Appetite can anticipate the feeling of hunger: the dog responds to a need that has yet to manifest itself. This is preventive behaviour inherited from its wild ancestors. If a wolf or a coyote were to be hungry (i.e. in a state of hypoglycemia) before hunting its physical performance would be second-rate and its survival chances reduced.
A palatable food stimulates the appetite of the dog, which will eat as many kibbles as it is given. That is the objective of the manufacturer and the owner.
Dogs eat extremely quickly: they are able to ingest all the food they need for their daily needs in less than 3-4 minutes. Some dogs can even do it in less than a minute!
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The physical presentation of the food has an impact on the speed of ingestion: giant-breed dogs
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Offering kibbles 30 mm in diameter (compared with a control kibble 18 mm in diameter) increases the average during of ingestion by at least 50% among all dogs, in spite of significant individual variability.
Slowing down ingestion helps combat gastric torsion/dilatation.
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A palatable food does not imply that the dog will systematically consume more than it needs. Physiologically, the olfactory and gustatory receptors are switched off after a couple of minutes: the feeling diminishes and disappears.
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On the other hand, the quantity of energy ingested during the meal should theoretically be spent before the next meal. In the case of excess, dogs have some internal physiological regulation phenomena that allow them to adapt their consumption during the next meal (by eating less) and so re-establish their reserves in the liver and body fat.
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However, dogs are subjected to many exterior influences that may interfere with the regulation of their energy metabolism. They may spontaneously increase their intake when they are in competition with another animal. But the relationship with the master and other members of the family has major significance for dietary behaviour.
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The distribution of food by the owner is a daily very precise ritual. The regularity of the diet and the conditions under which food is distributed influences a dog’s feeling of well-being: this daily ritual reassures it and confirms its good relations with its master.
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When dogs are worried or when their position in the hierarchy is uncertain they may eat more than they need. If food is available at will (i.e. it is given as much as it asks for every time), the dog will gradually become obese. In other cases, the dog may refuse to eat and find a substitute activity to soothe its anxiety (Beaumont & Coll, 2003).
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When excessive ingestion of food expresses a behavioural problem the dog becomes unable to adapt its consumption to the internal information it receives. The sight of food sets off eating. The dog stops when it is unable to continue or when something more interesting attracts its attention (Pageat, 1995).
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The progress made by the producers of dry dog food in terms of palatability cannot be cited as the cause of the rise in canine obesity observed in all Western countries. Obesity is the result of a profound modification in the initial function of the dog: the fact that it is often sedentary and very close to humans means it is more vulnerable to all the possible diet-related errors. The owner has a key role in regulating the dog’s food intake: on average, small-breed dogs are given 50% of their daily calorie need in the form of leftovers, twice as much as large dogs (Glickman & Coll, 1995).
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© Renner
Cavaliers King Charles: only 6% of owners abide by the rations recommended on the packaging (Dehasse, 1996), even though they are essential if the dog weight is to remain right.
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Specific nutritional responses:
Palatability and nutritional precision are interconnected |
Palatability is not a luxury: it’s a vital obligation
The fundamental aim of nutrition is to provide all essential nutrients every single day in a sufficient quantity to cover all needs. The first of these needs is energy, in whatever form the calories are provided.
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The formulation of Royal Canin products is above all based on energy density: the ration volume offered to the dog must be compatible with its capacity of digestion.
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• Too low a volume does not give the dog a feeling of satiety* (Mugford, 1977).
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• Too high a volume may not be consumed properly or may cause digestive problems.
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Palatability is essential if the dog is to take in what it needs. The best-balanced food in theory is useless if the dog turns its nose up at it. Even more so when its health demands a special diet that is theoretically not favourable to palatability: limited salt, fats and proteins. There are various solutions for overcoming this obstacle and retaining an adequate palatability level.
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© Lenfant
The greater the energy expenditure, the greater the importance of a high level of palatability, which enables the dog to replenish its reserves after activity.
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Palatability helps the dog overcome certain kinds of stress
No two dogs react the same to stress. For many a loss of appetite is one of the first signs. If the food is not sufficiently palatable and the period of stress is prolonged, there will be a risk of chronic under-consumption and the appearance of nutritional deficiencies. The dog will lose weight, the quality of its hair will deteriorate and its immune defences will be weakened.
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© Renner
Leaving its native environment puts a puppy under major stress: it is important not to change its regular food before it has adapted to its new environment.
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- Examples of situations in which the dog’s appetite is disturbed
• Changes of environment: when the puppy or dog arrives in a new home, moves house or is put in a kennel during the holidays.
• Extreme fatigue: sporting and working dogs are more oriented to resting than to eating. So again, good palatability is crucial to their recovery. The replenishment of energy reserves is improved when the dog eats within 30 minutes of activity (Wakshlag, 2002). Royal Canin has extensively studied nutrition for sled dogs that cover large distances.
• Changes to diet: some dogs tend to reject a new food (neophobia*). This phenomenon is especially observed when the food is offered in unfavourable environmental conditions (O’Malley, 1995) or when dogs have been given the same food for a very long time.
Conquering neophobia entails realising the most gradual dietary transition possible in conditions that are ideal for the dog’s well-being, thus preventing the development of an aversion that would be even more difficult to overcome.
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Table of the chronology of good dietary transition
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It is advisable to change a diet gradually. For example, mix 25% of the new food with 75% of the old food on day 1. Next day mix together equal quantities and on day 3 mix 75% of the new food with 25% of the old food. On day 4 you can give the dog only the new food.
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