About the Comprehensive Diet Survey
The Comprehensive Diet Survey collects data on diet types, changes to
diet, treats, supplements, appetite, and weight. This survey was
implemented in July 2022 when it replaced the Diet Survey.
Survey
Instrument:
HLES
Comprehensive Diet
Characteristics of the dog’s
diet
|
Feeding patterns |
| Subset sample size: 12,305 |
Count (%) |
| Consistency of daily diet [dt_pattern_consistency] |
|
| Very consistent |
10,802 (88%) |
| Somewhat consistent |
1,402 (11%) |
| Not at all consistent |
101 (1%) |
| Number of people responsible for feeding the dog [dt_pattern_people] |
|
| 1 |
5,583 (45%) |
| 2 |
6,059 (49%) |
| 3 |
500 (4%) |
| 4 |
127 (1%) |
| 5 |
25 (<1%) |
| 6 |
10 (<1%) |
| 10 |
1 (<1%) |
| Scheduled vs. free feeding [dt_feeding_pattern] |
|
| I feed my dog on a schedule |
11,069 (90%) |
| Food is always available in the bowl (free feeding) |
1,236 (10%) |
| Subset sample size: 11,069 |
Count (%) |
| Number of meals per day* [dt_pattern_feed_timesday] |
|
| Once a day |
856 (8%) |
| Twice a day |
8,901 (80%) |
| Three times a day |
1,141 (10%) |
| Four times a day |
130 (1%) |
| Five times a day |
17 (<1%) |
| Six or more times a day |
15 (<1%) |
| Did not answer |
9 (<1%) |
|
*Refer to Curated Data for information on the time of day that each meal is offered. |
Appetite and weight
|
Appetite |
| Subset sample size: 12,305 |
Count (%) |
| Owner assessment of dog's appetite [dt_pattern_appetite_overall] |
|
| Poor (does not eat without encouragement) |
535 (4%) |
| Average (eats without prompting to do so and seems full afterwards) |
6,646 (54%) |
| Voracious (always ready for more food) |
5,124 (42%) |
| Appetite changes in the last 6 months [dt_pattern_appetite_change_6mo] |
|
| No |
10,875 (88%) |
| Yes |
1,124 (9%) |
| I don't know |
306 (2%) |
| Pace at which the dog eats [dt_pattern_meal_pace] |
|
| Immediately |
8,865 (72%) |
| Within several hours |
998 (8%) |
| They take all day |
350 (3%) |
| My dog's eating behavior varies |
1,544 (13%) |
| Food is always available |
548 (4%) |
| Pace changes in the last 6 months [dt_pattern_meal_pace_change_6mo] |
|
| No |
10,698 (87%) |
| Yes |
1,321 (11%) |
| I don't know |
286 (2%) |
|
|
|
Weight |
| Subset sample size: 12,305 |
Count (%) |
| Stable weight in the last year [dt_weight_change] |
|
| No |
1,235 (10%) |
| Yes |
8,768 (71%) |
| My dog is a puppy who was growing to their full size during the past year |
2,156 (18%) |
| I don't know |
146 (1%) |
| Subset sample size: 1,235 |
Count (%) |
| Characterization of weight change, if applicable [dt_weight_change_how] |
|
| Lost weight |
606 (49%) |
| Gained weight |
629 (51%) |
| Subset sample size: 12,305 |
Count (%) |
| History of malnourishment [dt_malnourished_hles] |
|
| No |
9,637 (78%) |
| Yes |
1,027 (8%) |
| I don't know |
1,641 (13%) |
| Dog underweight (current or in the past) [dt_underweight_hles] |
|
| No |
9,532 (77%) |
| Yes |
1,507 (12%) |
| I don't know |
1,266 (10%) |
| Dog overweight (current or in the past) [dt_overrweight_hles] |
|
| No |
8,868 (72%) |
| Yes |
2,763 (22%) |
| I don't know |
674 (5%) |
|
|
Food sharing patterns
|
Interactions with other animals |
| Subset sample size: 12,305 |
Count (%) |
| Dog's food is shared by other animals in the home [dt_pattern_food_sharing] |
|
| No |
11,292 (92%) |
| Yes |
1,013 (8%) |
|
|
About the dog’s primary diet
|
Commercial or homemade |
| Subset sample size: 12,305 |
Count (%) |
| Primary component of the dog's diet* [dt_primary_diet_type] |
|
| I primarily feed my dog commercially prepared food (kibble)) |
11,388 (93%) |
| I primarily prepare my dog's diet by hand at home (not from a purchased kit). |
917 (7%) |
|
*If the owner reports a homemade diet, they are asked to provide a narrative description of their dog's homemade diet regime. This information is captured in a text field and requires significant human effort to code responses for analysis. |
|
Single or multi-source commercial diet |
| Subset sample size: 11,388 |
Count (%) |
| Dog is fed more than one type of commercially prepared food [dt_secondary_commercial] |
|
| False |
7,424 (65%) |
| True |
3,964 (35%) |
|
|
|
About the primary commercially prepared diet component |
| Subset sample size: 11,388 |
Count (%) |
| Primary diet component type* [dt_comm1_dietcomp] |
|
| Dry dog food (kibble) |
9,729 (85%) |
| Wet (canned) dog food |
414 (4%) |
| Semi-dry or semi-moist dog food |
83 (1%) |
| Freeze-dried food |
242 (2%) |
| Refrigerated or frozen cooked diet |
505 (4%) |
| Refrigerated or frozen raw diet |
340 (3%) |
| Home prepared cooked diet from a commercial kit |
54 (<1%) |
| Home prepared raw diet from a commercial kit |
21 (<1%) |
| Main protein in primary diet component [dt_comm1_protein*] |
|
| Salmon |
1,415 (12%) |
| Chicken |
5,987 (53%) |
| Other protein not listed here |
265 (2%) |
| Beef |
1,256 (11%) |
| Lamb |
1,101 (10%) |
| Pork |
119 (1%) |
| Turkey |
579 (5%) |
| Hydrolyzed protein (any type) |
217 (2%) |
| Beans |
79 (1%) |
| Whitefish |
106 (1%) |
| Duck or other poultry |
134 (1%) |
| Rabbit |
43 (<1%) |
| Venison |
69 (1%) |
| Tuna |
1 (<1%) |
| Organ meats |
4 (<1%) |
| Kangaroo |
13 (<1%) |
| Main carbohydrate in primary diet component [dt_comm1_carb] |
|
| Rice (any type) |
5,403 (47%) |
| Potato |
454 (4%) |
| Sweet potato or yam |
1,333 (12%) |
| Corn |
771 (7%) |
| Ancient grains (quinoa)) |
373 (3%) |
| Oats or oatmeal |
743 (7%) |
| Wheat |
273 (2%) |
| Barley |
847 (7%) |
| Other carbohydrate source not listed here |
1,191 (10%) |
| Primary diet formulation [dt_comm1_formula_] |
|
| Adult |
6,527 (53%) |
| All Natural |
622 (5%) |
| Large Breed |
1,361 (11%) |
| None |
1,008 (8%) |
| Organic |
166 (1%) |
| Puppy |
1,484 (12%) |
| Senior |
1,138 (9%) |
| Small Breed |
1,000 (8%) |
| Therapeutic |
1,635 (13%) |
| Vegan |
38 (<1%) |
| Vegetarian |
25 (<1%) |
| Subset sample size: 1,635 |
Count (%) |
| Veterinarian prescribed therapeutic diet [dt_comm1_prescription] |
|
| False |
832 (51%) |
| True |
803 (49%) |
|
*Refer to Curated Data for specific brand of food, package barcode, frequency of feeding, and volume fed for the selected primary diet component. |
|
Changes to primary diet component |
| Subset sample size: 11,388 |
Count (%) |
| Length of time dog has received reported primary diet component [dt_comm1_durationfed] |
|
| A month or less |
613 (5%) |
| 1 to 3 months |
1,249 (11%) |
| 3 to 6 months |
1,251 (11%) |
| 6 to 9 months |
916 (8%) |
| 9 to 12 months |
807 (7%) |
| A year or more |
6,552 (58%) |
| Subset sample size: 3,113 |
Count (%) |
| Reason for change, if <= 6 months [dt_comm1_change_reason_] |
|
| Allergy |
323 (10%) |
| Brand Change Health Diagnosis |
297 (10%) |
| Brand Change Other Reason |
879 (28%) |
| Different Food Same Brand |
312 (10%) |
| Lifestage |
516 (17%) |
| Other |
1,099 (35%) |
| Pregnant Nursing |
7 (<1%) |
| Started Grain Free |
59 (2%) |
| Started Organic All Natural |
62 (2%) |
| Started Vegetarian Vegan |
6 (<1%) |
| Stopped Grain Free |
82 (3%) |
| Stopped Organic All Natural |
16 (1%) |
| Stopped Vegetarian Vegan |
0 (0%) |
|
|
About the dog’s secondary
diet
|
About the secondary commercially prepared diet component, if applicable |
| Subset sample size: 3,964 |
Count (%) |
| Secondary diet component type* [dt_comm2_dietcomp] |
|
| Dry dog food (kibble) |
1,206 (30%) |
| Wet (canned) dog food |
1,642 (41%) |
| Semi-dry or semi-moist dog food |
86 (2%) |
| Freeze-dried food |
388 (10%) |
| Refrigerated or frozen cooked diet |
348 (9%) |
| Refrigerated or frozen raw diet |
222 (6%) |
| Home prepared cooked diet from a commercial kit |
52 (1%) |
| Home prepared raw diet from a commercial kit |
20 (1%) |
| Main protein in secondary diet component [dt_comm2_protein*] |
|
| Chicken |
1,703 (43%) |
| Lamb |
262 (7%) |
| Beef |
809 (20%) |
| Pork |
71 (2%) |
| Duck or other poultry |
79 (2%) |
| Other protein not listed here |
151 (4%) |
| Salmon |
301 (8%) |
| Hydrolyzed protein (any type) |
41 (1%) |
| Turkey |
397 (10%) |
| Beans |
35 (1%) |
| Whitefish |
50 (1%) |
| Venison |
29 (1%) |
| Organ meats |
12 (<1%) |
| Tuna |
4 (<1%) |
| Rabbit |
19 (<1%) |
| Kangaroo |
1 (<1%) |
| Main carbohydrate in secondary diet component [dt_comm2_carb] |
|
| Rice (any type) |
1,272 (32%) |
| Potato |
342 (9%) |
| Sweet potato or yam |
582 (15%) |
| Corn |
126 (3%) |
| Ancient grains (quinoa)) |
117 (3%) |
| Oats or oatmeal |
192 (5%) |
| Wheat |
158 (4%) |
| Barley |
158 (4%) |
| Other carbohydrate source not listed here |
1,017 (26%) |
| Secondary diet formulation [dt_comm2_formula_] |
|
| Adult |
2,204 (56%) |
| All Natural |
345 (9%) |
| Large Breed |
169 (4%) |
| None |
712 (18%) |
| Organic |
117 (3%) |
| Puppy |
321 (8%) |
| Senior |
253 (6%) |
| Small Breed |
274 (7%) |
| Therapeutic |
420 (11%) |
| Vegan |
11 (<1%) |
| Vegetarian |
17 (<1%) |
| Subset sample size: 420 |
Count (%) |
| Veterinarian prescribed therapeutic diet [dt_comm2_prescription] |
|
| False |
194 (46%) |
| True |
226 (54%) |
|
*Refer to Curated Data for specific brand of food, package barcode, frequency of feeding, and volume fed for the selected secondary diet component. |
|
Changes to secondary diet component |
| Subset sample size: 3,964 |
Count (%) |
| Length of time dog has received reported secondary diet component [dt_comm2_durationfed] |
|
| A month or less |
281 (7%) |
| 1 to 3 months |
494 (12%) |
| 3 to 6 months |
474 (12%) |
| 6 to 9 months |
402 (10%) |
| 9 to 12 months |
298 (8%) |
| A year or more |
2,015 (51%) |
| Subset sample size: 1,249 |
Count (%) |
| Reason for change, if <= 6 months [dt_comm2_change_reason_] |
|
| Allergy |
79 (6%) |
| Brand Change Health Diagnosis |
93 (7%) |
| Brand Change Other Reason |
360 (29%) |
| Different Food Same Brand |
76 (6%) |
| Lifestage |
111 (9%) |
| Other |
597 (48%) |
| Pregnant Nursing |
2 (<1%) |
| Started Grain Free |
12 (1%) |
| Started Organic All Natural |
36 (3%) |
| Started Vegetarian Vegan |
2 (<1%) |
| Stopped Grain Free |
16 (1%) |
| Stopped Organic All Natural |
3 (<1%) |
| Stopped Vegetarian Vegan |
1 (<1%) |
|
|
Owner additions to the commercially prepared
diet
|
Fresh food* |
| Subset sample size: 11,388 |
Count (%) |
| Meat and/or seafood protein [dt_addition_meat_protein] |
|
| Never |
3,432 (30%) |
| Rarely |
2,949 (26%) |
| Seasonally |
341 (3%) |
| Several times a month |
1,758 (15%) |
| At least once a week up to daily |
2,908 (26%) |
| Non-meat protein [dt_addition_nonmeat_protein] |
|
| Never |
5,787 (51%) |
| Rarely |
2,737 (24%) |
| Seasonally |
350 (3%) |
| Several times a month |
1,402 (12%) |
| At least once a week up to daily |
1,112 (10%) |
| Grains, starches, and/or cereals [dt_addition_grain] |
|
| Never |
5,441 (48%) |
| Rarely |
3,157 (28%) |
| Seasonally |
365 (3%) |
| Several times a month |
1,351 (12%) |
| At least once a week up to daily |
1,074 (9%) |
| Vegetables [dt_addition_vegetable] |
|
| Never |
4,195 (37%) |
| Rarely |
2,576 (23%) |
| Seasonally |
670 (6%) |
| Several times a month |
1,810 (16%) |
| At least once a week up to daily |
2,137 (19%) |
| Fruits [dt_addition_fruit] |
|
| Never |
4,816 (42%) |
| Rarely |
2,542 (22%) |
| Seasonally |
986 (9%) |
| Several times a month |
1,555 (14%) |
| At least once a week up to daily |
1,489 (13%) |
| Dairy and/or dairy alternatives [dt_addition_dairy] |
|
| Never |
4,663 (41%) |
| Rarely |
2,793 (25%) |
| Seasonally |
459 (4%) |
| Several times a month |
1,818 (16%) |
| At least once a week up to daily |
1,655 (15%) |
| Oils, fats, nuts, and/or seeds [dt_addition_oil] |
|
| Never |
5,043 (44%) |
| Rarely |
2,672 (23%) |
| Seasonally |
427 (4%) |
| Several times a month |
1,642 (14%) |
| At least once a week up to daily |
1,604 (14%) |
|
*If owner selects any additions to commercially prepared diet, they are presented with specific choices within the category. For example, if "Meat and/or seafood protein" is selected, the owner can specify beef, pork, tuna, etc. Refer to Curated Data for detailed protein sources and frequency with which they are added to the dog's food. |
|
Supplements* |
| Subset sample size: 11,388 |
Count (%) |
| Supplements included in the dog's diet [dt_supplements_type_] |
|
| Acidify |
44 (<1%) |
| Alkalinize |
41 (<1%) |
| Antiallergic |
282 (2%) |
| Antioxidants |
213 (2%) |
| Bonemeal |
105 (1%) |
| Cbd |
585 (5%) |
| Chondroitin |
2,120 (19%) |
| Coq10 |
163 (1%) |
| Enzymes |
303 (3%) |
| Fiber |
411 (4%) |
| Fishoil |
2,431 (21%) |
| Glucosamine |
3,300 (29%) |
| Immune |
436 (4%) |
| Liver |
278 (2%) |
| None |
4,827 (42%) |
| Other |
865 (8%) |
| Otherjoint |
1,615 (14%) |
| Otheromega3 |
332 (3%) |
| Probiotics |
2,493 (22%) |
| Skin |
999 (9%) |
| Taurine |
129 (1%) |
| Turmeric |
428 (4%) |
| Vitamins |
766 (7%) |
|
*If owner selects any supplements, they are asked to provide the frequency with which the dog receives each specific supplement. Please refer to Curated Data for these results. |
|
Treats* |
| Subset sample size: 11,388 |
Count (%) |
| Treats included in the dog's diet [dt_treats_type_] |
|
| Chewy |
4,881 (43%) |
| Crunchy |
7,053 (62%) |
| Dental |
5,183 (46%) |
| Freeze |
3,560 (31%) |
| Lowcal |
4,919 (43%) |
| None |
307 (3%) |
| Other |
1,316 (12%) |
| Rawhide |
4,272 (38%) |
|
*If owner selects any treat types, they are asked to provide the frequency with which the dog receives each specific treat and the number of treats fed each time. Please refer to Curated Data for these results. |