Should Dogs Eat the Same Food Every Day: My Opinion

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With many different dog personalities come many different dietary preferences. Although diet can differ from dog to dog, a few staple diet rules apply to all breeds. For instance, should dogs eat the same food every day?

Dogs can eat the same food every day if the food is fulfilling their nutritional needs. Introducing new food can also be beneficial because it will provide more nutrients. If you give them a new brand or type of food, add it gradually to their existing diet.

There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding whether to introduce new food to your dog’s diet. This article will cover if it is okay for a dog to eat the same food every day, the advantages and disadvantages of changing a dog’s food regime, and how to do so successfully. Furthermore, it will provide a few different canned food options to mix in with kibble if you decide to try adding another type of food.

Do Dogs Notice They Are Eating the Same Food?

If you are a dog owner, I’m sure you care about your dog’s comfort and happiness. When you think about what it would be like to eat the same food every day, it makes you question if it is okay for your furry little friend to do so. Eating the same food every day would take the joy out of eating and turn eating into an overall negative experience. Does this happen with dogs, though?

Dogs Have Less Taste Receptors

When thinking about how dogs perceive food, something to keep in mind is that dogs have fewer taste receptors than humans. While humans have 6000, dogs only have 1700 taste receptors on their tongue. Having fewer receptors means that dogs don’t notice they are eating the same food as much as a human would when relying on their sense of taste.

Surprisingly, dogs don’t rely on their sense of taste, but on something else.

Dogs Have More Sensory Receptors in Their Nose

Dogs rely on their nose more than anything else when it comes to food. Dogs have over 100 million sensory receptors in their nasal cavity. To put this into perspective, humans have six million receptors. Even though dogs can’t detect much with their tongues, they most likely will detect that you are feeding them the same food from the smell. It depends on the dog if they get tired of it or not.

Furthermore, there are even differences in dogs’ brains when it comes to their sense of smell. The area devoted to smell is 40 times larger in dogs compared to humans. In summary, your dog has a more developed sense of smell than you do and will know what you are feeding them every day.

Is It Okay to Feed Dogs the Same Food Every Day?

Depending on the personal preference as the dog owner (both economic and time investment preferences), you may be inclined to stick with the same food every day. The short and simple answer is that it’s okay to feed your dog the same food every day.

However, there are a few factors to consider when deciding if it’s healthy for your dog to eat the same food every day.

The first thing is to make sure your dog is getting enough nutrients. Talk to your vet to find out what nutrients your dog needs, and if one kind of food can fulfill those needs. Secondly, make sure your dog is eating proper portions of the food. If the dog does not like the food, it may only eat just enough.

When it comes to food portions, there are a number of reasons why you should pay attention to this. If your dog eats too little, they could have nutritional deficiencies. If your dogs eat too much, they could become obese, causing a number of life-threatening symptoms.

To find out what the right food portions are, simply look at the guide that is printed on the bag. For most dogs, feeding them two times a day will suffice.

Lastly, if you only feed your dog wet food, make sure your dog is getting enough water. Some dog owners like wet food because it provides more hydration than kibble, but often think that the water in the food is enough for a few hours. Make sure to always have a separate bowl of water!

Does a Wide Variety of Dog Food Mean More Nutrients?

When you think about it, if you only feed your dog one brand of dog food, they only receive the nutrients that are in that specific brand. When you expose them to different brands, they are eating more ingredients, aka nutrients. This does not necessarily mean that you have to give your dog a variety of food to stay healthy. There are a few factors to keep in mind.

Every Dog Is Different

When thinking about what type of food to give your dog and whether you should feed them different food every few months, it is essential to remember that every dog is different. There are over 330 dog breeds, according to Federation Cynologique Internationale, which means that there are many different nutritional needs for different dogs.

While some dogs may be fine with being fed only one type of food that meets all dietary needs, another, more active dog perhaps, could require more kinds of nutrients than other dogs.

Know What Nutrients Your Dog Needs

When thinking about whether you should give your dog a variety of food or not, you should know your dog’s nutritional and dietary needs. If you know exactly what nutrients your dog needs, it will be easier to decide what kind of diet to put them on, including the brand, the type, and the amount of food to give them.

To find out your dog’s dietary requirements, you can either do some research online or talk to your veterinarian.

Is There a Nutritional Difference Between Wet and Dry Food?

The two choices for dog food are dry kibble and canned (wet) dog food. Regarding nutrition and digestibility, dry and wet food have the same value. When choosing either wet or dry, you don’t have to worry about what one has more nutrients; they only differ in price and texture.

Something to consider about canned wet food is that if your dog’s diet requires more water, then wet food would be a good option.

How to Change Your Dog’s Food

As this article has covered, a few positive things can come from switching your dog’s food once in a while. If you do decide to switch it up, there is a certain way to do it to minimize the adverse effects of changing their diet.

Monitor How Your Dog Reacts

There are so many brands of dog food to choose from, which means that there are several different ingredients (and various quantities of certain ingredients) in each brand.

As we have already covered, each dog is different. So when you decide to try out a new brand, monitor how your dog reacts. Do they sniff it and walk away? Are they in any sort of pain after eating it? Did they get diarrhea? These are just a few things to watch for.

Mix in Old Food With New

When introducing a new dog food brand, you should not give it to your dog in high amounts when you first start. Make sure to slowly add small amounts of the new food to the dog’s old food so that they can get used to it.

Monitor the level of your dog’s current food and start introducing the new food when the bag has about a quarter left. A reasonable transition period is usually five to seven days.

How Often to Change Your Dog’s Food

If you want to introduce some variety to the dog’s menu, it is essential to plan before the change to avoid harmful health effects. Since it is not beneficial to constantly change a dog’s diet, make sure only to change their diet every few months. Trying out new food every few weeks will do more harm than good, which we will cover later in the article.

The article previously mentioned that the transition time should be five to seven days, making it easy to do every few months, but could become a hassle if you change it every month.

During the transition period, you should start with only a small amount of the new food (about 25%) mixed in with the old food. By the end of the seventh day, the former food will be completely replaced by the new food.

If you have never done it before, transitioning a pet to a new food can be confusing. It is essential to do it right, since changing their diet cold turkey can upset their stomach and cause other adverse symptoms. If you need more information on how to change your dog’s food, check out the video below by Dr. Gary Richter:

How Do I Know What Brand of Dog Food to Buy?

There is an overwhelming amount of brands to choose from when looking for healthy options for your dogs. Even if you are home-cooking the food, it is still difficult to know what your dog needs nutritionally. As the article has previously stated, the best way to know what diet you should put your dog on is to talk with your vet.

Furthermore, The World Small Animal Veterinary Association has a helpful guide for buying dog food. The guide lists all of the resources you will need when researching new brands and also gives some useful tips on what to look for when buying new food.

Lastly, whenever you are looking for a new brand, always make sure they contain the six basic nutrients that dogs need: water, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates.

What Are the Negative Effects of Changing Dog Food?

Even though there are some benefits to switching your dog’s food, there can also be some negative effects. The main thing that can go wrong is that the new food can make your dog sick and cause health issues. Dogs are sensitive and can easily react adversely to something when they are not used to it.

Since there are so many different dietary needs for different dogs and different personalities for that matter, it can be hard to find a good kibble that meets all of your dog’s needs and one that your dog can tolerate.

Health issues that can be caused by abruptly switching dog food can include diarrhea, vomiting, and appetite loss. Furthermore, your dog can react to new food in a few unique ways, including itching, scratching, and rashes. If you find that this happens more often than not, make sure to consult with your vet about what brands/food are best for your dog. Some dogs are more sensitive than others.

An easy way to monitor how your dog reacts to new food is to look at the stool’s quality. You can watch for abnormal colors or consistencies. Normal, healthy stool will look brown and will be firm.

Vet-Recommended Wet Dog Food Brands to Mix With Dry Kibble

The majority of dog owners purchase dry kibble because it is cheap and will last long on the shelf. As the article covered, there are benefits to switching up the dog’s menu, and I believe that it is worth feeding them various foods because of its nutritional value. I would suggest trying to switch your dog’s food every few months, and a great way to do that is to mix wet dog food with dry kibble.

If you have found and have used an excellent kibble for a few years, don’t worry – you do not have to throw it out for the sake of spicing up the dog’s menu. Simply mix some wet food with the kibble once in a while. This technique is great for dog owners who are wary of introducing an entirely new menu to their dog.

This list will cover a few vet-recommended wet dog food options.

Hill’s Science Diet Wet Dog Food

This brand is vet recommended, and the canned food has four flavors to choose from. This canned food is also made for dogs with sensitive stomachs, which makes it a great option when you are first experimenting with different foods to introduce to your dog’s menu.

Purina Pro Plan SAVOR Adult Canned Wet Dog Food

This particular canned food option has over 1000 five star reviews and has 10 flavors to choose from. The Purina Pro food would be a great option because if the food works well with your dog, you don’t have to change the brand to introduce more flavors.

Castor & Pollux Organix Butcher & Bushel Grain Free Organic Canned Dog Food

The Castor & Pollux is a great option for a number of reasons. Firstly, it has a variety of flavors to choose from. Secondly, its main ingredient is free-range turkey and is organic. The food is also packed with a large amount of nutrients that will keep your dog healthy.

The Honest Kitchen Herbal Digestive Supplement Pet Food

This option is for those who have both cats and dogs and want to be economically efficient. Canned food can be fed to both animals. This specific product is a supplement made to support stool consistency and bowel health. If you are nervous about trying new foods (maybe your dog is sensitive), this would be a good option.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food

Although this option is not available on Amazon, you will be able to talk to your vet about where to find it.

This is one of the most recommended brands for dog food, and even requires a recommendation from your vet in order to purchase it in some places. The hassle is worth it though since it is crafted for sensitive digestion and weight control, and contains nutrients and antioxidants to support your dog’s immune system.

This specific product is designed for sensitive dogs, which would be a good option when you are first making changes to your dog’s diet. If your dog isn’t as sensitive, there are more canned food options in this brand to choose from.

Conclusion

One of the most popular questions about dog diets is whether they can eat the same food every day. In my opinion, you can feed your dog the same food, or you can switch it up, and both will be fine. It just depends on how you go about it.

If you have consulted with your vet and know that the one-food diet is fulfilling your dog’s nutritional needs, then feel free to stick with that option. On the other hand, if your dog is a picky eater and loves variety, try introducing new food over seven days, making sure to increase the amount of new food each day gradually. This is the best way to avoid any negative health effects.

Sources

• Ocean Side Vets: Should Your Dog Be Eating the Same Food Everyday?
• The Honest Kitchen: Changing It Up
• NCBI: Food Preferences in Dogs
• Dog Behavior Blog: Should Dogs Eat The Same Food Every Day?
• VCA Hospitals: Nutrition – General Feeding Guidelines for Dogs
• FCI: FCI Breeds Nomenclature
• AKC: The Right Way to Switch Dog Foods
• WSAVA: The Savvy Dog Owner’s Guide: Nutrition on the Internet
• PetMD: How Much Should Dogs Eat?

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