Beneful food analysis? Suggestions for a client? - Page 1

I don't feed my dogs this, never would for the life of me.  But I have a client who feeds all of her dogs this food. I've tried convincing her to switch them to something better, but she sees nothing wrong with this food, not to mention, her vet suggested this food so she's convinced it's good.  I realize corn and by products are not healthy in any way, but can anyone give me an "analysis" on the food to better explain it to her at least.  Also regarding a fat dog...how does this food affect the dog? She has one dog who is extremely over weight,  I'd say he's roughly 26 inches at the shoulders and probably 120 lbs maybe more.  I dog walk multiple dogs as well as train for clients, and I've noticed with him he has lost a small bit of weight.....But she also feeds him a number of dog treats.   Now she started getting those huge milk bone treats which I noticed the box says 125 calories per bone. I think he gets three or four of those a day as well as some other treats (ol roy....).  She said he's getting only two cups of Beneful each day, but I know he free feeds.  She thinks he is mixed with Saint Bernard, but even if he is, should he still have so much blubber? I've seen pictures of some Saint Bernards who were not really fat, but more so in shape.  Any suggestions for food that would help him gain more muscle?  She won't feed raw, I know that, and she has 8 dogs (6 little tiny dogs, one about 40 lbs, and then that dog.....yes....a zoo I know) so she won't feed anything that is somewhat expensive.  I think the Beneful is like $30 a bag. Not to mention as many treats as she buys that is costly I'm sure, but she refuses to stop feeding so many.  Any suggestions for her on the food though?


Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken-By-Product, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Hulls, Whole Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Chicken, Soy Flour, Animal Fat Preserved With Mixed-Tocopherols (Form Of Vitamin E), Sugar, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sorbitol, Animal Digest, Water, Salt, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid (A Preservative), L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Dried Green Beans, Dried Carrots, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Propionate (A Preservative), Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Added Color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Garlic Oil, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity), Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.

if the dog looks healthy and the client is happy, there is nothing you can do to change it.

It's the canine equivalent of twinkies.

They'd be better off feeding the dogs the cardboard bag it came in.

Sitasmom....but the dog does not look healthy....I stated he is very overweight.

A dog can become overweight on any food.

The problem is that the owner cannot say "no". My parents are the same way with their cats. They have a cat that's about double the weight it should be. They know its unhealthy, but they just cannot say "no", and deal with training it to stop begging.

You will loose your client if you continue to nag them about the food and weight.

I explain it to my clients by telling them that it would be like feeding your child McDonald's every meal for their life. You would end up with a very large and unhealthy child. Instead, they need a balanced meal.
Higher quality food means less fillers, therefore the dog can get the proper amount of nutrition in a smaller quantity of food and will not feel the need to eat so much.

Tell her if all she ate was a tortilla stuffed with bread, and two kinds of flour dipped in chicken fat and with a few beaks thrown in that is basically what she is feeding her dog.  How can that be healthy?  Is she not at least willing to read about why the first four ingredients are bad for her dog?  Dr Becker (a bet who has an online column) has a lot or articles that says why this kind of food is unhealthy.

First time I've ever seen a dog food with 'sugar' listed as an ingredient! 

I had a dog boarding last week that was on Beneful, and he, too, was overweight. (He was a pug/beagle cross.) Yes, the owner free feeds. I told him that was bad, and the dog should get about 1 cup of food a day, split into two feedings. I didn't criticize the food, as I've seen dogs come in that were on Ol' Roy, and looked perfectly healthy. I usually only revommend switching foods if the dog has skin or coat problems.

Fortunately, the dog is still young, and spends most of the day outside, where it is more likely to burn off calories than cooped up in the house.

I agree with Sitasmom. You can try to educate them, but if they don't want to hear what you are saying, I would definitely "let well enough alone."  Many owners have their own ideas of what's best for their dogs.  Its just a matter of opinion.  I am sure they think they are doing good for their dogs, just as we think we are doing good for ours. Once we find a solution that works best for us, we are set and that is the way it is. Not everyone is open to suggestions.  I am one that is always willing to listen, but not so quick to follow. 

Oh and for the record, I do not feed Beneiful, I feed TOTW.  I am sure many people don't like that food and would never feed it.  But it does good for my dog, and I would not change just because someone says it is not good for my dog and I should change.  JMO!  

SUNSILVER: I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!   I have a very near and dear friend of mine that feeds her dogs Ol'Roy also.  Her dogs looks fantastic and healthy.  I did mention to her about trying another dog food just for the sake of it..  She refused and said that she always fed OR and regardless of what breed she had, they did super. So I dropped it at that.  She has faith in Ol'Roy and none of her dogs ever died from eating, so who am I to condemn her for what she feels is best for HER dogs.   

Sitasmom, I'm not continually nagging my client about this. I briefly suggested once that they switch food (and said to them that it was just that....a suggestion) in hopes to convince them, and mentioned some of the things that I knew were unhealthy in the food,  And I told her that most vets don't seem to understand about nutrition or healthy weight.  I know about the other treats because I see them out along with the food every day that I go over there. She did seem willing to at least possibly look into other foods that weren't much more that I might suggest.....but she's still convinced that Beneful is a high quality food.