In summary, the new Black Hawk Original Mature range has some unique offerings for our older dogs: higher protein and lower calories, as well as joint-supporting glucosamine and chondroitin, and probiotics for total gut health. 

Both flavoursome varieties have been specifically designed to fulfil the needs of mature dogs. 

Black Hawk Original Mature Chicken & Rice includes the goodness of Australian chicken – a highly digestible, lean and versatile protein that is packed with the amino acids essential for building strong bones and muscles. Black Hawk Original Mature Lamb & Rice includes the goodness of grass-fed Australian lamb – also a highly digestible protein source, but rich in iron and vitamin B12 which may help your dog’s heart health.  

The major difference your dog will notice, of course, is the taste. Having two different proteins on offer means that we can cater to their preferences, ensuring that they find every meal a delicious one.  

The Black Hawk Original Mature range has been formulated to meet the specific needs of an ageing dog. It provides added nutritional support and is lower in calories than the majority of the Black Hawk Healthy Benefits range.  

By comparison, the Black Hawk Healthy Benefits range is created for adult dogs of all ages but tailored for dogs with specific needs: Sensitive Skin & Gut, Joints & Muscles, Weight Management and Dental. Long-term feeding of these foods will support dogs according to the specific needs which have have recognised as their greatest health concern.   

If it’s the diet that fits them best, Heathy Benefits can and should be fed to your dogs throughout their older years too. When a specific body system needs some nutritional help, it’s best to continue supporting them with a targeted product as it is long-term feeding that will make the most significant difference to your dog. 

The Black Hawk Original Mature range is crafted to provide nutritional support and enhance the overall wellbeing of dogs aged seven years and older. This premium offering includes both a lamb or chicken variety, to make transitioning from our adult range easy for your dog. 

The range includes chicory root, which is high in inulin to help feed beneficial bacteria to keep your dog’s gut balanced. We have also included two live strains of probiotics: Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, to assist your dog in supporting a healthy microbiome and enabling total gut health. 

We have selected high quality Australian proteins, chicken and lamb, which are highly digestible and support the maintenance of lean muscle mass in mature and senior dogs.  

Supplementary L-carnitine has been added to support your dog’s fat metabolism, and blueberries and cranberries have also been included, which are rich in antioxidants to help combat cellular ageing. 

We have also included fish oil, a natural source of EPA and DHA omega-3s, plus green-lipped mussel which naturally contains chondroitin. When combined with supplementary glucosamine, these chondroprotectants provide a synergistic effect that may support joints in mature and senior dogs. 

This important decision is about finding the food that works best, and fits you and your dog’s preferences. There is no wrong answer as all Black Hawk diets are high quality, prioritising digestibility and taste. 

If your dog has a specific health concern, the product you’ve selected from the Healthy Benefits range is likely the most suitable option. Whether it be Sensitive Skin & Gut, Joints & Muscles, Weight Management or Dental, these diets have been created to help you take a ‘step up’ and address one or two of their body systems. 

As your dog ages, they change, and so does their lifestyle. So, what they’re fed and how much they’re fed should change too. 

The guide below provides a general indication of how much to feed your dog based on its age and weight. However, it’s important to remember that this is just a guide. If you are unsure or think that their body condition has changed, please ask your vet or reach out to our Customer Care team for a bespoke recommendation.  

Absolutely! Older age doesn’t exclude our best friends from enjoying treats, whether they are used to show our affection, as a training aide, or as a source of entertainment when needed.  

While older dogs can benefit from specific nutrition in their everyday food, it’s only when they have specific dietary restrictions that you need to become particular about the type of treat you are offering on an occasional basis. Don’t forget that as a general guide, treats shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your pet’s diet. You can read more about healthy dog treats here.

When your dog is fed a high quality, complete and balanced diet, there is no need to supplement with scraps, left-overs or home-made meals.  

In fact, additional foods will ‘dilute’ the long-term effects and benefits of having a consistent and balanced food like the Black Hawk Original Mature range. Unless meticulously balanced alongside their other intakes, your best intentions to add variety may be doing more harm for your pet than good. 

There is no absolute, universally accepted ‘rule book’ for feeding senior pets. This is because ageing is a process that is unique to every dog, and their needs can differ considerably and change over time.   

The Black Hawk Original Mature range has been designed to suit adult dogs. However, please be mindful that this range has reduced calories which means your adult dog may need to eat more to meet their energy needs.  Also, if your dog has any specific concerns, preferences or individual needs, you may want to consider the Black Hawk Healthy Benefits range, or another such as our grain free options, or our wet food offering in cans or trays.  

We understand that feeding different foods to multiple dogs in a single household can be a challenge. The Black Hawk Original Mature range can certainly be fed to all adult dogs.  Please just be mindful that, because the calories are reduced, your adult dog may need to eat more kibble a day compared with our regular adult diets to meet their energy needs.   

Puppies, however, have different needs for energy and nutrients versus their adult friends, so please take care to feed a specifically formulated puppy food to your growing pet. 

Feeding only one protein source to your pet is a popular preference for some pet parents. We understand the motivation when your best friend seems to have a sensitivity or has reacted badly to a product in the past. The reality is that unless your vet has diagnosed them with an immune system reaction to a protein (possibly wheat or chicken or dairy) and given advice to completely avoid the problem ingredient, then a single-protein-source diet isn’t necessary. 

You’ll see on our packaging that we often select ingredients from a number of sources, and do this for very good reasons. When selecting different ingredients from varied species (both plant and animal), you’re able to take the very best from each of them. This means that the nutrients within the ingredients complement each other, when prepared in just the right way and combined in just the right proportions. 

This is the approach we take for all Black Hawk foods.  

Portion control is clearly an issue for the 41% of Aussie pets carrying too much weight, so it’s important to learn how to read feeding guides.  

Firstly, decide on the healthy weight of your pet… the weight at which they are in their very best condition. That’s where you start, and it’s ideally the current weight (in the left hand column) of your dog.  

Secondly, decide on their activity level. Apart from their weight, that’s the most important fact that will determine how much food they need to live their best life.