Wet food Vs Dry

[reindeerlover]

Hi all, I am doing a presentation tomorrow about the above. Please can you give me your opinions on which is best and why? Thanks xx

 

[Ranyhyn]

From that choice, dry. Better for teeth, better for cleaner stools. Ideally though I'd want a dry diet supplemented with meat and fish.

 

[reindeerlover]

Thanks for that! Can you elaborate (sp?) as to why?

 

[KarynK]

Wet BUT raw with bones and human grade!

Dogs haven't evolved to eat totally dried out food which can increase the risk of bloat especially in the case of mixes heavy in cereals. Also usually there is a greater amount of complex carbs in dried food which they do not need.

 

[reindeerlover]

Thanks again for that, unfortunately that isn't an option in my presentation

Just Wet Vs Dry....

 

[Ranyhyn]

Ok well dry food cleans teeth as its chewed, therefore it is better than wet food, which has no such abrasive quality.

Dry food produces harder, less foul smelling stools (IME), this is better for urban living and for cleaning (via poopascoop!).

 

[reindeerlover]

Sorry Kitsune (I'm not doing this very well am I?) I meant why would you supplement the dry diet? Is it personal choice or do you think that the dry food is lacking?

 

[Ranyhyn]

Thats ok, I did wonder if thats what you meant.

I believe that a diet that best replicates what dogs are meant to eat, is a varied one.

Fish provides some great oils, fresh meat the same. Bones, marrow etc all provide something which dry or wet food cannot supply. Although I'm not scientifically sure what that is, but I know through cooking etc met loses some of its goodness.

 

[blackcob]

Well, my dog can't really eat either - she's intolerant to every cereal I've tried, the only carb source she can tolerate is potato and there's so few kibbles out there that use that instead of wheat or whatever.

However, as a sweeping generalisation, dry every time. I've known too many dogs with rotten stinking mouths and no teeth from living entirely on wet food, plus as Kitsune says their poo is atrocious. You can see the Pedigree Chum Poos from a mile away in the park, 'cos they're in gigantic soft orange heaps.

 

[CorvusCorax]

If not raw, dry.
I do agree with Karen though, in terms of far too much grain being used in dry foods.

I have a dog who cannot tolerate high protein. What kind of evolutionary freakshow have we created, a carnivore who cannot tolerate high protein?!

I use dry, supplemented with eggs, natural yoghurt, tuna, fish oils, veg oil, a kefir culture and we have two raw days a week.

DUCK is the only wet food I would consider using.

The problem with most available wet foods is that the biggest ingredient by far is...water.

 

[kirstyhen]

Out of those two choices, Dry.
Otto is fed on Acana Dry food and he has never had such nice poop, RAW is the next step once we have a freezer and somewhere to buy it from!

 

[misterjinglejay]

A few years ago we lost one of our samoyed bitches whilst she was in pup. Vet autopsied and diagnosed hydrops.

Noone seem to know why it occurs, but it has been linked to the feeding of dry/complete feed (which mine was on).

Barf diet seems the best for my gang!