Hi there!

Thank you so much for your kind words—I really appreciate you taking the time to read through my articles. It means a lot!

That’s great to hear you’re thinking ahead for your dog’s senior years. Moving to freeze-dried can be a really nice step, especially for digestion and overall energy.

About your question—yes, you’re right. While Instinct worked very well for my smaller dog, I found it wasn’t always the best fit for larger breeds in terms of calorie density and portion size.

For bigger dogs, I had a better experience with brands like Stella & Chewy’s and Primal Pet Foods. Both tend to offer higher-calorie formulas and chunkier pieces, which work better for large dogs who need more energy per meal. They also held up well digestion-wise, which was a big win.

That said, every dog is a bit different—especially at 10 years old—so I’d suggest trying a small bag first and seeing how she does. Watching her energy, stool, and appetite will tell you a lot pretty quickly.

Thanks again for your thoughtful comment, and give your pup a little extra scratch from me