[Kitkat]

Hi, I'm sure there's a thread about this in the food forums but I've been reading all morning and haven't found it. I'm a soon to be malt puppy owner (I hope!) and I'm just wondering why some feed wet, canned food and others dry kibble. And with what frequency - I'm sure this has to do with the doggy's age but I know that some people for example, leave the dry food out all day and will then do a can at night for dinner.
We would feed our lab 1x per day (dry food) + his daily treats but I know these little fellas are different and should be fed differently.

What do you all suggest or do? I apologize in advance if this has been asked a million times before but I didn't find this specific info...
:ThankYou:

 

[Hunter's Mom]

Please don't apologize for asking questions. When you are new to the site, its not always easy to find older posts. You are asking good questions and it shows that you are trying to be very prepared when your fluff comes home.

As to your questions, I do not feed canned food because its a soft food that can get caught in a dog's teeth which makes for plaque and more frequent dentals. I also do not feed soft treats. Although, my dog does get yogurt in the mornings and a little bit of babyfood at night if he's not getting fresh veggies with his dinner.

I feed him once in the morning and once at night - though I didn't get him as a puppy and I do know that others fed their dogs three times a day when they were puppies (12 weeks to 24 weeks or so) and then switched to twice a day. You might get some better feedback from others as to whether or not you might feed 3x a day.

 

[almitra]

I fed three times daily while Pepper was a pup (up until she was about 6/7 mos, then cut back to twice daily). I do not care for wet as it makes stools softer and Pepper is in full coat...messy (ugh). Just my preference, though. Many here feed a mix of the two as opposed to either/or. Whatever you do, stay with what breeder is feeding for awhile and gradually switch over to your pref a little at a time.

 

[MandyMc65]

I feed once in the morning and once at night and have since my dogs were pups. I'm sure with a small one you could/should feed 3 times a day. I don't think the dog's food should be left out to be free fed. For wet/raw this would be a bacterial issue, but also why give such an huge reward for free?

Mine are fed frozen raw, so their food is technically 'wet'. I think it's just a preference what type of food you want to feed and what works best for your dog.

Feeding wet vs kibble does not have much to do with your dog's dental health. Either way they will still need brushing, bones to chew on or either items to remove plaque, as well as dentals.

 

[jmm]

Dry vs. wet is personal preference. Dry food is no better for dental health than wet. Saying dry food is good for teeth is like saying us eating cereal is good for our teeth.

A large breed like a Labrador that can be prone to bloat should be fed twice daily.
Young Maltese pups can be fed 3-4 times daily depending on their size.

 

[Nikki's Mom]

Please, it is not true that soft food can hurt teeth. That is an urban legend.

My preference is for canned food over dry.

When Nikki was a puppy, she was fed 3X a day. She is fed 2X a day as an adult.

 

[SugarBob62]

We free feed Nelson 2 brands of mixed kibble. He is like a grazer. He doesn't like to eat a lot at one time, he picks on his food throughout the day. I have always free fed my animals. And none ending up being overweight.

Like I was measuring out what they recommended for a day and putting that in the bowl, but he wasn't even eating that much at the time, so I just keep his bowl full.
We have never given him canned food.

We used to give Andy canned food twice a day, and then had dry kibble out all throughout the day. I prefer the dry like everyone says, makes their poop firmer and its better for their teeth. But its a personal preference.

I mean I might on occassion give Nelson wet food. That is what I do with my cat. He free feeds on dry food, but like every so many weeks I will give him wet food for a treat.

 

[poochie2]

I feed both kibble and canned food. I really do think feeding canned food every day without kibble would be bad for their teeth. Mine enjoys a good quality crunchy kibble and I DO think it is better for their teeth and their jaws. Canned food for variety is ok .

 

[Nikki's Mom]

It doesn't matter what we think about it, it is a fact that kibble is no better for a dog's teeth than it would be for our teeth. Eating crunchy food doesn't clean our teeth.

The quality of canned dog food is better than the quality of kibble. It's not my opinion, you can look it up in Whole Dog Journal or other publications.

 

[pinkpixie1588]

I thought I remembered reading once that wet food had fewer calories than dry (maybe because of the high water content..?) But now I can't find the source..

Anyway, I have tried to feed mostly dry, with some wet mixed in (to help hydration and entice her to eat more). But, that's only because she isn't a huge eater, so I try to fit as many calories in as I can with the small volume she'll eat. She doesn't seem super into wet food, anyway. I think combo is the way to go.

 

[poochie2]

I thought I remembered reading once that wet food had fewer calories than dry (maybe because of the high water content..?) But now I can't find the source..

Anyway, I have tried to feed mostly dry, with some wet mixed in (to help hydration and entice her to eat more). But, that's only because she isn't a huge eater, so I try to fit as many calories in as I can with the small volume she'll eat. She doesn't seem super into wet food, anyway. I think combo is the way to go.

Your last line summed it up perfectly "pinkpixie".....I think combo is the way to go.:goodpost:

 

[yeagerbum]

when I first got Yeager, I fed him dried food mixed with canned food to make it easier for him to eat(his teeth were so tiny), and then I gradually switched to dry food because canned food made his face all messy. also, in the beginning I fed him 4 times a day just to make sure he'd have enough, but now I've reduced it to 3 times a day now that he's 16 weeks. hope this helps!