Fact or fiction??

I have been feeding my dog since I got her 5 years ago with dry food, mixed with a bit of "broth" made from canned. She is an avid over-eater. When she was a stray she was hungry, and won't ever forget it. As a result, she is over weight, even though I use "healthy weight" dry food. I just heard that dry food was NOT the best way to feed an over weight dog. The dog drinks water after eating, and the food swells up, and the stomache gets stretched out, and the dog feels hungrier. Is this true? Have I been feeding her wrong all this time? She always acts as though she is starving. Has anyone else heard this? P.S. I try not to over feed, but I know her weight problem is my fault in the end. sigh.

[Jennifer Mathis, D.V.M.]

Dry food has benefits and drawbacks.
Soft food will rot the teeth faster which impacts pet health much more than food.  Soft food has higher fat content as well. Yes, dry food can mix with water and swell, but dry also can have higher fiber - soluble fiber which will make the pet feel fuller without increasing stool production.
It may well be a learned behavior to eat well, but there are lots of conditions that cause increased appetite that should be checked out.  Please see your veterinarian for well pet bloodwork as a screening and also a thyroid test.
There are even weight loss meds that are designed to train the pet to eat less, then get them off of the meds gradually as the weight is lost.  Talk to your veterinarian about these short term use, long term benefit options.
Kudos to you for recognizing wt. is a problem!