Mix Dry & Canned Food?

Cupy

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#1
Is it ok to mix dry and canned food? I heard that is not good, so what do you think?????
 

Athebeau

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#2
I always add canned to kibble...when I feed kibble.:) Canned food is very good for your dog, and as Mordy mentioned before, it's just a myth that it ruins teeth. Low quality foods of any sort with added sugar or poor ingredients are what ruin teeth (or dogs that pick up and carry huge rocks:D - that ruins teeth as well. Canned is not as processed as kibble, it's easy to keep a food more natural through the canning process.

My dogs have fantastic teeth, and by adding canned I know they are getting extra water in thier diets. I never know if they are drinking enough from the water buckets...its less stress on the kidneys.

My oldest Newf is going to be 11 soon, her teeth are pearly white and have never been cleaned. She has been fed canned, canned mixed with kibble, raw, home prepared, scraps etc. I think it's the variety that has kept her in tip top health.;)
 

Cupy

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#3
Thank you Athebau. So wich canned food are good quallity, I know only which dry foods are.
 

Cupy

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#4
Does anybody adding dietary enzymes, probiotics and digestive enzymes in food?
 

Athebeau

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#5
Any of the top quality kibble foods make wonderful canned foods. I currently rotate between these canned foods: Solid Gold, Natura (California Natural/EVO, Innova), Nature's Variety, Canidae, Lick your Chops, Evolve, Eagle Pack. I rotate between these foods.
There are many other good quality canned foods.

Does anybody adding dietary enzymes, probiotics and digestive enzymes in food?
I don't add dietary enzymes, I feel my dogs get enzymes in their food in raw state. But, any diet can benefit from supplementing with digestive enzymes...even a raw food diet would benefit. I also don't give my dogs probiotics either, instead I give my dogs organic plain yogurt daily...but, a dog can benefit from probiotics added...just make sure you get good quality, check the expiry date and make sure they are in the organic food section in the fridge.

I don't add these because I give my dogs so many supplements already...I don't want more capsules than food in their dish.:)
 

Cupy

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#6
Thank you Athebeau very much ;)
So can I mix Eagle Pack puppy dry food and Canidae or Merrick canned food. I only can get this two quallity foods in my country. I had to order Eagle pack from other country by online-shop :(
 

Athebeau

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#7
I personally mix in whatever canned with the current kibble. For instance I am feeding 4 of my dogs Nature's Variety kibble mixed with Natura this week, next week I'll mix in Canidae etc. My old girl Cassie eats Holistic blend (due to allergies to some proteins) and I am mixing in Canidae canned. She can't eat Canidae dry, but, the canned doesn't bother her.
Some may disagree, but, I mix in what ever canned I want with the kibble.;)
 

Mordy

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#8
Athebeau said:
But, any diet can benefit from supplementing with digestive enzymes...even a raw food diet would benefit.
i happen to disagree on that one. a healthy dog produces digestive enzymes in sufficient quantities to digest food. older animals, and those weakened by illness or stress often don't, and may benefit from supplementing enzymes, but i don't recommend giving them long-term other than when there is a real need.

the reason is that the body regulates enzyme production and may get "lazy" so to speak if the level is constantly thrown off by supplementation. this can lead to the dog becoming more and more dependent on a digestive enzyme supplement, which is exactly the opposite of what you want to achieve.
 

Athebeau

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#9
i happen to disagree on that one. a healthy dog produces digestive enzymes in sufficient quantities to digest food.
Excellent!;) I read in the book the complete holistic dog - by Jan Allegretti & Katy Sommers DVM that any diet including raw can benefit from digestive enzymes...I'm glad that I have been doing "the right" thing all this time...even against the suggestions given in most of my books.

I guess my gut feeling that too much is too much....and the question, "if I don't take them...why should my dogs" has been right all along.
 

Mordy

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#10
i agree, athebeau - the whole enzyme thing is (in my opinion) taken way out of context by many people. i see metabolic and digestive enzymes and their properties mixed up left and right in too many articles and books.

in some situations it's absolutely beneficial to add some digestive enzymes, but only short-term and as needed. the only thing where i can think of long-term benefits is in the care of cancer patients, since cancer permanently changes the metabolism of a person or animal, even if it goes into remission.

there are better things to add to the diet on a daily basis, such as fish oil, probiotics and vitamin C. :)
 

Cupy

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#11
So you think it is better not giving any enzymes to my puppy?:rolleyes:
Hmmm I thought it would be good becouse he has a very dry coat and bed breath :(
So do you have any other suggestions?
 

Mordy

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#12
enzymes won't do much for coat and breath.

if your dog has a dry coat, give a raw egg now and then and add some fish oil to the diet if you can. (not cod liver oil tho, it should be fish body oil!)

regularly giving fresh bones to chew should improve the breath. if you just switched to a better quality food recently, it might take a while until you notice improvement.

how old is this dog?
 

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