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
Senior dogs really do have different nutritional needs — typically fewer calories to avoid weight gain, easier-to-digest protein sources, and added joint support like glucosamine, which matters especially for larger, lean breeds. When and how to shift food depends a lot on the individual dog's breed, weight, and any existing health niggles. So — what breed and age is your dog, do they have any health conditions, and what are they currently eating?
She's a 9-year-old Lurcher, around 28kg and pretty healthy — no diagnosed conditions, though she's a bit stiff getting up in the mornings. I'm currently splitting between wet pouches and dry kibble but I'm trying to work out which is actually cheaper per day and which is better for her at this age.
inparticular.ai
That morning stiffness is really common in Lurchers at nine — they're sighthound-built, so joints and lean muscle mass are worth protecting as they age. On the cost question: wet pouches almost always work out more expensive per calorie than a quality senior dry, and for a 28kg dog you'd be getting through a lot of pouches each day. The nutritional density just isn't there relative to price. Dry is more cost-efficient at her size, provided it's a good one. Is she currently doing well on dry in terms of digestion — no loose stools, eating it happily?
Yeah she eats dry fine, no digestive issues. I was mainly adding the wet pouches to make it more appealing but she's not really a fussy eater. I just don't want to cut corners if she actually needs the wet food for something.
inparticular.ai
If she's not fussy and digests dry well, the wet pouches aren't doing anything the dry can't — they're largely adding cost and not much else for a dog like her. What I'd recommend is James Wellbeloved Adult Senior Turkey and Rice dry kibble. It's a single-protein food, so lower allergy risk, uses highly digestible ingredients, and is fortified with glucosamine and chondroitin — directly relevant to that morning stiffness. For a 28kg Lurcher you'd feed roughly 285–330g a day, and a 10kg bag typically costs around £40–45 on Amazon UK, which works out to about 45p per day. That's significantly cheaper than most wet-plus-dry combinations and better matched to her actual senior needs.
That sounds really sensible. Should I transition gradually or can I just switch her over?
inparticular.ai
Always worth transitioning gradually even if she's not sensitive — over about seven to ten days, replacing roughly a quarter of her current food with the new one every few days. It keeps her digestion settled and lets you confirm she's taking to it well. Given she's otherwise healthy, I wouldn't expect any issues. One thing to watch: Lurchers can be prone to bloat, so keep meals split across two sittings rather than one big bowl, and avoid exercise right after eating. That's more about the breed than the food, but worth flagging while we're talking about her feeding routine.
Really useful, thank you. I'll look up the James Wellbeloved Senior on Amazon now.
inparticular.ai
Good plan — the 10kg bag gives you the best cost-per-day at her size, so look for that rather than the smaller bags. It should land you well under 50p a day all in, which beats the wet-dry mix comfortably. Hope the stiffness eases as the joint supplements build up in her system — it usually takes four to six weeks to notice a difference. She sounds like a lovely dog.
