# Ok to mix dry food with a little of canned food?



## jrscll (May 22, 2011)

I am considering of giving my 11 week old boxer dry food mixed with a little of canned food. Very little canned food each feeding, possibly like a tea spoon and mixing it in very well. 
Before I do this, I would like to know if there are in cons to doing this? Or is it better just to give him dry and a seperate feeding of canned every so often?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Canned is far better for a dog than kibble but yes you can mix it. The only problem you may run into now is that if you start this, the dog may now only eat his kibble that way.

There are some really high quality canned foods out there that I would consider.


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## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

I mix a little bit of canned food(maybe a tablespoon) into my girls' breakfast and dinner every day, along with some warm water.
I feed grain free kibble, so I stick with grain free canned food as well...either EVO 95% beef or venison, or Wellness 95% Beef, Salmon, Lamb or Turkey.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I agree with Whiteleo.......canned food is better then kibble (higher meat content, less extra ingredients) so if you can afford it, you would be better off using more canned and less kibble per meal. Use a high quality, 95% meat or all meat canned variety and mix up the different proteins.


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

Aren't the 95-percent-meat varieties meant to be only as toppers?


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Jack Monzon said:


> Aren't the 95-percent-meat varieties meant to be only as toppers?


Almost all the 95% meat ones are labelled 'complete and balanced' because they have added minerals and vitamins. Some of the 100% meat ones are suppose to be only toppers because they are not considered balanced by the AAFCO standards. Of course, raw chicken quarters are not considered to be balanced by pet food standards either! I think legally, they can only sell them at toppers if they do not added extra vitamins and stuff so that people do not just buy one can of one variety and feed nothing but that to their dogs.


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

The Wellness ones I buy stress that they're for supplemental feeding only, or as toppers. I put a tablespoon or so on top of each meal.


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## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

That's perfectly fine! I fed all canned food for awhile, but I just recently returned to my old mixture of 1/2 kibble and 1/2 95% meat cans because it got a little expensive.


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

Serendipity said:


> That's perfectly fine! I fed all canned food for awhile, but I just recently returned to my old mixture of 1/2 kibble and 1/2 95% meat cans because it got a little expensive.


That's interesting -- how do you measure it out -- i.e., how much kibble and how much 95% do you feed w/each meal?


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## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

Jack Monzon said:


> That's interesting -- how do you measure it out -- i.e., how much kibble and how much 95% do you feed w/each meal?


When my dog was fed all kibble, he got 2 2/3-2 3/4 cups. Since I add canned food, I divide the total amount of calories from those total cups into two. I feed half the amount of kibble and enough canned food to make up half of the total calories (each can states the amount of calories). I don't measure anything precisely; I just use fractions and eyeball the amounts.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

We always mix dry with canned. I agree canned it better, it stinks that it's too expensive to feed alone.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

With the four dogs I in the 2nd meal the evening one divide the can into fourths and they each get some with their dry. This happens to be their favorite meal haha~ OF COURSE!!!!!!! The morning meal unless I have leftover meat is plain old dry so this is one they tolerate but they know #2 is going to be the better one with the canned!


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

Serendipity said:


> When my dog was fed all kibble, he got 2 2/3-2 3/4 cups. Since I add canned food, I divide the total amount of calories from those total cups into two. I feed half the amount of kibble and enough canned food to make up half of the total calories (each can states the amount of calories). I don't measure anything precisely; I just use fractions and eyeball the amounts.


I'm guessing you feed about 2 cans per day, mixed w/kibble?


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

Any kibble can benefit from the addition of added moisture such as canned dog food; but it could also be moisture from water or portions of human food too. As noted, some canned is "stand alone" food and could be fed exclusively with all the appropriate vitamins included. Other canned dog food is only meant to be used as a minor supplement. Personally, I like to avoid the high expense of canned dog food and add some warm water and a bit of human food to their dinner meal. Sometimes I add a scrambled egg, some cooked turkey, blueberries, etc. I always feel a little dubious about the quality of canned dog products.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

I add canned also or canned fish, trip or and egg. A little water. I also add cooked meat left over or I cook it myself and put with it.


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## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

Jack Monzon said:


> I'm guessing you feed about 2 cans per day, mixed w/kibble?


Nope, just one full can and 1-2 scoops of the second one, with 1 1/3 cups of kibble.


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