title: Owner impressions of three premium diets fed to healthy adult dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine owner impressions of 3 premium canine diets when factors such as price and retail source were removed; to compare body condition scores (BCSs) assigned by owners versus a veterinarian; and to determine consistency of owner impressions of diets when owners were not informed that they were feeding the same diet during 2 consecutive periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  44 healthy adult dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the initial 12 months of the study, dogs were each fed 3 premium diets for 4 months in random order. After feeding each diet for 1 and 4 months, owners completed questionnaires regarding palatability of the diet; the dog's attitude, energy level, fecal consistency, frequency of defecation, hair coat quality, and BCS; and whether they would feed the diet if available commercially. During the last 4 months of the study, owners fed the same diet they had been feeding during the previous 4 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scores for most variables did not differ among diets. However, mean BCS assigned by owners was significantly lower than mean BCS assigned by an investigator, with a moderate correlation between scores. When asked at the end of the third and fourth study periods whether they would consider feeding the diet long-term, 12 of the 44 (27%) owners gave inconsistent responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate that when unaware of retail price and source, owners have similar impressions of 3 premium diets fed to healthy adult dogs, suggesting that factors other than the diets themselves may affect owner impressions. Owners also underestimate their dog's BCS.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Sherry L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sanderson
authors.forename: Delmar R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Finco
authors.forename: Asa D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pogrelis
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Stacy
authors.forename: Carrie E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Unger
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000502:physiology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003672:Defecation / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013649:Taste; D018634:Veterinarians / Q000523:psychology