I hear this issue a lot, referring to picky dogs. More often than not it’s owners that are unwilling to give their dogs tough love.
Just like anybody else, they are going to prefer one type of food over another, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a big softy all the time and give in. If you put down dry food for your dog and it doesn’t eat, that doesn’t mean running to the pantry and putting down wet food instead. Sometimes your dog just isn’t that hungry, and would rather wait and see if it will get it’s favorite food instead.
Of course, if your dog has gone a day or two without eating, then it’s okay to be concerned. In that case I’d look into alternate dry foods. Normally those with a higher amount of meat are more palatable. My store recently received the new line of Merrick foods, and so far I’ve had a few people rave about how much their dogs like it. Fromm foods are very palatable too, as they put Parmesan cheese in all their formulas, and dogs tend to love cheese.
While the Pro Plan is not “Beneful” bad, I’m not impressed by the ingredient listing. Chicken comes first, followed by barley, dried egg product, and then chicken meal. Chicken, or any meat, is about 70% water, so when it’s cooked the water is gone meaning the weight of the chicken goes down quite a bit. Therefore this food has more barley and dried egg product than actual meat. So I’d definitely have you try some different foods in order to entice your dog to eat more… assuming that’s a problem, and not a temporary situation.
And as for the weight loss thing… you’ll find that you don’t have to feed as much with foods containing more meat, or animal-based protein. A dog’s digestive system is designed to digest meats, organs, and other animal-based foods. I’m not saying dogs can’t have fruits and vegetables, or even some grains, just that their bodies have a more difficult time with those. For example, humans and other omnivores have salivary amylase, which starts to break down the cell walls of plants right away, making it easier to digest once it gets down to the stomach. Not to mention the fact humans and other omnivores have a longer digestive tract, unlike dogs and other carnivores whose digestive tracts are shorter, and thus don’t have as much time to process the foods.
And if your pup is still hungry, that doesn’t mean adding more of the dry dog food, which will add extra calories and fat. You can simply add some thawed frozen green beans to the food instead, as they won’t add any more calories or fat, but your dog will be fuller and satisfied.
