Switching a dog from dry to wet...or what's a good wet dog food?

seamus

Having looked at other threads here, I think I know what you guys are going to say here, but I'll stick it up anyway.

Our staffie was being fed a mix of wet & dry food in the rescue when we got her, primarily because this is what all dogs get, and Purina supply the food to the rescue for cheap or free or something.

So while we've been continuing to give her a wet/dry mix, we've noticed that she tends to eat as much of the wet as she can and any dry bits that happen to get in the way, get eaten too. But there's often a lot of dry food left over. We have fed her wet only and she inhales it, licks the bowl clean.

She's been getting Pedigree, which we're told is like "McDonald's for dogs", and having her eating dry food only would be a whole lot less hassle, so we really, really want to move her to a good quality dry food. We got a hold of a bag of stuff, which she will eat out of my hand (she obviously thinks its treats), but turns her nose up at it when it's served in the bowl without being mixed.

Any tips? Are we going to just have to take the line of - "There's your dinner, take it or leave it" - until she gets the message?

andreac

Ok firstly wet or tinned food has absol no nutritional value in it what soever for dogs, its made up of mainly water so i would def not feed this to my dog as a meal, maybe a taster in with the dry food but thats it.

With the dry food, she will turn her nose up for a day or as she will try hold out for something tastier if she can. Dogs are very clever and good at playing us as they know we'll feel sorry for them.

I would just offer her the food, in her bowl, you should stop feeding her from your hand as again, this makes them fussy etc.
If she hasnt eaten the meal in about 15/20 mins then take it up and offer absol nothing until next mealtime and repeat the process.

This can take a few days, but your dog will slowly realise that they get nothing else and will start eating their dinner.

Dogs will not go hungry so be prepared for the dog to go without for a day or 2, my fella went for 3 days without a scrap of food, he soon copped on that that was all he was getting and gobbled up his food, so be tough but patient.

funkyjebus

Yeah - excatly what the above poster said.

It like it or lump it - Have set feeding time and take up the food after 15 -20 mins. She'll get it

Also, get off that crap that is pedigree - and feed you dog proper food. You'll notice the difference in the dogs energy and coat. I use Royal Canin, Hills also looks good. There are other topic on here that go onabout what food.

seamus

Yeah, that's what I thought. I was only feeding her from my hand to see if it was a case of whether she didn't like the dried food or if she was just being fussy.

She gets fed at 7am and 7pm and she's stubborn as hell, so there'll probably be a couple of days of a rumbling stomach before she gets it!

Blueprint

You can get some good nutritional wet foods too, but it'll probably be more expensive to feed. Naturediet is an excellent wet food with natural ingridients and they do a grain free variety too. I found it useful when I was getting my dog's weight under control, as I was feeding it about half the reccomended amount for one of his two meals and it didn't look such a pathetic portion as his Orijen if I were to do the same with that!

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/canned_dog_food/naturediet

funkyjebus

Blueprint wrote: »

You can get some good nutritional wet foods too, but it'll probably be more expensive to feed. Naturediet is an excellent wet food with natural ingridients and they do a grain free variety too. I found it useful when I was getting my dog's weight under control, as I was feeding it about half the reccomended amount for one of his two meals and it didn't look such a pathetic portion as his Orijen if I were to do the same with that!

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/canned_dog_food/naturediet

They may be nutritional - But they are really bad for a dogs dental hygene. Dry food is the only way to go. All top breeders and vets recommend it. What more needs to be said?

ISDW

funkyjebus wrote: »

They may be nutritional - But they are really bad for a dogs dental hygene. Dry food is the only way to go. All top breeders and vets recommend it. What more needs to be said?

There are a lot of dry foods tht aren't good for a dogs dental hygiene either. And breeders and vets recommendations don't really mean a lot to me, most of them have never been trained in dog nutrition. Vets recommend the foods that they sell, for which they get commission.:D

funkyjebus

ISDW wrote: »

There are a lot of dry foods tht aren't good for a dogs dental hygiene either. And breeders and vets recommendations don't really mean a lot to me, most of them have never been trained in dog nutrition. Vets recommend the foods that they sell, for which they get commission.:D

Agreed, but there is no wet food that is good for a dogs dental hygene. There might be some that are not bad (just as there are dry that are not good), but the fact remains that feeding youR dog dry food gives their jaws and teeth the exercise they need. The dry food also helps scrap the tartar off the teeth improving dental health and breath.

No wet food do this - NONE

And if breeder and vet recommendations mean noting to you - I pity any pet you have owned, own or may own. I always make my own judgements but I would always take a professionals opinion into consideration, especially when my pets helath is at stake.

Blueprint

Anything I have read on the subject agrees that eating kibble does not do anything much for keeping the teeth clean either!

ISDW

funkyjebus wrote: »

Agreed, but there is no wet food that is good for a dogs dental hygene. There might be some that are not bad (just as there are dry that are not good), but the fact remains that feeding youR dog dry food gives their jaws and teeth the exercise they need. The dry food also helps scrap the tartar off the teeth improving dental health and breath.

No wet food do this - NONE

And if breeder and vet recommendations mean noting to you - I pity any pet you have owned, own or may own. I always make my own judgements but I would always take a professionals opinion into consideration, especially when my pets helath is at stake.

I said when it comes to food, this is the subject we're talking about. Please explain to me how a breeder has learnt about nutrition? And how long do they spend in vet college learning about nutrition? So you class breeders as professionals - interesting. There are 4 different vets at the practice that I use, and they all have different opinions on food - so which would you suggest I follow? The one that says that raw meat should never be given to dogs, even if its been frozen? Or the one that says its great? Or the one that says the best food is the really expensive, prescription only food - which they just happen to sell?

I know, my poor animals, they have such an awful life they really do.:D

denhaagenite

What's wrong with Pedigree? I feed it to my dog, and I remember from my stint in Irish Guide Dogs they feed it to theirs aswell....

I feel like a bad Mammy now

boardbrowser

My dog is fed 'Natures's Harvest' by Berties. It's a natural hypo- allergenic wet food and is nutritionally complete.Yes, no dry food or supplements required. I can only find it at Petmania.
In so far as dental hygeine is concerned- regular brushing i would think is a far superior way of keeping tartar off a dogs' teeth.
Chew toys such as daily kongs and a raw meaty bone once a month has kept my dogs' teeth perfectly clean and healthy and she is now 8 yrs old having been fed wet food almost exclusively since the age of 6 months.
She is brought to the vet at least 4 times a year ( due to other non teeth or diet related issues) and the vet has always given me the thumbs up in relation to the condition of her teeth and gums.
I don't really buy into the' feed dry only as it's good for their teeth ' argument' it's like suggesting that if we eat crunchy foods (crackers, nuts, crisps etc) that it should have the same beneficial properties to keep our teeth free from tartar.

cucoigcrice

Fully agree with poster andreac!! it will take a few days for the dog to get the jist. Believe me stick to it cause they have you wound around there little finger (paw). The dog will not die without food for a few days just make sure plently of water present. Dried food has many benefits, farts dont smell as bad :eek: and teeth will be in better condition. I seen a poster talking about hills and royal canin foods, i am a student veterinary nurse and in my opinion alot of other cheaper foods are just as good. i recommend burns chicken and brown rice it around 60euro for 15kg bag another that i catually feed my own dog is wagg chicken and vegetable 10.00sterling 14kg. my dog is doing brilliant on it, i found that with other brands my dog went quite hyper but on this food he great. 10 pouns you cant beat it


i see ISDW is concerned about food too. you should never feed raw meats i.e. mince it is full of water and salt and doesnt really have nutrional value. Pedigree and brandy are horrible foods i have studied about them and they dont contain fantastic ingredients

ISDW

cucoigcrice wrote: »

i see ISDW is concerned about food too. you should never feed raw meats i.e. mince it is full of water and salt and doesnt really have nutrional value. Pedigree and brandy are horrible foods i have studied about them and they dont contain fantastic ingredients

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how raw meat is full of salt. Dogs have lived for centuries on raw meat, wild ones still do, so it does have nutritional value to them. Working dogs need a higher fat content in their food, so raw meat is a good way for them to get this. My dogs have raw chicken wings every week, it is very good for them and helps to clean out their anal glands. If I had the time I would feed a completely raw diet, but with so many dogs to look after, it is just not feasible for me so I rely on a good quality kibble, supplemented with raw meat, poultry and fish.

roxiesmammy

fed my dog a bag of wagg awhile ago and they pood orange, never used it again went back to RC

Blueprint

Ingredients for Wagg:

Wheat, Meat Meal, Wheatfeed, Maize, Oils & Fats, Linseed, Beet Pulp, Peas, Lucerne,Vitamins and Minerals. Added Citrus, Yeast and Yucca. With Antioxidant: EC additive.

Great food alright.

By the way, I see the reccomended amount of Wagg for a 10 - 20kg dog is 200 - 400g. My guy is on around 120g of Orijen a day and weighs 12.5 kg. I'd hate to think on the amount of poo he'd produce on a food like that!

denhaagenite

I'm bordering between feeling extremely guilty and a little bit miffed/ skeptical now- I mean I don't eat Kobe beef and caviar!! Are people just being a bit food snobby or is there something to this?

Can someone in the know please give me a list of reasonably priced, nutritious dogfood?? Readily available in continental Europe please!!

Sigma Force

andreac wrote: »

Ok firstly wet or tinned food has absol no nutritional value in it what soever for dogs, its made up of mainly water so i would def not feed this to my dog as a meal, maybe a taster in with the dry food but thats it.

With the dry food, she will turn her nose up for a day or as she will try hold out for something tastier if she can. Dogs are very clever and good at playing us as they know we'll feel sorry for them.

I would just offer her the food, in her bowl, you should stop feeding her from your hand as again, this makes them fussy etc.
If she hasnt eaten the meal in about 15/20 mins then take it up and offer absol nothing until next mealtime and repeat the process.

This can take a few days, but your dog will slowly realise that they get nothing else and will start eating their dinner.

Dogs will not go hungry so be prepared for the dog to go without for a day or 2, my fella went for 3 days without a scrap of food, he soon copped on that that was all he was getting and gobbled up his food, so be tough but patient.

Yeh, it's tougher for us owners but dogs eventually get the message. Most dogs will usually go for the wet if given the option it's quicker to eat I guess they find it tastier. Although it's better if a dog doesn't rush their meal and takes their time chewing rather than wolfing down the wet in a few seconds.
Tinned food does however have a nutritional value some dogs are fed on it without any problems, some contain lots of additives though and sugar etc.

There are higher quality tinned foods available, I found my dogs liked their dry chicken and rice burns but when I switched to the dry pork and potatoe they absolutley loved it. Could be a matter of finding a dry food that tastes good to the dog as well as one that's good quality.

Introduce any new food slowly, you'll find with ped chum the poop can stink to high heaven.

One thing that some people say about wet food compared to dry that wet food is worse for the teeth, I don't agree. There's no difference both foods stick to the teeth it all depends how often the teeth are cleaned either by owner or by the dog chewing on something.

Having fed wet initially and switched to dry a few years back I find it so handy with 3 dogs to be able to scoop the food out of the food bin and pop it in their dishes. No farting around with tins which are a pain to wash out and fill up your recycling.

No reason why the pooch can't have the odd treat though, if your dog eventually gets used to the new food then later on in the day if the dog is hungry or is having a treat filling a kong with some wet food or ham and bits of dry food or whatever will make the treat more interesting and it will be a novelty for the dog as well.

star-pants

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
if you want to check out dog foods.

It's not really food snobbery, it's about content.
Some dog food is full of wheat and 'meat meal' etc and doesn't give crude protein % or things like that. So basically some dog food is full of filler, and not the right amount of everything needed. Crude protein should be above 20%* at least IIRC. You should be able to see the complete breakdown of whats in your dog food and why really.

Blueprint

Well, I really looked into the diet thing after my late cat died of kidney failure and I realised I'd been feeding her absolute junk food all her life... (There was a big scare in the USA after lots of dogs and cats died due to pesticides in pet food, which also made a lot of people think and put up lots of info: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/)


My present three cats (I over compensated ) and the dog are all on premium food and they look stunning on it - much better than my late cat ever did.

To be honest, it costs a small fortune to feed the cats, but a bag of Orijen lasts the dog over 3 months, which is nothing a day, in spite of it costing quite a bit to buy. Of course, he's only small to medium...

There are better cheaper foods out there too, like Burns, Royal Canine and the premium Red Mills stuff. Zooplus do a load of food, I started off on this one, which was very cheap and reasonable: http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/markus_muehle/128238
But I thought I'd try the Orijen and the dog did so well on it that I never looked back. He gets gunky eyes if he eats a lot of cereal.

Sigma Force

denhaagenite wrote: »

I'm bordering between feeling extremely guilty and a little bit miffed/ skeptical now- I mean I don't eat Kobe beef and caviar!! Are people just being a bit food snobby or is there something to this?

Can someone in the know please give me a list of reasonably priced, nutritious dogfood?? Readily available in continental Europe please!!

There can be but many people will only continue with a certain food if their dog is doing well on it, each dog is different so one brand might suit one dog and so on.

If one of mine didn't have such a sensative tum I would just feed all the dogs Red Mills but easier just to feed them all one brand so they get Burns it works out pretty cheap per week. For example our 7kg and our 14kg dog would eat just under ten euro worth a week if I was buying tinned it would cost a bomb.
Used to cost me ten old pounds for the collie alone years ago for tinned.

Check out zooplus.co.uk there's a lot of brands they stock now.

denhaagenite

Ya she's grand, very well behaved, real sweetheart, very happy. It's Pedigree Puppy I'm feeding her and it's 30% protein. So I'm probably safe enough, right?

star-pants

denhaagenite wrote: »

Ya she's grand, very well behaved, real sweetheart, very happy. It's Pedigree Puppy I'm feeding her and it's 30% protein. So I'm probably safe enough, right?

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=5&cat=all

well.. whilst the crude protein appears to be high, it's possibly not from the right sources. Doesn't appear to be much meat.
but everyone decides for themselves and their dog what's best.

If you search like Burns Puppy or other brands people have recommended here you'll probably see the difference in the ingredients.

denhaagenite

The ingredients and food values are a bit different to that site, but we don't buy in Ireland, we buy in Germany and I believe they're a bit stricter about food. Even the way the food looks is different- eg there are no mystery white bits in it, it's just plain brown. There are much fewer ingredients, but meat isn't the main ingredient (but it is meat and not a "by product") so I don't know.

Obviously I want the best for her and if that means more expensive food then no problem, but if she's healthy and happy (shiny coat, waggy tail etc) and I'll be putting her on adult food in 6 months time, is there any point in changing now?

cucoigcrice

ISDW wrote: »

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how raw meat is full of salt. Dogs have lived for centuries on raw meat, wild ones still do, so it does have nutritional value to them. Working dogs need a higher fat content in their food, so raw meat is a good way for them to get this. My dogs have raw chicken wings every week, it is very good for them and helps to clean out their anal glands. If I had the time I would feed a completely raw diet, but with so many dogs to look after, it is just not feasible for me so I rely on a good quality kibble, supplemented with raw meat, poultry and fish.

With regards to me posting about the salt content in meat i was refering to mince and processed meat, as many bulk agents ie salt are added. with regards to chicken wings they can be very dangerous to animals cooked or not we have seen many dogs in work that have actually cut their throat, intestines etc due to chicken bones. a higher content in fibre is known to clean out the anal glands more so than chicken. Fish is definately great both for the dog and the coat.
Roxiesmammy- it dosent affect my dog that way, was it the working food you bought as it is quite easily to pick up the wrong bag. sometimes if a dogs food is switched straight away they will have funny, poo i.e. runny, smell and orange!

star-pants

denhaagenite wrote: »

Obviously I want the best for her and if that means more expensive food then no problem, but if she's healthy and happy (shiny coat, waggy tail etc) and I'll be putting her on adult food in 6 months time, is there any point in changing now?

Well if the ingredients are better than the ones I linked to, and your pup is quite happy and healthy then your pup may be fine on it. It's everyones personal choice coupled with what their dog does well on.

supermum1

boardbrowser wrote: »

My dog is fed 'Natures's Harvest' by Berties. It's a natural hypo- allergenic wet food and is nutritionally complete.Yes, no dry food or supplements required. I can only find it at Petmania.
In so far as dental hygeine is concerned- regular brushing i would think is a far superior way of keeping tartar off a dogs' teeth.
Chew toys such as daily kongs and a raw meaty bone once a month has kept my dogs' teeth perfectly clean and healthy and she is now 8 yrs old having been fed wet food almost exclusively since the age of 6 months.
She is brought to the vet at least 4 times a year ( due to other non teeth or diet related issues) and the vet has always given me the thumbs up in relation to the condition of her teeth and gums.
I don't really buy into the' feed dry only as it's good for their teeth ' argument' it's like suggesting that if we eat crunchy foods (crackers, nuts, crisps etc) that it should have the same beneficial properties to keep our teeth free from tartar.

It's not only dental issues you run into, it's also digestion issues. Dogs eat wet foods far too quickly and digest them in much different ways. I know natures harvest and for a wet food it is one of the best but I still feel that dry food should always be given also.

supermum1

Pedigree is such a bad food, but has an amazing marketing team!! I was nearly sick when I saw whats in it!!

Personally I use orijen and would never change, but not everyone wants to pay so much for dog food, which is totally understandable. There are alternatives at a lower cost, I found one called Eco-dog, the site I use have their own brand of dog food. Never tried it but the ingredients look pretty good. The site is ecopet.ie

supermum1

seamus wrote: »

Having looked at other threads here, I think I know what you guys are going to say here, but I'll stick it up anyway.

Our staffie was being fed a mix of wet & dry food in the rescue when we got her, primarily because this is what all dogs get, and Purina supply the food to the rescue for cheap or free or something.

So while we've been continuing to give her a wet/dry mix, we've noticed that she tends to eat as much of the wet as she can and any dry bits that happen to get in the way, get eaten too. But there's often a lot of dry food left over. We have fed her wet only and she inhales it, licks the bowl clean.

She's been getting Pedigree, which we're told is like "McDonald's for dogs", and having her eating dry food only would be a whole lot less hassle, so we really, really want to move her to a good quality dry food. We got a hold of a bag of stuff, which she will eat out of my hand (she obviously thinks its treats), but turns her nose up at it when it's served in the bowl without being mixed.

Any tips? Are we going to just have to take the line of - "There's your dinner, take it or leave it" - until she gets the message?

I agree, it's the best way to get a dog to accept change, but some can be really stubborn. If this is the case, you can try soaking the dry food in waterto get it closer to the wet food, gradually reduce the amount you soak it, until it's totally dry.

seamus

supermum1 wrote: »

I agree, it's the best way to get a dog to accept change, but some can be really stubborn. If this is the case, you can try soaking the dry food in waterto get it closer to the wet food, gradually reduce the amount you soak it, until it's totally dry.

Thanks for that, that was an idea I had alright. We've been told that staffies are known for stubbornness (and our girl is stubborn), we've even spoken to one owner whose staffie held out for five days without eating before the owner gave in :eek:

Other people suggesting to us heating the kibble in the microwave to release the flavour. Aside from the small issue of us not having a microwave, does that not make your microwave stink like dog food?

supermum1

not sure how keen i'd be on that!! just make sure you have a good dog food with a decent meat content, the higher the meat content the more pallatable it tends to be!

star-pants

You could also add warm water to soak the food in, that would release the smell too, the smell would be wafting whilst it's cooling too, and so the dog will (hopefully) be waiting for it.

andreac

Seamus, try soaking half her dinner in hot water (not boiled), and then once its soaked and bit moist then add the other half of the kibble. This will make it smell and taste a little nicer to them. I do it with my dog and he has no problems with his dinner.
This way you are not making them fussy by adding stuff in so they will eat it and its still only the kibble they are eating.

Yes, some dogs are stubborn. My rottie went 3 full days without a single morsel of food, his belly rumbled for 2 days and he finally gave in when he realised he was getting nothing else, so just be tough:)

seamus

Andrea, you're a genius. Now to be fair, we did switch to a beef flavoured one instead which she seemed to generally prefer, but she still found the dry kibble annoying and too slow. So I did what you suggested, let it soak in. After a minute or two of lapping up the beef-flavoured water, she then proceeded to eat most of it, then went back and finished the rest of it later.

I'll try wean her off having to soak it, but even as it is it's a big success, so thanks!

andreac

Oh thats brill, im delighted it worked. Theres no harm in keeping a little bit of it soaked all the time, wont do any harm to her and its not making her fussy because you arent adding any extra to it.