Canned dog food

[Kuchi]

I have been hearing quite a few people talking about supplementing their dogs with canned dog food. Is there a nutritional benefit for doing this if you're already feeding a premium food or are you just doing it because your dog likes it? I was never a fan of canned dog food, dry food meets dogs needs alone. I do supplement with tripe, soooo stinky. I've read that canned cat food adds as much tartar as dry cat food, can be this be similar to dogs as well; I feed raw bones anyways for dental care. Just wondering what others think.
I understand if you're dog needs to gain weight its a good additive. With feeding 4 cats canned food, my recycling bins are full, Kuchi will continue to enjoy his dry canidae.

[mom2cocoa]

I always fed my cats canned because I think it's much better for them. But the dogs I always fed a high quality dry kibble only. Until recently. My 14 year old dog lost interest in his food so I started buying some canned to add a tablespoon to each dog's food. Otherwise, I would have just stuck to dry alone for the dogs.

[Cassiepeia]

As long as the canned food is top quality it is just as good as dry food. If your dog is fine on dry, I don't see a reason to add canned food though (no nutritional benefit I mean). But I fed my dog exclusively on canned most of his life (because he had no teeth to eat dry) and he did really well on it.

Cass.

[c0_re]

My guys just seem to enjoy their food more when I mix in a couple spoon fulls of canned dogs food. I can make one of the big cans of super premium food(human grade) last 2-3 days between the 2 of them so the 3+$ price tag isn't so scary but they seem to like the cheaper\standard stuff just as much so who knows if it's even worth it.

[Beryl]

I used to think that canned food was equivalent to kibble but just contained water. After reading more, I learned differently. All things being equal (same quality ingredients and proportions), canned food is better than dried since there is less processing involved.

Here is one reference:

http://www.drmarty.com/feeding.htm

[brandysmama]

I give Brandy some canned food mixed in with the dry because she seems to like it better, and eats more when I do so. I don't think she eats enough when I just give her dry.

[Kuchi]

I was just curious, thanks beryl for the link.

[c0_re]

The only downside to canned foods is

1. It's expensive
2. Your paying for 75%+ water
3. It's not good for their teeth

[Kuchi]

Well dry food isn't actually good for dogs' teeth, it is slightly better than canned.
http://holisticpetfood.wordpress.com...t-clean-teeth/

"Dental disease. Contrary to the myth propagated by pet food companies, dry food is not good for teeth. Given that the vast majority of pets eat dry food, yet the most common health problem in pets is dental disease, this should be obvious. Humans do not floss with crackers, and dry food does not clean the teeth."
http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1

http://www.allourpets.com/holistic/dental-care.shtml

Dental care will prevent dental disease. I do feed raw bones. But I honestly do not take my animals in for teeth cleaning every 1-2 years. I try and brush my cats teeth but that's not the best experience.

[dogs4life]

I believe it depends on your budget more than whether it's better for your dog.

The canning process for canned dog foods break down nutrients just the same as the extruded heat dried kibble. A lot of vitamins and nutrients are heat sensitive.

IMO cooking for your dog, feeding raw or feeding frozen prepared foods is a better use of your food budget. JMO

[Ritz459]

The only time I fed one of my dogs canned food was when Chloe had an infection after her spay and refused to eat and take her pills. Mix the pills with the canned food and the canned food the her dry food...wah-lah, a dog that eats AND takes her meds. I would probably mix canned food with dry also if I had a dog that needed a bit more meat on their bones and the dry food wasn't cutting it (or if they refuse to eat just plain dry food).

Aside from that, Chloe's doing perfectly fine on her dry food (as are Blackie and Rose) and I'm not paying a dollar a can for the good canned food when she would have to eat 2 1/2 cans a day, being an active puppy.

I've noticed with the dogs that are boarding that if they eat solely canned food they have bad breath (like, fishy)...I also noticed this when Pheobe was eating canned food as a kitten. Is that because of the canned food or lack of dental care (or both)?