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Does anyone feed their dog Beneful wet? or why not?

The Menagerie
#1

Hello,
Is anyone out there feeding the Beneful wet containers as the dog’s main food? And If so, for how long? I have been trying to research the nutrition of this and see mixed comments. Is it mainly the grain/ no grain debate?

My dog is 3yo. He has been turning his nose up at Blue Wilderness canned which I had been giving since he reached adulthood. In recent weeks, I tried to introduce the Merrick canned food (Turducken, pot pie, etc.) but that is not to his liking either. On a whim, I picked up a few containers of the Beneful wet, and it disappeared in minutes. He eats treats or people food if offered, so I don’t think it’s a lack of appetite.

I am a multi-pet household with 2 senior cats, and due to illnesses /conditions in the cats, I can’t leave dog food lying around or grant a significant amount of time for it to be eaten. Everyone has to eat what they are supposed to, and within a reasonable amount of time. My dog has no health ailments, so does not require a special diet. But I am interested in feeding him good quality so as to give him the best chance at being healthy for his longevity. Lately, my dog has been more content to miss a meal than eat the dog food I’m offering. He did better when I could leave it sit out for some time.

Thanks in advance, I look forward to your thoughts. I would love to discuss with my vet, but I just spent a fortune on one of the kitties :frowning: Thus, my doggie’s wellness visit is on hold for a few months.

Thank you.

#2

I would not- I would just teach him to eat on your schedule. Food gets put down twice a day for 15 minutes, and taken away if not eaten. No treats or goodies. A healthy dog will not starve itself to death and will catch on pretty quickly that there aren’t going to be endless opportunities for a meal.

2 Likes
#3

One of my dogs went through a grieving period (had to put his longtime playmate down) and was not eating well. I did mix the same brand of dry food with wet food to make it more palatable. He doesn’t like a lot of crunch so I usually just wet his food down, but he wasn’t “excited” about eating. I added the wet food in (not completely wet food, just mixed in) for a week. After that I just kept wetting it down like usual. He would pick at the food, but didn’t get back full appetite for around 2 weeks. My dogs are on a schedule. I put food out and then 3 minutes after big dog is done (he is a very healthy eater) bowls get picked up if they aren’t empty. Being on a schedule vs free feeding helps dogs know the routine and helps me monitor who is eating what.

My vet does not like the idea of a wet food diet long term (not good for teeth). Wet food diets are also astronomically different in price if you have medium+ sized dogs. There is nothing wrong with adding a little bit of an enticement to the food like a small amount of canned pumpkin – not pie filling, true canned pumpkin. Or, maybe the food is too hard to be appetizing (like it is for mine as described above) and just wetting it down would make it easier to eat? Also, be mindful of how many treats your dog is getting. While most dogs just love to eat eat eat everything, if you are feeding a ton of treats he may just not want the regular food.

@horsenut_8700 is correct that a healthy dog will not starve themselves.

1 Like
#4

It’s crap food. It’s like eating McDonald’s every day. Your dog will get fat on it.

I will recommend wet food for diabetics because there is a lower carbohydrate content, so the idea of wet food is not always horrible.

8 Likes
#5

A good friend and wise vet once told me how a client tried to defend feeding their dog Ol Roy by mentioning how much their dog liked it and always ate it (not sure if that is common food throughout the country, but it is a common cheap food found in discount stores in the south).

My friend replied “and your kids really like hot dogs, right?”

With the Chewy.com crap surrounding Fromm food, I ended up running out last month. I don’t have anyone nearby who sells Fromm, so I ended up needing to pick up something to tide them over. Turned our they LOVED whatever crap it was that I picked up at the grocery store. Ate it in record time. And now they’re back to the Fromm Gold, as that is what is good for them.

The only exception I make is for older pets who are nearing the end of their lives. I have one in that situation right now, and I’ll let her have whatever she wants. The younger two, however, get the healthy stuff.

3 Likes
#6

[QUOTE=still_dreaming;n9835739]
Hello,
Is anyone out there feeding the Beneful wet containers as the dog’s main food? And If so, for how long? I have been trying to research the nutrition of this and see mixed comments. Is it mainly the grain/ no grain debate?

My dog is 3yo. He has been turning his nose up at Blue Wilderness canned which I had been giving since he reached adulthood. In recent weeks, I tried to introduce the Merrick canned food (Turducken, pot pie, etc.) but that is not to his liking either. On a whim, I picked up a few containers of the Beneful wet, and it disappeared in minutes. He eats treats or people food if offered, so I don’t think it’s a lack of appetite.

I am a multi-pet household with 2 senior cats, and due to illnesses /conditions in the cats, I can’t leave dog food lying around or grant a significant amount of time for it to be eaten. Everyone has to eat what they are supposed to, and within a reasonable amount of time. My dog has no health ailments, so does not require a special diet. But I am interested in feeding him good quality so as to give him the best chance at being healthy for his longevity. Lately, my dog has been more content to miss a meal than eat the dog food I’m offering. He did better when I could leave it sit out for some time.

Thanks in advance, I look forward to your thoughts. I would love to discuss with my vet, but I just spent a fortune on one of the kitties :frowning: Thus, my doggie’s wellness visit is on hold for a few months.

Thank you.

[/QUOTE

oh I wouldn’t feed that ever!

1 Like
#7

Yuck.

I feed 3 dogs raw for about what it would cost for me to grab Starbucks every day. Why feed them garbage? I don’t buy the “can’t afford it” argument. Not saying op said that. I get constant compliments on my dogs (teeth, coats etc) and when I explain their diet I often get that response.

Most vets are not great with nutrition. Save yourself the trip.

I never leave food down for anything aside from my horses. And all my animals eat with great gusto.

Rather then switch your dog to even worse food why don’t you try to reprogram the dog? Best food you are comfortable with, put it down, dog eats or doesn’t and you take it away. Repeat next meal time. Simple.

Check out dog food advisor for reviews of commercial dog foods.

Good luck.

5 Likes
#8

I would venture a guess that most vets know more about nutrition than your average PetSmart or other local pet food store employee does.

5 Likes
#9

I learned (the hard way) that some dogs get bored/frustrated with getting the same food all the time. I have been feeding my pit/boxer mix Natural Balance venison/sweet potato kibble since we ran out of the food she came with at the rescue (2 years ago) and she gradually stopped attacking it with gusto. She’d stare at me, stare at the bowl, and either take a few bites and crunch it on the floor, or stare at me wagging her tail wondering what she was supposed to do with it.

After having the vet rule out dental issues, I tried switching to another flavor of Natural Balance (fish - ugh gross) and she practically inhaled it! Sometimes they just need a change. I would try switching to another flavor of your preferred food, or a similar high quality brand and see if he doesn’t eat that. Agreed with other posters that Beneful is known for quality issues and I would not be feeding it long-term. I am currently switching out between Natural Balance and Wellness Core, at a similar price point and quality rating.

1 Like
#10

I agree that it is junk food. There are much better options. Fromm and Stella and Chewys are 2 of my faves.

I also agree that if your dog is not elderly or ill, make them eat on your schedule. I have 3 dogs, one doesn’t always eat his food, but his weight is still fine. He eventually eats and always gets treats. Sometimes we feel bad they “skipped a meal” but they aren’t phased by it. 99% of the time they’ll eat when they’re hungry :slight_smile:

#11

I am feeding my almost 16 year old JRTx anything she will eat, which includes beneful canned, occasionally. I’m offering her all kinds of foods that I would’ve never thought I would be purchasing, on purpose–but at this point, fed is better than her not eating at all.

I do not feed it to my younger/healthier dogs.

#12

[quote="“Ladylexie,post:6,topic:435802”]

Why bother posting if you aren’t going to be helpful?

You should include a few links to support your opinion.

OP I like to give my dogs their food inside of toys and make them work for it.

Also if a dog fasts, it is a good thing. A quick search on fasting dogs, will pull up many web sites, and share the many benefits to doing so.

#13

Wet dog food is not bad for teeth…Anymore than dry dog food is GOOD for teeth. Think about it. If your teeth are dirty, do you go and eat a bunch of tortilla chips? Do they feel any cleaner after you do that?

That said, I would NEVER feed Beneful ANYTHING. The person who said “I like hotdogs so I should eat them every day” is kind of right. But it is more like “I like to eat twinkies and I don’t want to eat anything else”. Beneful is NOT good food.
According to Dog Food Advisor, it’s not the worst kind of food but it is only one step from the worst.

As for vets knowing a lot about nutrition, I used to think the same thing. That they knew a lot. But then my aunt became a vet. When she came out of vet school, she was willing to talk about the raw diet and grain free options etc. Over time, her opinions have changed. And I think it is because she tends to go to courses sponsored by Purina and Hill’s for her CEUs. We agree to disagree on nutrition things for my dogs and cats.

#14

[quote="“Sugarwells,post:12,topic:435802”]

I’m sorry you didn’t find my opinion helpful…not sure what to do and didn’t have time to put up research.

#15

[quote="“Ladylexie,post:14,topic:435802”]

Why waste your time at all?

#16

I wouldn’t feed my dog beneful under any circumstances

#17

[quote="“Sugarwells,post:15,topic:435802”]

My goodness you are so testy. Have you read dog food advisor?

#18

[quote="“Ladylexie,post:17,topic:435802”]

I have been in the know for many years, and always try to feed my animals the best food available.

My point is why take the time to post at all if you are just going to announce that you don’t feed it, if you were too short on time to include a few easy links.

Teachable moments, ya know. :wink:

#19

[quote="“Sugarwells,post:18,topic:435802”]

Check out the post under mine …you should probably start chastising them for not feeding you enough information as you hoped…a teachable moment for both of us…have a super day…xoxo

#20

Do tell, what is this all about? I feed my girls Fromm food and they love it and I know it’s a high quality food.

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