Royal Canin X-Small Ageing 12+ Dry Dog FoodUnder 4 kg adult weight · 12 years and over

Toy breeds reach twelve in reasonable shape more often than bigger dogs do, but reaching it isn't the same as being unchanged by it. Teeth have worn or gone, joints are stiffer first thing, and there's often a vagueness that wasn't there before — she stands in doorways, or forgets she's been fed.

The kibble rehydrates, so it can be softened with a little warm water for a mouth that no longer manages dry biscuits comfortably. Behind that, an exclusive antioxidant complex with tea polyphenols and lycopene supports cellular health, and EPA and DHA at 4.5 g/kg support both joints and cognitive function. Phosphorus is held to 5.5 g/kg to spare ageing kidneys — the mental side is the part owners tend not to realise is nutritionally addressable. Highly digestible nutrients mean she gets more from less, which matters when appetite has dropped. For dogs over twelve with an adult weight under 4 kg.

• Healthy Ageing
• Joint Support
• Brain & Vitality
• Digestive Health

Ingredients

Rice, maize flour, maize, dehydrated poultry protein, maize gluten, animal fats, vegetable protein isolate (L.I.P. — protein selected for its very high digestibility), hydrolysed animal proteins, chicory pulp, minerals, fish oil, soya oil, psyllium husks and seeds (1%), tomato (source of lycopene), fructo-oligo-saccharides, hydrolysed yeast (source of manno-oligo-saccharides), borage oil, marigold extract (source of lutein). Additives (per kg) — Nutritional additives: Vitamin A 30,000 IU · Vitamin D3 800 IU · E1 (Iron) 50 mg · E2 (Iodine) 5 mg · E4 (Copper) 15 mg · E5 (Manganese) 65 mg · E6 (Zinc) 149 mg · E8 (Selenium) 0.11 mg. Sensory additives: tea extract (source of polyphenols) 150 mg. Preservatives. Antioxidants.

Looking after it

Store in a cool, dry place, sealed. Use within six weeks of opening. Add a little warm water if she's struggling — leave it two or three minutes to soften. Twice-yearly vet checks from twelve rather than annual; things change faster now. Keep her routine steady, keep her bed somewhere warm and off the floor, and don't move the furniture round — an older dog navigates partly from memory. Fresh water, always.