but for a balanced diet some dry foods need to have meat added
Keep in mind that feeding ANY meat products, cooked or not, with a high grain food (like MOST commercial kibbles)
can cause digestive upset and poor nutritional absorption.
Grain products digest at a MUCH slower rate then meat products, AND they raise the pH levels of the digestive tract. Dogs need an acidic digestive tract to break down and process whole fresh meat products (to make any nutritional benefit worth your while). If the dog is used to digesting a grain based meal, "supplementing" with meat will be pointless. Grains are really not a very good thing for your dog, so when a commercial food is comprised and AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) approves it, the food is genetically modified to be digestible and bio-available to the dogs digestive tract and to meet all nutritional needs.
You have two choices when feeding dogs - naturally, or processed. Mixing those, in my opinion, is a pointless exercise. Either cook your meals (which is still WAY better then a commercial diet), feed raw, or stick to an AAFCO approved diet and save yourself the hassle of "supplementing".
If you do it occasionally for the dog's taste buds, fine, but don't be lulled into thinking that meat is a "necessary" supplement to commercial diets. If the food is approved by AAFCO, then it's not nutritionally needed.
AAFCO feeding trials are PROVEN to supply a complete meal for your dog that will meet all of its nutritional needs. The thing you have to realize is that the diet is approved as "complete" through the combination of ingredients, not with or without certain "supplements" that we humans feel the need to give. Most of these diets, while complete, are still not considered a prime choice for most pets, and in my opinion, Iams is one of them. However, adding meat and veggies does not raise the quality of the meal. If anything, it will only make it that much more confusing for the body when it comes to digesting the food and absorbing the nutrients.
My family has over 60 years of combined dog experience, having bred, raised and trained field labs for most of that time. We have fed a combination of wet and dry over the years, with neither proving to be more beneficial then the other. Some people will argue that dry food provides better tooth care, but I have to argue that maintaining healthy gums and teeth is A LOT more involved then simply pouring some crunchies in a bowl. The act of chewing and gnawing on bones is very good for their teeth and gums, as are many of the other methods - brushing, manual cleaning, massaging, and not to mention many of the novelty dental products on the market today.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that the ingredients in the soft food are JUST as important as that of the dry food. I laugh when I see people feeding a holistic food, but then add Old Roy canned food.
As for my dislike for Iams, as a general rule I tend to stay away from foods with animal by-products (be it chicken, turkey, beef or lamb), as well as multiple grains and/or grain by-products. Remember that corn, for example, is not a "bad" thing, per se, it's the by-products that ARE bad. Whole corn is FAR more digestible then something like corn mindlings, or corn meals.
Staying away from ANY by-products is a good thing, as it ensures the ingredients are whole and fresh, which are much easier on your dogs digestive tract.
Also stay away from chemical preservatives - like BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin. These are just a few of the basic "no-no's"... other then that, if it's not broke, then don't fix it.
Everyone has their opinions on what makes a good dog food, but I have to tell you, I've seen many dogs THRIVE on Eukanuba while others continue to suffer on premium holistic foods. It's not a food I would pick, but if someones dog does well on it, then who am I to judge?
