Switching dog to wet food

krlyr

meritaten wrote: »

and you think that is a 'GOOD' thing? small, dry poos are not normal by any means.

Jut to say, mine are raw-fed, so very high in moisture, yet have small, dry, frm poos. It's to do with the digestibility of the food, raw food is obviously not bulked out with cereals like commercial foods and so the majority of it is digested by the dog.

meritaten

P1 - my recently 'adopted' cat was exclusively fed on 'dry' food. and as you can prob guess from my posts I don't think this is 'healthy' for them.
his last owner gave 'wet' food as a treat - so I had a head start! Barnes thinks he is getting a 'treat' every night!

krlyr
Barnes shies away from raw food (except spiders and flies which he catches himself). did enjoy the 'melt' from some frozen meat - but as for raw meat ..........I get a look of sheer contempt! and walks away!

I have a son who is 'multi allergic' to foodstuffs, so I read ingredient lists - and I am NOT impressed with the ingredients in the 'expensive dry foods'. why the hell would a dog or cat need 'grain'? when was the last time you saw a dog or cat run amok in a cornfield? and 'fish products' - since when did you see a cat or dog down the river with a rod and line? in fact my Barnes cant tolerate fish - it really upsets his stomach.

krlyr

Wolves will eat a large proportion of salmon, especially juvenile wolves who aren't quite so skilled at tracking and bringing down land animals. I looked into it when moving to raw feeding when deciding how frequently to feed fish.

Wet food can be full of fillers too. I don't think you can say "wet = good, dry = bad", it's not quite black and white. As you say, reading ingredients lists will reveal a lot, but ultimately it's also about what suits the dog and the situation.

I happily feed mine a good quality (usually grain-free) kibble as the occasional meal or as training treats, just as I'll feed good quality wet foods occasionally. It's more than just about wet or dry to me.

Better_Days

I feed my dogs dry food (Burns) but we soak it in warm water before feeding. We add in some PlaqueOff for their teeth http://www.amazon.co.uk/Proden-PlaqueOff-180g/dp/B003IWOZ76/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1381352896&sr=8-3&keywords=plaque+off
Really does work, a dollop of yoghurt on top and sometimes mix a little Marmite in with the warm water for extra tastiness. Older dog also has a scoop of psyllium husk with each meal to keep her 'regular'

With wet food you are buying a tin which does have a good proportion of water. But the thing to look for is quality of ingredients (and for me, where possible ethically produced products)

meritaten

krlyr wrote: »

Wolves will eat a large proportion of salmon, especially juvenile wolves who aren't quite so skilled at tracking and bringing down land animals. I looked into it when moving to raw feeding when deciding how frequently to feed fish.

Wet food can be full of fillers too. I don't think you can say "wet = good, dry = bad", it's not quite black and white. As you say, reading ingredients lists will reveal a lot, but ultimately it's also about what suits the dog and the situation.

I happily feed mine a good quality (usually grain-free) kibble as the occasional meal or as training treats, just as I'll feed good quality wet foods occasionally. It's more than just about wet or dry to me.

yes - its knowing whats in the food you buy and also knowing the food your pet can 'digest'. many cats enjoy fish and seafood - Barnes loves Prawns - but, too many and his tummy gets upset.

just like feeding the kids - you have to know and adjust your feeding to allow for intolerances/allergies and personal preference! and balance that with what is GOOD for them!