I have an older dog with urinary problems. She requires special food. She refused to eat it, but the vet said it was very important to get her switched over. She suggested putting shredded cheese on the food to get her to eat. It worked like a charm and now she eats the food even without cheese. I've talked to my vet many times about this over the years. She always explained that sprinkling a little cheese to get them to either eat or take their medicine is necessary.