current good weight after four to six weeks, you're in the right zone. If she starts to look even slightly heavier, trim it back by 10% before assuming you need a different food.

You're doing exactly the right thing by acting on it early rather than waiting for a problem to appear. A healthy 10-year-old with good weight and no conditions is in a strong position — the switch to a senior food now is genuinely preventative rather than reactive. Keep an eye on her weight and energy over the first couple of months, and if anything shifts unexpectedly, go back to the vet. But honestly, with a dog like this, you're just fine-tuning something that's already working well.