[petshop18]

Dry food,canned, wet food, raw food … it’s all so confusing. So, What kind of food should I feed my dog?

Pet Shop 18 – Online Pet Shop

[Hound Dog Mom]

A balanced raw diet would be best, canned would be second best, dry would be worst (granted they all have the same rating). Pick something that’s convenient (some people don’t have the time to prepare or properly research a raw diet) and affordable (raw and canned foods are much more expensive than dry foods) to you. If you go with kibble for convenience and budget reasons (which is understandable), I’d recommend picking a 4 or 5 star kibble and, when possible, topping the kibble with a quality canned food and/or healthy fresh cooked or raw leftovers (lean meat, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, tinned sardines, low glycemic veggies, etc.).

[donnaf]

I too am very confused. I’m told certain fillers/ingredients (presently using Iams dry food) can cause the dog to smell – mine stinks! He’s a 4 month old golden . We’ve tried several tactics – different shampoos, powders, sprays – he still smells like wet dog at all times!! Anyone have any suggestions as to what food may help ?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi donnaf –

I’m not sure if a change of food will help “wet dog” smell, but Iams is a pretty low quality food so changing would definitely be a good idea. As far as specific recommendations, I’m not sure where you shop, how much you’re willing to spend or what type(s) of food(s) you’re willing to feed (kibble, canned, dehydrated, raw, etc.) – so recommending a particular food would be difficult. The recommended 4 and 5 star rated foods would be a good place to start – you’ll find all different types of foods with all different price ranges so I’m sure you can find something to suit your needs. I’ve personally noticed that on less processed foods my dogs tend to smell better. Since I’ve switched to raw they have almost no odor on their fur or breath.

Now, just for clarification – I know you’re describing the smell as “wet dog,” but does it smell at all like moldy bread, cheese popcorn or fritos? Because that’s a whole new issue. Some dogs (like goldens) who have long hair can tend to be naturally stinky, but a dog with a moldy bread/frito smell may have a yeast infection which would require more specific dietary changes.

[donnaf]

thank you “hound dog mom” for your reply regarding my smelly dog. It is basically Wet Dog smell although I like your comparisons to fritos, cheese popcorn, etc. I will discuss this with the vet at his appt. next week. I’ll let you know if it is anything else. Thank you again, Donna

[theBCnut]

Whenyou pet your dog do your hands feel greasy afterward?

[donnaf]

no, not at all.

[theBCnut]

Then it’s not seborrhea and probably not an allergy issue, which may mean it’s not a food issue. Hot dogs get a smell, but I’m not so sure that comes close to an answer either.

[donnaf]

thank you all . I’m simply changing his name to “Stink”

[AdoresCBRs]

donnaf,

How often are you bathing your Golden? You might be overstimulating his skin to produce oil, and just like people, not all brands of perfume suit everyone! I have a 10 month old Chessie, whose last bath was the day I picked him up at 8 weeks! He has been wet several times, but a towel is generally all that’s needed for most ‘wash and wear’ dogs, unless they are particularly dirty. Good luck and enjoy your buddy!

[sophieandcowboysmom]

I originally searched for change to Chicken Soup Senior and came upon this site! Chicken Soup Senior has changed their formula no longer do I see carrots or peas but square chunks of potato and the dog food is now so watered down and has a grainy texture. After 5 years of using this brand I no longer believe in it. What’s the best SENIOR canned food on the market? Primarily used to hide my 12 y/o Pointers meds and mix up with the dry for my 10 y/0 finicky eater. Thank you!

[pugmomsandy]

If your dogs don’t have any health issues, they can eat any food whether it’s an “all life stage” food or one that is for “maintenance”. Seniors still need the same (if not better) food as adult dogs and most foods marketed for “seniors” are full of fillers and high in carbohydrates. Pick a regular food.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/06/20/aging-pet-food.aspx

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/05/surprising-findings-from-tufts-study-of-37-senior-dog-foods.aspx

[rogerharris]

Hiii… I will suggest you that a balanced raw food is good for your health. Raw food is healthy food for the dog as it helps in better digestion. It has no fatty grains, no chemicals, preservatives, sweeteners, fillers and additives. It also increases energy levels and very low in carbohydrates.

[ShelterGirl]

Just so you know wet dog food is very bad for your dogs teeth and I would not recommend it as a daily diet. It should be used more as a treat or as a source for hiding pills. It increases the amount plaque build up on there teeth which will increase the rate of decay, especially for small dogs who are already known for having bad teeth. Not to mention it also could lead to obesity. Certain kinds of dry dog foods can be very nutritious and keep your dog healthy you just have to look at the ingredients.

[theBCnut]

Hi ShelterGirl

Plaque build up on teeth is due to starch in dogs, just as it is in humans. Kibble is a high starch food. If you don’t want plaque build up on your dogs teeth, you brush them, just like you do in humans. Or you can try feeding raw meaty bones. Dogs that eat nothing but kibble still need to have their teeth cleaned regularly, so obviously kibble is not the answer to plaque build up.

No type of food leads to obesity, overfeeding any type of food leads to obesity. Weight issues are a matter of calories in, calories out.

[Dutch]

There are starch-free foods…such as Wysong’s Epigen. Very small kibble though. They also have Dentatreat that you can sprinkle on food and Dr. Dream treats for teeth..although the latter has been missing from their website for some time. Hopefully they didn’t discontinue them!

[Megan_Archie]

Wet dog food can be bad for your dogs health, I wouldn’t recommend giving your dog this every day. It also does increase the amount of plaque on the dogs teeth, and will increase the rate of decay (although, this can be avoided by brushing)

Certain dog food types can be very nutritious and will keep your dog healthy. My dog Arch eats http://www.little-chompers.co.uk/product/chicken-and-rice-dog-food/ because its hypo-allergenic, doesn’t use any cheap fillers and has no artificial colours or flavourings.

I hope you find a food to suit your dogs.

[InkedMarie]

I don’t know where you read that wet food is bad for teeth but that is not true. People think that hard kibble cleans teeth but they clean a dogs teeth as well as granola cleans ours.

[rhonda]

We adopted a six year small bread dog six months ago – he seems to be allergic to everything: Alfalfa, barley, corn, soybean, white potato, and green pea. I’m having a hard time finding a food that doesn’t have all of these ingredients. Can anyone help?

[GizmoMom]

rhonda, look into PMR (Prey Model Raw)
http://preymodelraw.com/

Or home cooked meal.
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html

[Author]

Posts