Mixing "Bad" food in for taste

Chelsea and Oskar · 03-22-2008, 10:42 AM

Oskar was originally on Canin and Purina because the shelter gave us some to start off. Once the Canin was gone we bought Wellness and mix a little purina in with it. He doesn't scarf it down like he did the "bad" food. So now I mix in with the Wellness a spoonful of Alpo canned food, and he LOVES it. He got a test sample of Wellness canned food and didn't care for it.

Is it bad for his health to just give him the spoonful at feeding so he eats the good food?

I originally wanted to get canade dry food, but its not at the places we shop (we shop at three local family owned pet shops and Petco). I hear dogs like the taste better. I also don't want to be switching foods so often, Oskar got diarrhea when we switched too quickly from Purina to Wellness.

Also, just to note other things in his diet: veggie scarps, dry treats, home made dog cookies, milk bones, few moist treats

RonE · 03-22-2008, 10:48 AM

Is it your fear that Oskar will just stop eating altogether if you don't mix in the canned food? That would be unusual and would make me worry about possible underlying medical causes.

Most dogs would prefer to have some canned food mixed in, but very few actually require it.

Chelsea and Oskar · 03-22-2008, 10:57 AM

He will eat less, or pick at it. We do the picking the food up after a little while, he doesn't seem to care that it goes away, but then he'll eat all his dinner.
I feel better putting in the wet food because he is growing and I really want him to eat all the food I put down for him.

And I am adjusting the new food amount. I know the good food you feed them less of it.

AkiraleShiba · 03-22-2008, 11:17 AM

Maybe you could try baby food so you get 100% meat and not the bad stuff you get in cheap food.

Also cheap food is sprayed with fat at the end of the line so it is more attracting to dogs. You can remedy to that with your better food by wetting it so the odour will get out of the kibble.

cshellenberger · 03-22-2008, 12:08 PM

You could also try a tablespoon of plain yogurt, I knoew my dogs go nuts for it.

Dogmom07 · 03-22-2008, 02:19 PM

I cook chicken for my guys to add to their dry. Boneless, skinless chicken breast baked in the oven. When it cools, I chop it up in tiny pieces and store it in small ziplock bags in the freezer. I pull out a bag to defrost the night before and it last about 3 days..they eat everything in their dish and it is healthier than canned food.