dry vs. canned...

I've been feeding my very picky eater dry food (which has been grounded, because that's the only way she will eat it) mixed with canned. Is it okay to feed just canned? I've heard that just feeding canned isn't good for a dog's teeth. However, my dog's not really getting the benefits of the dry food to clean her teeth because it's grounded into crumbs. Please tell me your views on the subject because I was thinking of just giving her canned. Thanks.

I know Mordy feeds mostly canned, supplemented with aspects of the RAW diet. She'd have the best response.

Canned food is actually better than dry food when it comes to digestion. Since it has a lot of moisture, your dog will most likely digest more of the matter....it also has a higher amount of protein (on a dry matter basis).

My dog eats only canned, this is b/c the Dried goes straight through him.
But, as you can see from the pic he is one BIG healthy happy boy
There are also other things to help with thier teeth

I don't feed canned food myself (I make my own food), but canned food is definitely closer to what a dog would eat naturally. The claims of it being unhealthy are generally unfounded, if you stick to good quality brands.

There is really no reason any dog should have to eat dry food, other than it being convenient and economical for the owners.

Canned food contains a very high percentage of water, so not the most economical way to feed a dog. I've known dogs to live their entire lives on canned food, so it can work. You're right, you'll need to keep an eye on the teeth. Will your dog chew on a raw bone at all?

Scotia

I feed my adult female sheltie canned food because she won't touch dry food of any kind. I brush her teeth every other day and I've never had a problem with it.

It is untrue that canned food will digest better than dry food. Dogs are very good at making sure they take in adequate water. A high quality dry food will have a total digestibility of 90-96%, canned foods in the 92-96% range...an nominal difference.

My aunt feeds her dogs raw and says that it keeps their teeth very clean, but I've never tried giving anything raw. I do brush her teeth a few times a week, and she gets a good cleaning when she goes to the groomer, so her teeth are pretty clean. I also give her a few dog biscuits every day as a snack, so that should help.

I'm just curious as to where you get your information? Are you a vet or nutritionist?

Painter--that is not true. Canned food has more moisture in it than a dog could possiblly drink to do the same when they eat dry food.

A nutritionist.

Thanks,
P

Pap-

That is not true. Is your dog's water bowl an empty can of pet food? What I am saying is that typical can of pet food is 22% solids, 78% moisture. A ratio of 3.5 parts moisture to 1 part solid. That may mitigate a dog's need to drink further water, but doubtful.

Dry food is typically 91% solids, 9% moisture (0.1:1). A dog will them correct for the Moisture:Solids by increasing water intake to achieve the 3.5:1 or higher ratio. It is simple.

A paralell is how humans require 1 ml per every kcal consumed. Most humans do a fine job answer the body's thirst needs. Expect for old people who look shriveled like prunes!

In theory, that is true. However, many dogs do not drink enough make up for the amount of dehyrated solids they consume (thus why some who are genetically prone to urinary crystals form them in the absence of consuming enough water--just for an example). This is also why adding water to dry kibble is good. Studies performed by NCSU agriculture and life sciences program have shown that dogs suffering from colitis and kidney issues found relief when extra water was added to their dry kibble....they simply did not drink enough to support the amount of dry matter they consumed.

Actually that's not quite true. Many dogs do not compensate enough by drinking extra water. I don't think the pet food industry has ever sponsored any studies though, or is ever going to. It's not in their best interest, since the profit margin from kibble is greater than that of canned products.

Other factors that speak for canned food in favor of dry food (just to name a few):
- canned foods generally contain more meat protein that is less processed than that in dry food,
- they do not need any stabilizers and preservatives because the canning process sterilizes the food,
- the food is naturally flavorful, so less "trickery" with flavoring agents is needed to get dogs to eat it.

Yes, it's not as economical as feeding kibble, but IMO the nutritional benefits are well worth it.

So, I should admit that I do use Nature's Variety canned too, but mostly for its flavor.

There is many opinions about this, but I think everyone is partially correct. There are many dogs that do compensate just fine, and some that don't, and a smaller group of dogs that just have issues.

I personally like adding canned for flavor, but also realize that the extra water cannot hurt.

Everyone seems to be involved in their own focus groups of one!

Canned food, I feel, is definitely better than all-kibble. Neither foods will clean your dogs teeth for you - only raw meaty bones, teeth brushing, and/or lots of pet store dental bones will do that.

I really feel that canned food is ridiculously expensive! Feeding mostly a high quality canned food is more than 2x more expensive than feeding a very balanced raw diet with lots of various meats & cuts, for me.

http://www.vohc.org/

This is an interesting site regarding oral health care for pets.

All of the foods/treats that have received the "seal" are horrible!

Anyone who is interested in learning more about dental health in dogs should read Dr. Lonsdale's book "Raw Meaty Bones".

It's not so much a how-to book for raw feeding, but Dr. Lonesdale wrote about his research on oral health in dogs and cites some interesting facts about the effect of commercial foods and the problems it causes.

Especially the chapter where he discusses how publication of his findings have continually been suppressed by veterinary organizations due tot he link of them to the commercial feed industry. It's very sad.