# Why...



## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

is it that the dogs I know seem to prefer the poorer quality kibble? My pups wouldn't go further than sniffing at Evangers (and a bunch of other foods of similar style). They nibbbled at a few but, went to friend's house, they inhaled purina puppy chow. Same with Kibble and Bits. (sigh) They even do this with treats. Dehydrated chicken or Purina T-bones...T-bones snatched first. So, I am leaning towards buying "cheaper" kibbles from now on to supplement their premade/dehydrated raw diet. So what are some, readily available, "cheaper" kibbles be?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

it's only because they are sprayed with crap to enhance the enticement to eat. DON'T Do IT!


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

Yes, it has "natural flavors" that chemically alter the brain!

It's kind of like would you rather have sugary carbs or a healthy meal? Usually the bad one sounds better.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

It just seems rather pointless to spend so much on kibble that I'll end up tossing. I' m unlikely to go out and buy Kibble and Bits or Puppy chow but I did go and buy Authority puppy food (had decent ingredients) and for the "first" time in a very long time, the boys are willingly eating plain dry kibble also bought some Naturally Wild: not thrilled by it, they're (including the new pup) reluctantly nibbling at it, will probably give it to some one. Before it's suggested, tough love is not an option due to a health issue. I do feel a bit guilty feeding "lower" quality food but...I don't know which is the lesser of 2 "evils". Buying food that's barely touched or feeding "cheaper" foods that are readily nommed.
Side note: generally, most of my family, would choose the healthy meal over sugary foods. Not saying we don't like our "sugar hit" but we prefer healthy foods.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yes, Windy will not eat her top quality kibbles. However, a dog I looked after was fed Ol Roy kibble and canned (of course I fed it something different when it stayed with me, there's no way I'm feeding that stuff in my house), and guess who batted at, meowed at and even slept curled around the Ol Roy bag? 
There has to be something they do, or spray on, or stick in that food that makes animals go crazy. A bit like McDonalds fries I guess!
With all the recalls over Chinese ingredients and dogs and cats getting sick, there is no way you should ever feed a kibble with ingredients from China.

AND, please don't give your pups those dehydrated chicken jerky treats. There are dogs dying left right and centre from eating them. They are bad news.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

What foods were you feeding?


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

Celt said:


> It just seems rather pointless to spend so much on kibble that I'll end up tossing. I' m unlikely to go out and buy Kibble and Bits or Puppy chow but I did go and buy Authority puppy food (had decent ingredients) and for the "first" time in a very long time, the boys are willingly eating plain dry kibble also bought some Naturally Wild: not thrilled by it, they're (including the new pup) reluctantly nibbling at it, will probably give it to some one. Before it's suggested, tough love is not an option due to a health issue. I do feel a bit guilty feeding "lower" quality food but...I don't know which is the lesser of 2 "evils". Buying food that's barely touched or feeding "cheaper" foods that are readily nommed.
> Side note: generally, most of my family, would choose the healthy meal over sugary foods. Not saying we don't like our "sugar hit" but we prefer healthy foods.


I have the same problem to a degree. I've tossed countless cans of ziwipeak out because my cat will decided she wants her old kibble and try to go on hunger strikes. The most recent one happened because she found an old bag of Acana and munched on it a bit and now she only wants that. I have to basically start over, giving her the kibble and slowing backing off and adding in the canned and then after a week or so she'll only want her can food again. I can't consciously feed her poor quality food for a few reasons, one her health and the second is I can't support the cruelty the animals in the cheap foods endured. I think by buying cheap animal foods, I'm saying it's okay for animals to be treated the way they are treated and I can't consciously do that. Acana is okay food even but I want her on what I consider the best which is ZP. I just have to make sure she doesn't break into the other kinds and she's fine. My suggestion: Stop letting them ever get access to the chemically sprayed food so they can wean off it.

And as far as choosing healthy foods, I noticed you said your family -- well that explains it. Those who start out eating healthy, never having access to unhealthy food, usually don't fancy it. But most of us aren't so lucky to not be exposed to it. My palate has been insanely altered due to the foods I was allowed to eat as a child, whereas my partner who only ate healthy foods growing up doesn't suffer from the same problems. So this reinforces the whole don't let them have ANY access to kibble that is low quality due to the natural flavorings they've added to make it more palatable. If you read a book called, "It Starts with Food" it explains how these chemicals literally change your brain and give it cravings similar to those of drug addicts.


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## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

It happen to me when I used to feed kibbles. Sometimes their plates were sitting there without them touching it. Change to raw and they love it!


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

The dehydrated chicken was home made, haven't fed stor bought in a long time.
We've determined we're just a weird family. "Junk" foods have always been available. We have various "sweet" mixes and sodas in the pantry fairly consistantly, candy in a bowl by the front door (this batch is from a 2 lb bag we bought at Halloween,. It's almost time to buy another). Like I said weird (and lucky too).
As to foods I've fed, there's a lot of them. lol Just since I've started writing it down ('cause I was getting confused on what was oe wasn't tried), there have been 25. Various Solid Gold (the wee bit bison was reluctantly eaten), Fromm (barely sniffed at), MMillenia (same as Fromm), Zignature (lamb was nibbled at), Nutrisource (mostly ignored), Natural Planet Organics (nibbled at reluctantly), Canidae (sniffed), Evangers (sniffed, then ignored) Freshpet select (meat pieces fished out, reluctantly, kibble untouched), Nature's Variety (nibbled, then ignored), Organix (reluctant), Bil-jac (nommed down at first, then reluctantly), Iams ( sniffed), Authority (nommed down, so far), Naturally Wild (reluctantly). Thankfully most of these were trial size. They generally like meat rolls, a few canned foods (trippet and green cow the most)
The pups are partially raw fed (mostly premade, some freeze dried, and occasionally "plain" meat). These guys are one of the few dogs that I've known to turn up their noses at meat. They prefer to strip meat off bones and then eat the bones. Most of the time, leaving the meat behind (only beef and ham bones are the opposite).
Keeping them completely away from other kibbles would involve either not taking them "visiting" or annoying people. Neither of which is something I would like to do or see as all that significant as this doesn't happen often.
Like I said, which is the lesser. Which is why I'm hoping for some less expensive foods.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

if your dogs are eating their raw why supplement with kibble? i'm sure there's
a lot of lesser quality and inexpensive food they'll eat but to feed it because
they like it is something i wouldn't do.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Celt said:


> The dehydrated chicken was home made, haven't fed stor bought in a long time.


I did wonder to be honest, I'd never have picked you as one who would buy those chicken jerky things from China. :smile:
Just mentioned it though as I have a dark side when it comes to imported food killing/sickening our pets.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

sugar and artificial flavoring goes a long way. Since dogs have limited taste buds, a lot of those companies do their best to formulate a food that is loaded with things that are palatable to dogs, but don't necessarily offer the best nutrition.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I didn't see horizon on there, perhaps give them a try. Tess loves their food.


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Jackson is the same way! Beneful, Purina, Iams, etc... any chance he's ever gotten to eat those food, he's obsessed. He will keep trying to get to the bowl. Who knows... 

I will say though, I'm happy with Fromm because he eats it well and seems to love it, AND it's good for him!


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

I haven't tried Horizon, so will try to find some horizon.
I don't know what makes those foods so yummy. I mean Biljac is pretty much a candy bar but they'll turn their noses up to that then turn around and scarf down puppy chow. Maybe, it's the "softer" kibble pieces that attracts my lot. I wish they liked a higher quality kibble but (knocking on wood) Authority seems to be working so far.


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## Sapphire-Light (Aug 8, 2010)

Pompadour is not all crazy wit kibble, he tried to pee alpo and beneful bags at the petshop, LOL 

More than the taste he is attracted by kibble shapes.

He prefers tiny square flat pieces or tiny cylinder shapes.

He hates triangle, round, O shapes, hard or big pieces, most lickely has to do wit his tiny mice type teeth.

He really likes the shapes of propac small breed puppy as this are like 2 mm in size, and the other is the mini chunk that has flat pieces


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