Alpha for senior dogs
Alpha is a UK dry dog food brand built around straightforward, everyday recipes rather than a large range of life-stage formulas. There is no recipe in the current range named specifically for senior dogs, so this page covers which of their food genuinely suits an older dog and points you towards dedicated senior recipes from other brands we stock if that is what you are after.
What Alpha actually offers
Alpha's dry dog food range is built around a handful of everyday, working and sensitive recipes rather than a full spread of life-stage options. That keeps the range simple, but it means there is nothing on the label that says senior, mature or seven-plus, unlike brands that split their range by age.
For most healthy older dogs, a lower-activity recipe or a sensitive formula from the same range is a reasonable substitute for a dedicated senior food, since the main differences a senior diet targets — calorie density and easier digestion — often overlap with what those recipes already offer.
What to look for if age is the priority
If your dog has slowed down noticeably, put on weight, or has joint stiffness, a food formulated specifically for senior dogs is worth considering over adapting an everyday recipe. Those foods are typically lower in calories for the same volume and often include added joint-support ingredients that a general-purpose recipe does not.
We stock a range of dedicated senior dog foods from other brands alongside the Alpha range, so you are not limited to one option if a senior-specific recipe turns out to suit your dog better.
For this need
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Harringtons Adult Dog Salmon & Potato
Complete salmon and potato dry dog food with 21% protein in a 1.7KG bag
£6.25
Common questions
- Does Alpha make a senior dog food?
- Not currently — their range does not include a recipe labelled for senior dogs specifically. Their everyday or sensitive recipes are a reasonable option for many older dogs, but a dedicated senior food from another brand may suit better if your dog has age-related weight or joint changes.
- What age is a dog considered senior?
- It varies by size rather than a single age. Smaller breeds are often not considered senior until nine or ten, while larger breeds can show age-related changes from around six or seven. Your vet is best placed to judge this for your own dog rather than going by breed averages alone.
- Should I switch my older dog's food gradually?
- Yes. Any food change, including a move to a senior-formulated diet, should happen gradually over a week or more, mixing increasing amounts of the new food with the old, to avoid an upset stomach from switching too abruptly.
- Can I just feed my older dog less of their usual food?
- Reducing portion size can help with weight gain, but it also reduces the vitamins and minerals your dog gets from a complete diet if taken too far. A lower-calorie or senior-formulated food is generally a better way to manage an older dog's weight than simply feeding less of the same recipe.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.