Is Wet Food Bad For Dogs

Is A Combination Of Wet And Dry Food Possible

Since both wet and dry food offer different advantages, the obvious conclusion would be that the best thing is to simply feed dogs a combination of the two. In principle there’s nothing against this, but you shouldn’t mix the two types of food and should always serve them at different times. Due to wet food’s high energy content, you should also make sure that the daily intake isn’t exceeded despite switching between wet and dry food.

When it comes to dogs that have a tendency to develop digestive problems, their owners should ideally choose just one type of food, because the to-and-fro between wet and dry food can lead to diarrhoea or constipation for sensitive stomachs. In general, combining the two types of food offers no advantages for the dog’s health, since both varieties allow it consume all vital substances. So if you’ve established that your dog likes the taste of one particular food and tolerates it well, feel free to stick with it!

Worst Dog Food Brands To Avoid In 2021

Unfortunately, not all dog foods are created equal!

Thats why its essential to learn about the worst dog food brands and discover the best dog foods of 2021 to ensure your furry friend is getting the nutrition they deserve.

The list is based on factual data regarding the percentage of all the ingredients used in the various dog foods.

What makes the dog food brands on this list worth avoiding is that they fail to provide many -if any- of those nutrients your dog needs to stay healthy. Instead they use a variety of low-quality ingredients and types of filler.

These can be harmful or unnamed ingredients that make them bad choices.

The Pros And Cons Of Mixing Wet And Dry Dog Food

Dog food options abound when you walk into a pet store and while there are fresh, frozen, and even freeze-dried options, the most common types of food you will find are either dry kibbles or canned, wet dog foods.

Some dog owners will mix both kinds of food for various reasons. It is helpful to know the benefits of both kinds of food individually as well as whether mixing them negates these benefits so that you can provide the best diet for your dog.

Read Also: What Type Of Food Can Dogs Eat

Can Puppies Eat Cat Food

If your puppy sneaks some cat food from time to time, it shouldnt be a problem. However, feeding them cat food regularly and as a replacement for proper puppy food is a different story. Puppies that are still developing need a nutritionally balanced diet suitable for their fast growth rate. Feeding your puppy cat food can quickly make them overweight and result in musculoskeletal problems.

They Are What They Eat

Good health and longevity begin with good nutrition. The educated dog owner strives to feed the best and most beneficial food that their budget allows. Even the choice of canned food versus dry is a big one, thanks to a wide variety of formulations, price points and health claims with strong proponents on either side. As always, your veterinarian should be the last word on your dogs nutritional needs.

But for how canned and dry foods compare, heres the scoop:

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The Benefits Of Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food is packed with nutrients, and well known for being:

• Convenient: Measured portions of dry food can be left out all day for a dog to eat at their own pace without worry of it spoiling.
• Economical: Dry dog food can be less expensive to buy in bulk and store than wet dog food.
• An aid in cleaning teeth: Some dog foods are formulated to reduce plaque, stain, and tartar buildup as the kibble is designed to scrape away these buildups on your dog’s teeth.
• Enriching environment: Dry foods are often easier to use in food puzzle toys which can be beneficial in entertaining your dog while you are at work, and controlling food intake for those “eager eaters”. Since your dog is not hunting for supper, the mental stimulation of getting food from puzzle toys can improve their quality of life.

Is Cesar Dry Dog Food Being Discontinued

CESAR Dry will be discontinued in Spring 2020. And we know well be missed by many adorable dogs out there. For that, we sincerely apologize. As you transition your dog to a new food, our experts at BANFIELD Pet Hospital recommend you change their food gradually, mixing in the new food with the old.

Recommended Reading: When Should Dogs Eat Wet Food

Worst Dog Treats: Sportmix Wholesomes Biscuits

Sportmix biscuit treats are on the list of dog food brands to avoid because it is made of unwanted dry leftovers and includes preservatives and fats harmful to dogs.

If we estimate the products meat content, it shows that it contains about 24% protein content, 13% fat, and about 54% carbohydrates.

After analyzing these numbers, it is clear this is a poor choice and is just a bit above average compared to other high-quality dog foods.

Benefits Of Wet Dog Food: Meaty Moist And Appetizing

Benefits of wet dog food at a glance:

• Most dogs love the taste, including picky eaters.
• Its more easily digested.
• Its high moisture content can help keep a dog hydrated.

Canned dog food tends to be more palatable to dogs because it is made primarily of protein and fat, with few carbohydrates. The palatability and digestibility of canned food may also make it the right choice for finicky eaters or dogs with certain illnesses.

The downside of canned food is its soft, smooth texture, which doesnt give your pooch an opportunity to do the crunching that can help clean their teeth. And smaller dogs that often eat canned food have more crowded teeth, providing areas where plaque and tartar can easily accumulate.

Nonetheless, some pet nutritionists believe that canned food can be healthier than dry. And with its high moisture content, canned food can help keep a dog hydrated, benefiting the urinary tract.

While the meat-based protein in canned dog food is more expensive, for smaller breeds that eat less it may be a cost-effective option.

Remember, canned food is perishable and can only be left opened and out of the refrigerator for a short time. Therefore, any food left in your dogs bowl for more than one to two hours should be discarded.

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Kibble Is Not Better Than Canned

Canned food is preserved by the process of canning but most kibble is preserved artificially.

Kibble begins as a dry cooked meal while canned food is canned fresh. Kibble is exposed to more heat than canned . Worse yet, kibble is linked to bloat, a deadly problem, especially for large, broad-chested dogs. Its also dehydrating. Of course, canned isnt perfect either. Fresh is best, raw or cooked. Next best is frozen pre-made raw food, and then freeze-dried raw, followed by dehydrated foods. These are all available at better pet stores.

RELATED: Read about the pros and cons of freeze-dried dog food

What’s Wrong With Preservatives In Dog Food

But what’s the problem with preservatives? For one thing, many preservatives in cheaper pet foods are not naturally derived.

They’re non-foods that would never naturally occur in your pet’s diet. Most provide no other nutritional benefit to your pet’s food other than making it last a long time on the shelf.

Most of the time, a long shelf-life isn’t even a real convenience for you. Generally, you probably buy dog food and use it up within, at most, a few months. This benefit is for the pet food manufacturer and the pet store, instead.

They can have the same food stored in their warehouses, back rooms, and shelves for sometimes years before having to check for expiration dates and refresh their stock. Business-wise, the longer the shelf-life, the less money is lost through expired products that cannot be sold.

Other than providing no real benefit to you or your dog, preservatives may actually harm your pet. Some common preservatives, such as nitrates or nitrites, are known carcinogens.

There are other options out there. Choose foods with natural preservatives whenever possible, or go the no-preservative route with canned foods.

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Benefits Of Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food is more cost-effective, lasts longer once it is opened, and is easier to feed and store than wet food. Dry food can also help to keep a dog’s teeth clean by scraping off plaque as the food is chewed.

It is widely accessible, doesn’t need special storage once it is opened like canned food requires, and comes in a variety of dry kibble shapes, textures, flavors, and sizes.

How To Make Homemade Wet Dog Food

Have you ever turned around a can of wet dog food and really checked out the ingredients? I assume that if youre reading this blog post, you most likely read the labels of the food you purchase for yourself and your family. If thats you, Good Job!

I am what some call a granola bar mom and play gatekeeper to the food that comes through the door for my familys consumption. . I make sure that what we put into our body is going to fuel our bodies for the right reasons, not harm them. This form of thinking stemmed from college and my Environmental Crime class, but is most likely a side effect of my Crohns Disease.

Although I am super strict with my family, Im embarrassed to say that until recently, I never read the pet food labels of our furry family members. But after the research my daughter conducted, I do now.

And so should you.

Oscar with his little bandanna/bib, ready to enjoy his homemade wet food.

Our smallest dog in our pack of three has congestive heart failure with an enlarged heart and spleen. We had been working alongside our vets for over a year with multiple appointments and changes to his medication. Still, our dog was struggling, and my daughter was desperate to help him. So she took it upon herself to research how she could extend his life. Can you guess what she researched first?

If you answered dog food, give yourself a pat on the back!

This is what we use, which you can purchase here. If you want something similar for all dogs, try this one.

Recommended Reading: How To Measure Dog Food Portions

Benefits Of Dry Dog Food: Convenience Crunch And Cost

Benefits of dry dog food at a glance:

• It supports oral health by reducing plaque and tartar buildup.
• No refrigeration is required.
• It has a lower cost than canned food.

Dry kibble does have some advantages over canned foods, including distinct benefits for your dogs oral health. Crunchy kibble helps keep your dogs teeth healthy by reducing plaque and tartar buildup. Thats why kibble eaters tend to have better breath than those who chow down exclusively on canned food. Dry food also provides the necessary chew and crunch dogs have craved since their primal pack days, when they used chewing and crunching as stress relief and a show of power.

Unlike canned food, kibble does not require refrigeration after opening and can be left out for free feeders. Its also easier to pack if you travel with your pet.

Cost is another area in which dry kibble has an advantage over canned food. Because canned food contains a higher percentage of water than dry foods , dry food is more economical to feed on a per-serving basis.

An Overlooked Dog Food Option

Canned dog food. That was it. Bailey wouldnt eat the kibble. But he sure did love that wet food.

So, I decided to learn more about canned dog food. I knew Bailey liked it. And he liked it a lot more than he liked kibble.

But I had to be sure if it was OK for him to eat. After all, Id always heard that canned dog food wasnt as good for dogs as kibble.

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Drawbacks To Feeding Wet Foods

As usual, there are some possible drawbacks to these foods. For one thing, if you have a medium-sized or larger dog, feeding a canned food diet can be virtually cost-prohibitive, especially if you try to feed a premium quality canned food.

Some of the top quality canned dog foods can cost $3-4 for a 13 to 14 ounce large can, with two cans per day recommended for a dog weighing 30 pounds and three cans per day recommended for a dog weighing 50 pounds Many people with large dogs only buy canned foods occasionally and use them as a topper or special treat because of the cost.

In terms of ingredients, many canned foods use the thickening agent carrageenan, made from seaweed. Concerns have been raised about carrageenan in connection with inflammatory bowel disease , intestinal ulcers, and other stomach problems.

Other concerns have been raised regarding guar gum, xanthum gum, agar agar, and other thickening agents used in canned foods and whether they are associated with digestive problems in some dogs.

Pet food cans today are also lined with Bisphenol-A , though there do not seem to be any good alternatives at this time.

Other drawbacks include the fact that feeding wet foods can be messy. Some dogs tend to get the wet food on their faces and bodies when they eat. They can also spread the food around the floor and elsewhere.

Blackwood 1000 Dog Food

Blackwood 1000 dog food has an ingredients list thats full of items that deliver no health benefits to dogs and can even be harmful to their health.

It also contains a lot of ingredients that are comprised of GMOs. Since many studies suggest that GMOs are not safe for human consumption, its certainly not a good idea to fill your dog with such foods daily.

Also Check: Where To Buy Vital Essentials Dog Food

Summary: What Do We Ultimately Recommend

The optimum diet for most pets will be a combination of wet and dry foods. That said, so long as your dog drinks enough water, a solely dry food diet is fine. A solely wet food diet is only acceptable if you have great dental care on board, such as 6 monthly scale and polish procedures at your vet, or daily tooth brushing. Read more about gold standard Dental Care for dogs.

Canned Food Benefits Dogs With Diabetes Cancer And Other Diseases

Particularly if your dog is already dealing with health issues that tax vital organs such as the kidneys, including cancer and diabetes, you should be doing all you can to reduce the stress your pet’s organs are experiencing on a day-to-day basis.

Diabetic dogs, which deal with kidney stress, will be healthier eating a moisture-rich diet. Switch to canned from dry food for your diabetic dog, even some of the time, and you can successfully reduce organ stress.

Recommended Reading: How Do They Make Dog Food

The Difference Quality Nutrition Makes

But good ingredients don’t just make your pet’s food taste better, they also improve health. Quality ingredients, including organic fruits and vegetables and free-range meats, contain more naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, and other nutrients than their commercialized counterparts.

But you can find organic and free-range ingredients in dry foods, too, so what’s the difference? Since wet foods undergo less processing, more of these natural nutrients are available to your pet in their raw form, untouched by the extreme-heat processing of kibble extrusion.

So, all other things equal, canned is still likely the more nutritious choice for your pet’s food.

Should I Feed My Puppy Wet Or Dry Dog Food

The choices available for feeding your puppy can be overwhelming. But one of the first decisions is between two choices will it be wet or dry dog food for puppy? Each has its fans and its detractors. Is one better than the other? Many dog owners have strong feelings on that! Yet some feed their dog a mix or wet and dry foods to make sure they are covering all the bases.

No single food option is the best for every single dog out there. Even dogs of the same breed can have different nutritional needs. Each owner has to weigh up the pros and cons of wet or dry dog food for their puppy and then consider their choices for whichever they pick. Understanding the pros and cons of wet and dry dog food is the first step to making the best choice for your pet.

Also Check: Is Iams Dog Food Grain Free

Helps Prevent Health Problems

So what happens when your cat or dog becomes dehydrated? Their bodies begin to suffer with an array of health problems. Dehydration can cause in an imbalance in electrolytes, which can negatively affect nearly every organ in the body. Blood circulation also suffers and the potential for urinary tract infections increases. Again, cat-lovers, this is crucial! UTI’s are unfortunately one of the most common health problems for cats, and they’re almost always caused by insufficient water intake. The same goes for dogs, who can also experience urinary issues when they don’t drink enough. Adding water to their food is one of the best things you can do to help your pet stay hydrated and healthy!

My Dog Ate Cat Food What Do I Do

Dogs get into cat food all of the time. Some steal from the cats bowl, others break into food bags and containers. Eating cat food on occasion may lead to nothing more than vomiting and diarrhea, but this can vary from dog to dog. If your dog exhibits signs of intestinal discomfort after eating cat food, call your veterinarian.

If your dog regularly gets into cat food, it is best change where you keep your cats food or where and how you feed your cat.

As a general rule, try to discourage your dog from eating cat food unsupervised by placing it out of his reach. As always, pay attention to your dogs reaction when feeding him something new and talk to your veterinarian about any concerns you may have.

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