Dried food v Tinned

Jackie D · Old Hand

Dried food v Tinned

Anyanka · Master

I'm one of the least experienced grey owners here; just replying to make you feel less of a bad mum - I've fed my lurcher girl half dry, half wet (trays rather than tins, but not much of a diff). I'm about to change to all dry because the tray food is getting too expensive with two of them, as we're going through a very tough bit financially.

As far as dry for teeth goes - Bonnie barely chews her food, so it won't make much of a difference. It doesn't even touch the sides.She also doesn't like pigs ears or most of the treats designed for dental hygiene! Piper chews very properly, almost ladylike.

I've always been told that the main reason people feed dry is so as not to pay for the water content - our expensive, about-to-be-cancelled NatureDiet trays are 77% moisture after all!

JENNY · Big Cheese

The food debate is an ongoing one and I think it is really up to the individual and what they prefer but more importantly what agrees with their dog.
Many people say dry is best for teeth but if they aren't chewing then it makes little difference I suppose.
It has taken me a while to find a food that agrees with Vernon as he seems to be very sensitive to some foods. Ziggy however can eat anything with rock solid poos all the time. They currently get a muesli style mix which suits Vernon so I'm happy to stick with it. However if tinned suited him I'd also buy that.
If your dogs are healthy I don't think you should feel like a bad mum. Your dogs are well nourished and cared for which is more than a lot of greyhounds so just go with what suits you, not what you feel you should.

Jennifer · Big Cheese

I feed mine all on the dry food,

1- because as said before, i think its better for their teeth

2- having 3 medium to large dogs it would work out cheaper for me to feed dry

3 -have you read the ingredients on some tinned dog food??? mostly water followed by a high sugar content! Its mostly crap that goes into tinned food (IMO) lol

4 - i also find it more convenient just to grap a scoop and put it in the dish (especially when you are feeding 3) and less smell.

Anyanka · Master

Jennifer, you mention smell - that was one of the reasons why I stuck with the NatureDiet for so long; it smells reasonably agreeable. However, last time all I could get was the one for 'sensitive' dogs which has a fairly high fish content.

Most of the cheaper tinned dog foods really smell vile.

Lex · Graduate

You guys have got me thinking. After seeing bags of Arden Grange at the fayre on saturday. I have always fed mine a mix of wet and dry food. However, after reading the posts about Arden Grange I think I will be giving that a go.

I will keep you posted.

skydivingturtle · Master

we feed Summer on dry food, but give her a treat of dry and wet mix at he weekend for her t. Just to add some variety really and make the weekends that wee bit more special :), seems to agree with her so far, don't get me wrong she does have the odd squishy poo but she doesn't suffer any discomfort and the weekend dinners are scoffed in nano seconds :), plus anything else that's on offer really from scrambled egg to a full sunday roast hehe.

-- Edited by skydivingturtle at 17:29, 2007-11-26

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

I feed Mason Arden Grange but found he is more 'solid' if I mix in Butcher's Choice with it. he also gets sardines in tomato sauce mixed in once or twice a week.
If you're worried about their teeth then try raw chicken wings, they work a treat, can be bought in large saver packs in the supermarket for frezing, and the dogs love them.
Marie

Michelle · Master

Well i'm not that experienced with dogs but i think that whatever suits them is the best!!

We changed Jet from Burns dry dog food onto Arden Grange dry dog food and he turned as hyperactive as anything, the dog behaviourist we go to recommended we switch back and he's calmed right down again. Now there is nothing wrong with either of these foods and both are highly recommended but it just depends on how the individual dog is with things. Just go with what they do best on!

feldandjack · Guru

Cara changes her diet quite a lot weirdface

Didn't eat anything, then went on to raw meat and loved it, although she would never eat raw chicken. After 5th week of pregnancy she went off raw meat, but loved it cooked mixed with puppy dry food. She snatched Bella and Bess's raw chicken from me the other day furious

and also stole the tinned Butchers tripe and dry Chappie I had prepared for the others (I hadn't got their raw mince in and it was all the local shop had) Cara eats LOTS at the moment. I try to ensure she has good quality meat, cooked, (steak or lamb) once a day, She also has some tinned dog food mixed with puppy dry food during the day and tinned sardines once a week. She has one boiled egg per week (won't touch it raw) and cheesy spuds.
What I'm trying to say is, if it works for your dog and it's a good balance of quality and quantity you should not be afraid to experiment. Don't mix dried food and raw meat together though ashamed

PS, there are NO bad mummies on this forum, but there are lots of fussy, spoilt hounds. wink

feldandjack · Guru

PPS, all three of mine eat horse s**t and have been known to lick the odd lump of coal. Bella also supplements her diet with mice bleh

midas · Master

No hard and fast rule when it comes to food,feed what seems to suit your dog ,I have two types of dried food made up for me and we also use Arden Grange,I've known about Arden Grange since its introduction to the market the owners and manufacturers are GSD people and they only give their dogs the best,they have fantastic quarantine kennels and as I understand it the kennel dogs are fed on it,some people use fish rice and veg,some people use pasta then theres the BARF diet and vegetarian diet!!!feeding a good quality whole grain mixer and Butchers tripe range is a good meal,it's thought that a portion of wet canned food may even help prevent bloat/torsion!who knows there is so much choice?one of my GSD's had three torsions,she was fed on soaked Winalot and Pedigree tins at it seemed to suit her fine,and this was on the vets advice.So I think if your dog is happy and health don't be in a hurry to change.

Hegs · Old Hand

We feed Bob Arden Grange as that was what he had at the kennel and we wanted to keep it the same. At first he wolfed it down no problem with nothing but a bit of water in it. Now though he will not touch it unless it has something, anything mixed in with it. Sardines are the favourite (and are good for his coat) , but scrambled egg, gravy, mince anything at all will do. We have even tried not feeding him for a couple of days and only putting Arden Grange out but he will not touch it on it's own!!

Heather

Hegs · Old Hand

Forgot to say that as for his teeth the food doesn't go near them and any detal chews are gone in a flash! He absolutely loves getting his teeth brushed though and it's a nice bonding time too!!!!!!! Chicken toothpaste mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

tootsmazza · Enlightened One

Hegs wrote:
We feed Bob Arden Grange as that was what he had at the kennel and we wanted to keep it the same. At first he wolfed it down no problem with nothing but a bit of water in it. Now though he will not touch it unless it has something, anything mixed in with it. Sardines are the favourite (and are good for his coat) , but scrambled egg, gravy, mince anything at all will do. We have even tried not feeding him for a couple of days and only putting Arden Grange out but he will not touch it on it's own!!

Heather

Mason was exactly the same which is why I started adding a tray of Butchers Choice or a tin of sardines in tomato sauce. I was interested to see the post suggesting wet food helps with bloating because mason's stools improved drastically when I added the wet food. It is all trial and error though, every dog's digestion is different.
The only warning I give people is avoid Iams at all costs, itsfull of additives and just bad!
Marie

Indiana · Guru

After discussion on the forum, I moved onto raw meat (mainly chicken cause it's cheap and cheerful) which has worked wonders for their teeth - pearly white with all the chewing. I also feed tuna and natural yoghurt. Like everyone has said before - it's a matter of trial and error and finding out what works for you