Feeding canned and dry together

    • Gold Top Dog

    Feeding canned and dry together

    I have always fed my two Tzus just dry food, they eat Fish and Potato. Since Nemo has been sick, and the vet put him on a canned EN food for a while, of course my other Tzu, Ziggy decided he was going to hold out for some canned too. LOL  So of course I caved in and bought some fish and potato and some lamb and rice canned.
    My first question is what is the best canned food brand?
    And secondly does anyone else feed their dogs both canned and dry? I have been putting down their regular dry (Free feed) but in the mornings I give Ziggy about a tablespoon canned mixed in with dry and Nemo gets his EN. I really dont want them to get used to canned all the time. I am thinking maybe once a week or so...???

    • Gold Top Dog
    My puppy gets Wellness or Innova canned food or Tripett with her kibble.   Sometimes she gets a bit of yogurt or cottage cheese.   The super premium brands make good canned food - look at the ingredients and see what you think is best.   
    • Silver
    I mix canned and dry every meal.  I rotate the canned between 5 -6 types/flavors (Cal Nat, Wellness, Pinnacle), switching after each can so they have a change of taste every few days.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Canned food is so much better for them, I don't understand why people don't want their dogs to have it.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Canned is okay.  I don't like it because the only brands here are very high in fat.  Plus, i like my dog to get dry/home cooked or raw because its better for their teeth.  The hard food scrapes against their teeth and cleans them.
     
    • Gold Top Dog
    Pulling and tearing raw meat from a bone helps the teeth.  The other things you mentioned really do not-they hardly chew kibble at all and kibble is also high in carbohydrates which adheres to teeth quite easily. 
     
    I think I should of became a doggie dentist, LOL.  I just cleaned Willow's teeth too!  [:)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Canned foods are not all high in fat, Wellness has 5% in some flavors, much lower than the kibble your feeding.
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: trackman

    I mix canned and dry every meal.  I rotate the canned between 5 -6 types/flavors (Cal Nat, Wellness, Pinnacle), switching after each can so they have a change of taste every few days.


    When you rotate the food, you don't notice any change in their bowel movements, do you? That is my biggest fear, messing with their intestinal flora. Their stools have always been firm and a small amount. Now since changing to the canned and dry together, I notice it is more soft and a LOT in volume. I thought I read once that if your dogs poop big amounts like that, it means something, but cant remember what.. LOL
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: willowchow

    Canned food is so much better for them, I don't understand why people don't want their dogs to have it.

     
    Stinky faces! LOL  My Tzus have longer hair in faces and WHEW, that canned is stinkkkky!
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: ziggynemo

    ORIGINAL: willowchow

    Canned food is so much better for them, I don't understand why people don't want their dogs to have it.


    Stinky faces! LOL  My Tzus have longer hair in faces and WHEW, that canned is stinkkkky!


    Well, my dog has a mane!  She gets her mouth wiped and anywhere else that needs it washed after she's done. 
    • Gold Top Dog
    Oh yeah they get their faces wiped for sure after the meal! LOL  [:D]
    • Gold Top Dog
    I always feed canned and dry together, always have.  The dry looks so...so dry! I want milk on my cereal so I give them canned on their dry.  I clean their faces and they all love it.  They really enjoy Canidae canned food, and Innova canned as well.
    Good Luck.
     
    Julie
    • Gold Top Dog
    why is canned healthier?  ive never heard that before.  they usually contain pretty much the same ingredients i thought.
    • Gold Top Dog
    why is canned healthier?

     
     Canned food has more protein than dry food; the proper way to compare them is a dry matter basis;
     
                            [linkhttp://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/dm.html]http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/dm.html[/link]
     
        Canned food has less preservatives and fewer grains than dry food too.        
    • Gold Top Dog
    ok, i didnt know that thanks.