# can vs dry



## lovmydog (Dec 10, 2010)

If you decide to use can, is it better to mix can and dry or use each separately (one meal can, one meal kibble)


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## PUNKem733 (Jun 12, 2009)

Depends on how you like to do things, or even their preference, but I mix it with the dry.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

I do dry in the morning meal and the evening meal I mix part of the wet with the dry and they love this! This morning I had left over chicken and mixed it with their dry so they were in heaven! Tonight I will mix wet(canned) with their dry ! You can ceratinly mix. you dont have to do them seperate!:wink:


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## lovmydog (Dec 10, 2010)

I only thought can was for dogs that lost their teeth, or digestive problems. I've always used dry. But after reading some literature; now thinking it might is "better" to add for extra moisture - or variety, or getting what they didn't get in the dry etc. etc. My dogs will eat anything, so for pure please I just wouldn't switch but if there was a true benefit...would make sense..


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## channeledbymodem (Dec 25, 2008)

lovmydog said:


> I only thought can was for dogs that lost their teeth, or digestive problems. I've always used dry. But after reading some literature; now thinking it might is "better" to add for extra moisture - or variety, or getting what they didn't get in the dry etc. etc. My dogs will eat anything, so for pure please I just wouldn't switch but if there was a true benefit...would make sense..


Canned foods have far fewer carbs than any dry food and far more protein. In general a higher percentage of protein to carbs is greatly desirable. Also there are affordable canned foods that are 95% named meat. The more meat in the diet (as long as calcium stays in balance to phosphorus) the better. 

We feed dry food in the morning because it's convenient for my wife and stools are a bit firmer with kibble in the rotation. But I would never feed kibble exclusively and feed a wide variety of "better" canned foods.


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2011)

Feeding dry kibble alone is like eating cereal without milk. I think canned is great for adding moisture and taste. Also for extra protein especially if you are feeding a grain-inclusive kibble with a low protein level.


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## lovmydog (Dec 10, 2010)

*can vs kibble*

Sounds good just wondering if weruva can if any of the brands would be suitable for a very low fat ...was going to try and mix with kibble..


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

lovmydog said:


> I only thought can was for dogs that lost their teeth, or digestive problems. I've always used dry. But after reading some literature; now thinking it might is "better" to add for extra moisture - or variety, or getting what they didn't get in the dry etc. etc. My dogs will eat anything, so for pure please I just wouldn't switch but if there was a true benefit...would make sense..


I don't think its just for those reasons. Moitsure content is a good thing for dogs. If you want you can add warm water. I like to give the dogs variety!

Nutrition and Canned Dog Food | Wellness


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## JazzysMom (Jan 22, 2011)

I mix a tablespoon of wet to Jazz's food in the morning and at night he'll either eat dry or mixture of wet and dry. I try to alternate it.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

lovmydog said:


> If you decide to use can, is it better to mix can and dry or use each separately (one meal can, one meal kibble)


I feed Taste of the Wild wetlands in the AM, he just loves it. Then for his PM feeding I mix 1/3 of canned, with a little water and some vittys (1/2 the recommended amount) into his kibble (Orijen). I zap it for 15 seconds in the microwave(just the canned), because it makes it easier to mix. The reason I use 1/3 of a canned is because you should never store opened cans of dog food any longer than 3 days.


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## SamWu1 (Oct 15, 2010)

channeledbymodem said:


> Canned foods have far fewer carbs than any dry food and far more protein. In general a higher percentage of protein to carbs is greatly desirable. Also there are affordable canned foods that are 95% named meat. The more meat in the diet (as long as calcium stays in balance to phosphorus) the better.


Canned generally has less carbs because of the lower crude fiber content but the protein level in kibble is generally much higher than canned because of the lack of moisture content in kibble and meat meals dramatically boosts the protein levels.

Canned mimics real food more because it contains around 75% moisture and has a protein level of around the high teens to mid twenties percentage wise while kibble has 10% moisture and up to the 40% range protein in some G/F's.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

i add a couple of tbls of can food to the kibble.


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## channeledbymodem (Dec 25, 2008)

SamWu1 said:


> Canned generally has less carbs because of the lower crude fiber content but the protein level in kibble is generally much higher than canned because of the lack of moisture content in kibble and meat meals dramatically boosts the protein levels.
> 
> Canned mimics real food more because it contains around 75% moisture and has a protein level of around the high teens to mid twenties percentage wise while kibble has 10% moisture and up to the 40% range protein in some G/F's.


The protein content of dry foods compared to wet foods must be done on "dry matter basis" to be meaningful, i.e. apples to apples.

Let's take the canned and dry versions of the same foods, one grainless and the other with grain.

To find out the dry matter basis protein percentage, you subtract the moisture percentage from 100 and divide the protein percentage by that number.

Wellness CORE Grain Free Original Dry Adult has 10% moisture and 34% protein. 34 over 90 equals 38% protein on a dry matter basis.

Wellness CORE Grain Free Turkey, Chicken Liver and Turkey Liver Formula Canned Dog Food 78% moisture and 12% protein. 12 over 22 equals 55% protein on a dry matter basis.

So 38% protein in the dry version vs. 55% in the canned. The difference is the carb sources required to manufacture *any* kibble.

Let's look at a typical food with grain, Canidae All Life Stages.

ALS dry has 10% moisture and 24% protein. 24 over 90 equals 27% protein on a DMB.

Canidae Chicken, Lamb and Fish in Chicken Broth Canned has 78% moisture and 9% protein. 9 over 22 equals 41% protein.

So 24% protein in the dry vs. 41% protein in the canned.

The very high protein grainless foods do approach the protein levels of comparable canned foods but the dry version will still require a higher percentage of carbs in order to be extruded in manufacture.

Now the cost of protein is certainly higher in canned food due to the relatively high moisture but that's another story. In most instances, on a dry matter basis, wet foods have more protein than dry foods.

Here's a link on the Drs. Foster & Smith peteducation.com website that explains this: http://tinyurl.com/66rqbdn

Dog Food Advisor explanation: http://tinyurl.com/6cowe3l


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

Thanks for the link:smile:


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