Should I Feed My Dog Wet or Dry Food?

Should I feed my dog wet or dry food is a common question that customers often ask us. But there is no one right answer because both wet and dry dog food have their own unique qualities that are beneficial to dogs. A dry dog food does help remove plaque and tartar from a dog’s teeth. It is also less expensive than canned food. Canned dog food however, contains less fillers and preservatives than dry dog foods.

Most canned dog foods also contain a higher grade of nutrients and are higher in protein than dry food. Wet foods taste great to dogs, which means they will eat every speck of food you put in their feeding dish.

The main benefit to feeding your dog a dry food diet is that it is beneficial for its dental health. Eating dry food kibble helps strengthen a dog’s jaw muscles in addition to removing some, but not all, of the plaque and tartar from a pet’s teeth. Wet food does not provide the abrasive action that helps clean the teeth.

But what if you have a new puppy? Should you be feeding it wet food or dry food? One of the most important responsibilities of raising a puppy is to provide the best quality dog food that will supply all the nutrients needed for the puppy’s growth and maintenance. Growing puppies need more protein than adult dogs to support their growing muscles and organs.

A visit to a supermarket or pet store to buy dog food can become a troubling ordeal if you’re not sure which brand to buy. There is such a wide array of commercial dog foods available, most of which are supported with heavy advertising to convince a dog owner that one particular brand is far better than any of the other competing brands. Then when you finally decide on the brand, you’re confronted with the choice of dry or canned.

So, we’re back to the question, “Which is better, dry dog food or canned?”

It really depends on your dog, your preferences, and probably your budget. Dry dog food costs less per serving than canned foods and its nutrients are more concentrated, meaning you’ll be feeding your dog a smaller quantity of food to satisfy its hunger and provide all the protein, vitamins and minerals it needs.

Although price may be one of your main considerations, the nutritional content and the ingredients are equally important factors. The top rated dog foods use grain-free formulas that contain only high-quality ingredients with no added artificial ingredients. Carefully read the labels of all the dog foods you’re considering. Fillers, by-products and common allergenic ingredients like corn, wheat, or soy are never present in a high quality dog food. Dogs have a difficult time digesting corn, and “meat-by products” are always inferior sources of protein. The bottom line is you need to choose the best food for your dog, not by price or the most advertised brand, but by what your dog needs to stay healthy and happy.

It’s not easy to give you a definitive answer on whether to feed your dog dry food or wet food, primarily because so many of the studies published on dog food are sponsored in part by manufacturers of either wet food or dry food. Unfortunately, veterinarians and animal experts have also come to a general agreement that there is no agreement.

As for me, I believe that the best thing I can do for my faithful companion is to consider his diet just as important as mine and strive to keep both of us healthy.

Are You Feeding Your Dog The Right Food?

When you shop for dog food do you often wonder whether you are feeding your dog the right food or not?

It’s important that you get reliable advice about feeding your dog a healthy diet. If you’re like me, heading for the pet store to buy something healthy and nutritious for your pet dog can be a daunting experience. There are so many brands and types of dog food on the shelves and I don’t have hours to spend reading the long list of ingredients on every single bag.

When my dog was younger I faithfully followed the vet’s advice and paid higher-than-normal prices for my dog’s food purchased from the vet. As the years progressed and my dog’s taste buds seemed to change to encompass anything he could find to eat, I started shopping for his food at both the pet store and the grocery store. If I thought the pet store was a palace of confusion when shopping for his food, I wasn’t ready for the massive selection of dog food and treats vying for my attention from the grocery shelves. Perhaps “leering at me” is a better way to describe the cornucopia of selections at any supermarket I visited. And if you’ve ever shopped at a “super center” grocery, you have a good idea of how choosing what’s right for your dog becomes a massive chore.

When you’re shopping for food for your pet dog, take the time to discover what is REALLY in the can or bag of food you’re buying. Learn how to read the labels to protect your dog from ingredients that are of no value to your pet and may be injurious to its long-term health. Many ingredients in pet food have no nutritional value and are only added to create volume or add flavor when there is none from natural ingredients. Try to avoid products that have wheat or corn as their first ingredient. Meat or meat-by-products should be the first ingredient listed if you care about providing healthy, nutritional food for your pet.

Your loving pet deserves the same consideration you give yourself when deciding whether to buy or not buy a particular food item at the store. Feed your dog the right food by giving it only healthy products that will help it grow correctly. Feed your dog the healthiest food you can afford, and you’ll be rewarded by having your pet around a lot longer to keep you company.