Is it true that the better the dog food, the less they poop?

Question

I recently switched my dogs food to Eukaneuba and my dog has been pooing way more than before the switch. I read somewhere that better dog foods create less doo... Is this true?

A lot of repsonses below are suggesting that cheaper dog foods would great more bowel movements. But in my case I went from Pedigree ($20 bag) to Eukanuba ($40), so a lot of responses dont make sense.

Answer 1

Yes, this is true. Dogs being fed Purina and Hill's science diet have been shown to defecate less (with the same dogs being used) than those eating dollar store dog foods.

This is because the higher quality foods have more easily digestible ingredients. THe nutrient content may look the same on the package, but there are significant differences in the availability of the nutrients inside.

I would post a link but it was published in JAVMA.

Edit: Well, Every dog is a little different. If you've been feeding for longer than 2 weeks on the new food then the extra defecation will probably remain.

Answer 2

Raw diets need to be supplemented with vitamins and minerals if you are going to go that route, but regular dog food is great for most dogs. If you have been feeding a premium/natural dog food before you switched to organic you most likely will not see a decrease in stool size or times gone daily. But if you were on a low quality food like Purina Dog Food or Science Diet you would see a decrease when you switch to a premium food. Organic foods are good because you can almost guarantee that the products are natural and raised/grown correctly. If you don't want to pay for that Organic label, go with a holistic food, it'll save you some money and be just as natural and good for your dog. I advise feeding regular kibble because they are balanced for your dog already...but you have to feed a good quality one!

Answer 3

There's less waste in higher quality foods, so there is less left for the dog to remove from its body. Personally I don't like Eukanuba and IAMS, as they did some horrible tests on animals ( http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iams.htm ), so I'm prejudiced agaist them anyway. Foods that haven't been tested include 'Oscar', 'NatureDiet', and 'James Wellbeloved', all of which are also extremely good quality!!!!!!!

Answer 4

yes this is true. I have my dogs on purina one, since they have been eating this they only go potty 2 times aday, when I had them on a cheaper one they went to the potty about 4 times a day. so a little more expensive dog food is better for them

Answer 5

Yes, Eukaneuba is a great brand along with Science Diet (which is what I use) They are higher in fiber, which causes their bm's to be more compacted and firm. Not loose.

Answer 6

Yes this is true. I have noticed a difference since switching from Purina to Science Diet

Answer 7

Well they say that the dogs body absorbs more nutrients and that in turn makes for less waste. I don't know if it is true but the dogs health would be better.

Answer 8

well, yes, because there are more nutrients and less waste is created, however if you switched suddennly, you may have caused your pup some intestinal distress...you're supposed to switch to a new food over the course of at least a week...a little at a time.

Answer 9

Totally false. The quality of the food has nothing to do with how much they will poo. It has to do with how much they eat, and how much of the ingredients of the food the dog's body considers waste.

Answer 10

No. Depending on the dog's size he's gonna poop more and more, but the food does not have anything to do with it, unless it make them grow faster.