Dog Community

The little stinker likes Iams better!

Cita

Posted : 4/6/2007 10:00:02 PM

So after many trials and tribulations I thought I'd found a food that works great for my dog: Timberwolf Organics Wild 'n Natural.

Long story short, my dog is now living in someone else's house. This person has an elderly boxer who is free-fed Iams adult weight control kibble. Rascal, my goofball, has free access to his Wild 'n Natural.

So which food does he choose? Naturally the Iams! He'll take a token bite of his Wild 'n Natural and then go raid the boxer's food dish and chomp up the Iams Lite. Little stinker!!

jenns

Posted : 4/7/2007 8:26:05 AM

My dog will always prefer any kibble other than what she is currently eating. I guess it's the novelty she craves.

papillon806

Posted : 4/7/2007 11:43:21 AM

Wolfie told me that it's always better in the other dog's bowl! [

]

sandra_slayton

Posted : 4/7/2007 12:20:28 PM

Just like kids! What the other one has is ALWAYS better. Buck and KayCee are on senior and Honey is on weight management, but they all think the others have better food. Usually Buck eats outside, weather permitting because he is a sloppy eater. I put the girls at opposite ends of the kitchen or else i will catch both of them eating out of the same bowl. But in the past, even with all dogs on same identical food, they would switch bowls. As I said, just like kids, what the other has is better, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, he has more than me, etc, etc,.

mudpuppy

Posted : 4/9/2007 10:11:54 AM

a lot of the cheaper brands spike their foods with tasty chemicals to get dogs to gobble it up. Don't be surprised if your dog goes for the cheap garbage stuff-- it's like kids preferring dessert over their veggies.

sandra_slayton

Posted : 4/9/2007 11:44:28 AM

What tasty chemicals do they use? Would like to see the same ones used to coat things like Buck's thyroid meds, their joint meds, etc.

mudpuppy

Posted : 4/9/2007 12:49:27 PM

sugar is an ever-popular one; beef tallow; animal digest (if listed fairly far down the ingredient list usually means it's just sprayed onto the kibbles to make them smell like meat); "natural flavor" whatever that is is also a popular addition.

My dogs won't even eat the "liver" flavored interceptor tabs, so I understand your interest!

jjsmom06

Posted : 4/9/2007 12:52:34 PM

Of COURSE he likes the Iams...it is something different! [

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On a side note...the TO W&N is the only formula of theirs my guys would NOT eat... they didn't like the taste at all. [:'(]

mudpuppy

Posted : 4/9/2007 1:09:09 PM

I see Iams uses the "natural chicken flavor" trick, even in their "lamb" formula. At least that's healthier than sugar. Purina really loads them up with flavoring agents-- most have animal digest, tallow, AND sugars.

sandra_slayton

Posted : 4/9/2007 1:16:52 PM

I have no trouble with Interceptor, they all gobble it. BUT I have to hide Bucks thyroid meds in meatballs or tator balls now, and also kayCee is itching with all this rain and i give her benadryl and i really have to hide it. If she so much as sees me opening a bottle---even m y Aleve for myself--she runs and hides! One trick i find works--i give Honey a tator ball (empty) at the same time and KayCee sees Honey is about to get something, so she takes hers and swallows it first and then sees if honey is going to drop anything she can eat!

tony

Posted : 4/9/2007 2:42:31 PM

I see Iams uses the "natural chicken flavor" trick, even in their "lamb" formula. At least that's healthier than sugar. Purina really loads them up with flavoring agents-- most have animal digest

Many of the "premium foods" use natural flavors, and some use digest, I don't hink there is anything wrong with it.

Wysong digest is a food that has been broken down (digested) by enzymes. The process, in effect, predigests complex foods, rendering them more digestible and palatable. Digests used by Wysong are extraordinarily nutrient dense and very expensive. They are not used as an inexpensive substitute or nutritionally depleted filler.

papillon806

Posted : 4/9/2007 3:02:34 PM

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

sugar is an ever-popular one; beef tallow; animal digest (if listed fairly far down the ingredient list usually means it's just sprayed onto the kibbles to make them smell like meat); "natural flavor" whatever that is is also a popular addition.

My dogs won't even eat the "liver" flavored interceptor tabs, so I understand your interest!

How is beef tallow and animal digest a flavor enhancor? How do you know that tastes "better" than the chicken fat some premium foods use? And what about the "natural flavors" seen in foods like Innova, etc? Plus...IAMS doesn't use sugar....

I love how they are referred to as "chemicals" [8|]

jenns

Posted : 4/9/2007 3:11:15 PM

While I do not feed foods that contain tallow, sugar, or unnamed animal digest , most foods do have some sort of flavoring enhancement to increase palatability, including the Innova and Natural Balance that I feed. Dry kibble can't possibly be very enticing so I see how adding some kind of flavoring would be necessary.

sandra_slayton

Posted : 4/9/2007 4:55:38 PM

Heck, I can understand the use of flavor enhancers. Don't we use salt and pepper on most of our foods, vanilla, sugar, almond flavoring, onion salt or pepper, lemon pepper, chili powder, and on and on and one to add flavor to foods? A pot of pinto beans cooked with water only would be good for you, but would not taste good at all. I add onion, green pepper, salt pork, salt, pepper, and chili powder. I do a steak and still add salt and steak sauce, add salad dressing (Yum, poppy seed) to my tossed salad. It would be good for you without, but not taste as well. I would call the salt pork I use in my pinto beans a flavoring as it does flavor the beans, we don't eat it, but i would not call it a chemical, just pork flavoring.

You are right Jenns, kibble needs something to "pep" it up no matter how good it is for the dogs.

chewbecca

Posted : 4/9/2007 5:01:43 PM

ORIGINAL: sandra_slayton I add salad dressing (Yum, poppy seed) to my tossed salad.

I just want to say that Poppy Seed salad dressing is the best salad dressing on the planet!

OK...onward with your guys' food enhancers argument.