Feeding a dog the same food day after day is easy, and most don’t complain about the routine. However, any owner has to wonder if sticking to the same brand and “recipe” is actually enough.
Is the dog getting a balanced diet, or does eating the same meal every day eventually cause health problems?
Before scooping that next bowl or buying another bag, it’s important to see what happens to a dog’s gut when the diet never changes.
What Science Says?
Opinions vary, but certified veterinary nutritionist Joseph Burgess notes that feeding a dog the same food daily can work – provided the ingredients are whole, balanced, and easy to digest. [1]
But changing what goes into the bowl every now and then is a better way to give dogs a wider range of nutrients.
This keeps the dog from “walking away” and ensures the body gets everything it needs (that a single bag of food simply can’t offer).
Benefits of a Varied Diet for Dogs
Changing what goes into the bowl gives dogs a broader mix of amino acids, healthy fats, and fiber.
Joseph Burgess notes that “diversity is the spice of life,” but you shouldn’t do this every single day. If you swap ingredients too often, the dog starts waiting for something better instead of eating what is there.
Using another meat or adding vegetables now and then covers all the nutritional bases without making the dog picky or upsetting the stomach.
How to implement it?
Add a small amount of the new food over the old meal to see how the dog handles it. Check the stool the next morning; if it’s loose, you gave too much.
Plain yogurt or cooked vegetables are fine, and fresh meat or fruit work too.
Just keep these extras under 10% of the bowl so you don’t mess up the nutrients in the main food.
Once the stool is firm, you know that amount works and you can stick with it.
Conclusion
I stand behind a varied diet because it’s the only way to give the dog the full range of nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
Switching ingredients fills the gaps that a “single bag of food” always leaves behind.
While some focus on the chemicals used in mass-production, I prefer to focus on what actually goes into the bowl.
We have a set routine for feeding our puppies and dogs. Then again, what works for a Sarplaninac might not work for a Chihuahua? You have to look at the big picture …
Thank you for your time and attention. What’s your experience with dog feeding? Leave a comment.
Sources:
- Šta će se dogoditi ako vaš pas svaki dan jede istu hranu, da li je to štetno? (more information).
