dry dog food or not dry dog food

[eupraxia]

I have a 4 year old , loveable mutt. Hes cross spanial and something unidetifiable.

Since he was weaned he has eaten dry complete dog food. He won't eat any tinned meat. I' ve tried just about every brand there is but he shows no interest. Although he will eat tinned fish. But thats it

Is a constant diet of dry dog food bad for him? I always make sure he has plenty of water and he gose trough at least 5-7 bowls of water a day depending on how hot it is. Sometimes more.

thanks for your time. Eupraxia

[boodle]

i have a dog who always eats dry food and she is totally fine

[mrs.pudding]

Some of the dry dog foods are brilliant - but I don't think he should need quite that much water.  We inherited a dog and his food and he was drinking like that.  We changed him to Spillers Field and Trial and his water consumption went right down.  I do mix it with a bit of cold gravy but don't soak it.  James Wellbeloved also do a really good dry food but it is MUCH

[mrs.pudding]

Some of the dry dog foods are brilliant - but I don't think he should need quite that much water.  We inherited a dog and his food and he was drinking like that.  We changed him to Spillers Field and Trial and his water consumption went right down.  I do mix it with a bit of cold gravy but don't soak it.  James Wellbeloved also do a really good dry food but it is MUCH more

[mrs.pudding]

so sorry - don't know what happened there!

I was trying to say that the Wellbeloved food is much more expensive.

[spudqueen]

My local animal feeds centre (sells food for farms, horses etc) sells a variety of dried dog food, some you give dry, some you soak in water first. The chicken and rice is very popular with all kinds of dog owners.

[PurplePixie]

Dry dog food is designed to make a dog drink more, but if you are finding him drinking more than you think is normal then a quick blood test can determine if his kidneys and other organs are all dong their jobs.

It's always best to pick the highest quality food you can afford, but dry food is great for most dogs & is far better for their teeth than tinned.

Occasionally I have found dogs that drink excessively through habit, but it's never a good idea to limit water intake unless on Vets advice, so keep those bowls coming!

[BondGirl]

Being a Hills Science Plan Dog Nutritionist (how flash does that sound?!), I can honestly say that dried is better than tinned.  I have only one dog of my own now (sadly lost one to a tumour before Xmas), but I fostered 31 dogs while in Ireland - all of whom were fed on dried food.

PurplePixie is right about trying to get the best one you can - your dog depends on you to make the right decision for him/her.  I mean if you yourself were to eat pizza and burgers for a month, you know the consequences.  Also, the difference between the "premium" foods and the lower end of the market is the same as in our human food - it's like having a greasy burger compared to a fillet steak.  Tinned food has a HUGE amount of water in it (cleverly disguised unless you know the formular to work it out - which fails me at this present time!!), where as the dried food is pure food - hence why they need more water.  Should you be worried though about the intake, please seek veterinary advice - it's always better safe than sorry.

If you were to change yoru dog's food though, it's a process to be done gradually, rather than slap, bang, wallop, as this *could* cause stomach upsets.  When I moved here, I couldn't find the usual food I used, and embarked on a campaign to get free samples or coupons, so I could try the food at either no or little expense to me.  Companies that helped were: Hills Science Plan, Nutro, James Wellbeloved, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Burns, Pascoes, Trophy and Pero.  Phone numbers are on the back of packets, but most I just went to google and typed in the name - contacted them and asked for samples, giving the age and breed of my dogs.  All samples are sent with loads of info explaining about there food, which will give you a good idea about what exactly has gone into it.

Dogs are mans best fried, so lets look after them!!

Happy Feeding!!

[silly moo]

The difference between 'premium' and cheap is more like the difference between a brand name of baked beans and an own brand.
My vet recommends dry food, or if really want tinned then Chappie (one of the cheapest) or Hills science (one of the most expensive)

[eupraxia]

Well thank you all very much for your answers. they have put my mind at ease.

I think he is just one of those dogs that drinks a lot. He drinks mostly when we come back after being away from him for a few hours. Hes such a worry wart when we have to leave him. But unfortunatly he cannot go every where with us. 

I had heard that dry cat food can cause kidney trouble with cats and was just checking whether it was the same for dogs.

He's my best friend and would want to do anything to cause him harm. He gets a good dry food which he likes very much. I was told that Bakers has quite a bit of sugar and salt so I took him off of that one.

One other thing that worried me a little is hearing bad things about places like Iams which I have been told experiment on cats by cutting them up to see what effect the food has on them. I find this practice horrid if its true and hope that other manufacturers don't do this.

Thank you again

Eupraxia 

[dmsjps]

The best diet - and the cheapest - is raw meat and marrow bones. Go to your butcher, ask for a bag of scraps (they are free, because the butcher has to pay for them to be disposed of!), freeze what you don't use in small bags and take one out a day to use. Contrary to popular opinion, this diet will NOT make your dog vicious or aggressive and it is the most natural and well balanced for his/her body. After all, it's what they'd eat in the wild!

[BondGirl]

eupraxia  - don't get me going on the Iams thing - I lost a job over this.  If you can, get to a library and look for an article from the Sunday Express, 27 May 2001, written by Lucy Johnston.  This was the big exclusive that rocked Crufts that year - sad, but I still have a copy for prosperity!!

Now, there is a website dedicated to naming and shaming all companies that use these terrible tests, but for the life of me I can't remember it.  If you do decide to ask for samples though - do what I did; ask them outright what kind of tests are carried out.  Most calls are recorded, so while some *may* try and skirt around the issue - it's obvious what they are really saying.  Those who don't use cruel ways of testing are very upfront and proud of what they do - either way, you will know.

Good luck and happy dog owning!! 

[finex]

We have three cats and a dog, and they all do really well on dried food. My wife is a veterinary nurse, and has always recommended it.

 

Don't worry too much about the water consumption. Better too much than not enough! Dried food is typically only about 8% water, as opposed to 60-80% for tinned food, so you will notice a large difference in water consumption. We have one large and three smaller water bowls around the house, and they get drunk at least once a day.

If you are concerned, your vet can do a simple liver/ kidney function test which will let you know if there is a problem.

As others have said, try a different brands until you find one that suits you and your dog. We tried Hills for our Whippet, but it gave him an upset tummy. Then we tried James Wellbeloved, but he had the most incredibly bad farts! Finally we gave him Purina dried food, and he's fine with it.

[denisegordon]

BondGirl - glad to hear someone else that knows about the Iams issue, we used to give it to our dog but now use Burns which is great, lovely coat condition.  Our last dog had ordinary Pedigree dried food and used to drink 2-3 bowls of water a day, but our current dog gets Burns and doesn't even drink a whole bowl a day.  I doubt it's down to the food, I guess they're all different.

[eupraxia]

I found a site about the Iams people all I can say is OH MY GOD its awlful.

Those poor little souls.

If anyone reading this is thinking of feeding their pet IAMS all I can say is if you have a heart then don't. These people need to be stopped.

I'm sorry u you lost your job over it Bondgirl.  People have to be told.

Eupraxia