Wet Dog Food?

M25

Hi Everyone,

I'm wondering about wet food for my dogs.


I came across James Well-beloved Puppy Pouches & was thinking of getting them. But I wasn't sure if wet food is good for a dog?


I'm really concerned about one of my pups as he doesn't seem to be eating much & its worrying me.


Would the wet food be a better option for him? I gave him a small bit of wet food before and he gobbled it up straight away!

Any help please?
Thanks

lorebringer

Wet food is fine to feed your dog, however dry is better. Many people mix wet and dry to entice the dog to eat, and this works grand. James Wellbeloved is a good quality brand so there is no worry there about quality. The only thing is that you will need to feed significantly more wet food than dry due to the high water content in wet food.

If your dog has stopped eating but is willing to eat wet food, he may just be picky and holding out for something better. Dogs are smart - they know that if they don't eat and give the big puppy eyes, we will give them something nicer. Stopping a dog from being choosy with food is a matter of stubbornness. Feeding your dog at set times and leaving the food down for set times (for example, feeding at 8am and 8pm leaving the food down for 15.20 minutes each time) and, the important bit, not feeding the dog anything else until the next meal. This may result in your dog not eating for a few meals in a row but, dogs aren't stupid creatures, they will eat if they are hungry and there is food in front of them. This method is really worth a try because pups and dogs can go through phases of being picky and it's often a matter of who is more stubborn than who!

tk123

Could he be teething OP? Have you tried soaking his dry food in warm water to make it softer?

M25

Hi Guys,

Yep he's finished teething. He's 6 months old now.

He is very smart!


I just wasn't sure if wet food was good for them? I had heard that dry food was better but just wanted to double check!


I might just stick with the dry food & he'll have to eat it!

tk123

I'd soak it just in case he's sore. The teeth in stages so possibly his back teeth are at him?

M25

Okay I'll do that. I've done it before and he just turns his nose at it but I'll just do it again.


Thanks for the advice!

bluecherry74

You could try mixing something tasty but healthy in with his dry food such as a tin of sardines or a raw egg. Or soak it in a bit of stock which will make it more appealing that water. Homemade stock is better if you can, as the kind you buy is very high in salt and dry dog food is quite high in salt too.

Lambo28

My dog is off her food the last few days aswell but shes gone on a chewing frenzy so i think she's teething.

Ive been soaking the dry food in some boiling water but they adding a half pouch of pedigree puppy wet food to entice her.

Hooked

M25 wrote: »

Would the wet food be a better option for him? I gave him a small bit of wet food before and he gobbled it up straight away!

Any help please?
Thanks

Wet and dry all the way for me. My Husky started turning his nose up at his Royal Canin kibble about the same age and I tried a bit of wet mixed in and hey presto... No meals untouched this year! Like yours, he's smart... And won the battle!

I've a decent sized 10 portion foreman so I just grill his grub with mine in the mornings or at 2pm. Chicken, bacon, lots of different veg, boiled rice, scrambled egg or tinned mackerel, salmon, sardines or tuna.

I feel by mixing it up he doesn't get bored. And he's healthy as a horse and eating well... And often! But I use fresh meat and veg. None of those pouches. I feel it costs about the same as the royal canin is lasting twice as long. About a fiver a week on chicken thighs, various fish, eggs and rice/veg.

And it all started about the same age.

andreac

OP, what dry food are you actually feeding?

M25

I was feeding them Brillys Choice but im moving away from that now as its not good food.


I'm have started Real Nature but its a bit expensive so thinking of just changing to James Wellbeloved altogether as they like the treats of them.


He's very smart & the other fella will just eat whatever he's given.


The wet food I gave him before he ate it really fast then threw it up a couple of hours later. I figure its because he ate it too quickly?

andreac

To be honest it sounds like you need to get tough. If hes eating the wet food theres nothing wrong with his appetite.

Just offer the dry food and if he doesnt eat it then take it up and offer nothing until next mealtime. He'll get the message after a day or so.

My fella went three days before he gave in so just be tough and hang in there.

meoklmrk91

I would agree with Andrea. My lot get what they get and if they don't like it then they can wait until the next meal time, this isn't being mean dry food is better for them than wet, I don't think it's good to be running around worrying about what they will and won't eat, it just makes everything more complicated, plus are you really going to give your dog that much power over you.

Luckily my fella is 4 legged hover who will do anything for his kibble, or anything else is thinks is food for that matter!

M25

Yeah thats what my boyfriend says. He'll eat it evenually as its all he's getting!

I will be tougher with him!

Thanks for your advice!

Zapperzy

Wet food isin't neccesarily bad once you avoid the supermarket type stuff (pedigree, pal, brandy etc.). I mix a small amount of naturediet wet food into one of my dog's dry meals everyday and he gobbles it up. He prefers the wet food obviously and seeing as his teeth are in pretty good shape and he's not fussy with his dry food I see no harm in him having that treat every day. Do cut down on the dry food to make up for it though and keep an eye on the teeth as he gets older. It would be good practice now actually to get into a habit of brushing his teeth every day, it'l make a world of difference in years to come.

If he starts picking out the wet food and avoiding dry food though I would cut it out for now as you don't want him getting fussy. I would recommend the trays of naturediet though if you want to continue with wet food, you just cut off a slice and mash it up with the rest of the food.