- Purina has partnered with the Senior Dog Veterinary Society to enhance nutrition education for veterinary professionals.
- The collaboration will offer RACE-approved continuing education webinars led by board-certified veterinary nutritionists.
- The initiative focuses on helping veterinary teams provide more individualized nutritional care for aging dogs.
- The first webinar, Feeding the Healthy Senior Dog: Nutrition Strategies for Proactive Aging, is scheduled for Aug. 6.
- The partnership reflects growing demand for proactive senior pet care as more than half of U.S. dog-owning households now include a senior dog.
As the population of senior dogs continues to increase, Purina and the Senior Dog Veterinary Society (SDVS) have announced a new partnership designed to help veterinary professionals better address the nutritional needs of aging canine patients.
The collaboration will provide SDVS members and the broader veterinary community with educational resources focused on the role of nutrition in supporting healthy aging, including webinars presented by board-certified veterinary nutritionists.
Supporting Proactive Senior Care
According to Purina, more than half of U.S. dog-owning households now have at least one senior dog, creating a growing need for veterinary teams to recognize and manage age-related changes before significant decline occurs.
“Senior dogs are not simply adult dogs who have reached a certain birthday,” said Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, senior veterinarian at Purina. She noted that changes in muscle condition, mobility, cognition and digestive health can develop gradually, making nutrition an important component of preventive care.
Unlike other life stages, there is no universally accepted definition of a “senior” dog because aging varies by breed, size and genetics. As a result, nutritional recommendations often require an individualized approach developed with veterinary guidance.
Continuing Education Opportunities
Through the partnership, Purina will sponsor RACE-approved continuing education webinars for SDVS members, with each session offering one hour of CE credit.
The first webinar, “Feeding the Healthy Senior Dog: Nutrition Strategies for Proactive Aging,” will be presented by Purina veterinary nutritionist Martha Cline, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition), on Aug. 6, 2026.
SDVS Co-Founder Dr. Monica Tarantino said the collaboration will help veterinary professionals better understand how nutrition can be integrated into proactive senior dog care and provide practical strategies for supporting healthy aging in clinical practice.
Purina said the partnership is intended to equip veterinary teams with science-based nutritional insights that can be incorporated into individualized care plans for senior canine patients.
Information sourced from the company’s press release.
