Older dog changing food preferences

[Sagegreenvelvet]

Our 14 year old terrier has over the last year gone off his premium wet and dry food (he’s always been mix fed) and tolerated two other brands before hunger striking off them.

Pattern seems to be stop eating the wet, strop eating the dry, start eating next brand wet then dry then repeat. He’s currently on tins of Caesar as it’s the only thing he will eat.

We’ve had his teeth checked and some removed a year ago and another check up is booked this week.

Any similar experiences or advice?

I think older dogs often just lose appetite and so it takes something tasty and different to tempt them again. Nothing stays novel forever so you tend to have to switch up foods with some regularity to keep them interested.

Have you tried rotating between 2-3 brands so that there's always an element of novelty?

Humans in old age often just lose much of their appetite and interest in food. Not because there's anything diagnosably or fixably wrong with them, but just as part of getting older. You never see a plump 95 year old!

Do get the vet check, but I wonder if there's something similar going on with your dog.

We buy sachets and add a little pâté to tempt her. Throw away anything she leaves so it’s always fresh.

Yes, quite common. I used to buy the smallest of everything so I could vary it without too much waste. More wet food and something tasty like sardine. Sometimes home cooked. More frequent small meals. Anything to tempt him to eat.
It could be his teeth again though so it's good you're getting him a check up.