Which dog food is best for your dog, Wet or Dry?

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Which dog food to feed, wet or dry?


Most dog owners will answer dry because they have been told that dry is better for dog’s teeth. The belief is that dry food needs to be chewed and therefore cleans teeth. Actually this is not true. Anyone who has seen or stepped in dog vomit knows that it looks the same as dry food, just wetter. That is because like their wild ancestors, dog’s tear, crack and swallow without chewing. Chewing during a kill would limit food intake. Modern dogs still share the same wild eating behavior. Without chewing, food has no cleaning action. Dry or wet, it doesn’t matter to teeth.

The choice to feed wet or dry is really based on expense and lifestyle. Dry food is much cheaper per serving than wet or canned food. It is also easier to store and convenient to feed. That is why its popularity has grown steadily since WW II. Up to the war years, dogs were mostly fed table scraps. But with the men off to fight and women in the factories, dry food was a perfect choice for feeding Fido.

Most dogs love canned food. It is equally nutritious compared to dry food despite the high water content. Fur quality often improves after adding canned food to the diet. It is definitely more expensive per serving. The odor, inconvenience of the can (opening, storing partials, disposal) and not eaten food turns away many dog owners.

Feeding a combination of wet and dry is a great plan that most dogs readily eat and is more satisfying. Adding wet food to the diet often decreases grazing behavior like eating poop, sticks, leaves, toys, etc.

Remember, if you add wet food to the diet, you must subtract dry food from each meal. The number of calories from both wet and dry must add up to your dog’s daily calorie requirement!


Next Post: Picking a low calorie diet food


Dr. T

More great dog health tips at www.trimthepack.com