Most owners do not know about all the pros and cons of wet dog feed. How to choose a wet dog food for your dog? Let’s make a rating of humid food for dogs!
Pros and cons of wet dog feed
There is a myth that for a dog it is better if it is fed only with wet dog food. This myth stretches from another myth – it is useful for a dog to eat only meat. Let’s not forget that the dogs are omnivorous predators and, partly, scaders.
Interesting! Dogs can live without meat. This is proved by wolves grown on artificial feeding. After release in reserves, wolves (who do not know how to hunt and kill) feed on berries and other vegetation, remain healthy and live for many years. The lack of protein affects the muscle mass and activity of animals.
Dog feeding exclusively with meat leads to intoxication, since when proteins breakdown, a number of toxins are formed. Excess proteins increases the load on the liver, which is fraught with the development of chronic pathologies.
Further, it is worthwhile to understand that canned foods are not 100%of meat, so comparing these products is not entirely logical. Meat for wet feed can be prepared in two ways:
- Fresh meat yields to heat treatment.
- Restoration – dried meat powder is drank with water or broth.
Many owners believe that feed made of fresh meat is more useful. It is possible and useful, but certainly not satisfactory.
Important! After dehydration of meat, the resulting powder is a pure protein. When processing fresh meat, it loses most of the beneficial properties and decreases in volumes.
Let’s analyze the pros and cons of wet dog feed. Let’s start with positive aspects:
- Conducted food eats all the dogs well.
- From any wet dog food, you can make a paste that can be licked, which means that the food is suitable for puppies of any age.
- Wet feed has an attractive aroma, so they can be used as an intermediate stage of translation from natural to dry dog food.
- Wet feed contains more meat than dry.
The disadvantages of wet feed include:
- Relatively high cost. Canned food is more expensive by weight than dry dog food, plus it contains water, which has the weight and volume you pay for.
- Feeding exclusively wet dog food leads to loosening of the gums, diseases of the oral cavity and teeth.
Unlike dry dog food, wet dog food can rarely be considered as the main feeding.
The exceptionally bland diet is suitable for puppies and dogs that are medically unable to eat solid foods. In this case, the food should be of high quality (super-premium or holistic), balanced, enriched with vitamins and microelements.
Wet dog food rating by class
The main criterion when choosing pet food is quality or class.
Dog food, regardless of type, is divided into the following classes:
- Economy – low quality, no meat in the composition
- Premium – medium quality, excess carbohydrates, the quality and quantity of meat products is satisfactory.
- Super premium – adequate quality for everyday food. As part of the super-premium class, usually special needs dog food and veterinary products are produced.
- Holistic – in terms of calorie content, the food is similar to the super-premium class, but the quality of the raw materials is much higher.
Wet dog food, differ in purpose:
- Daily is a diet that is suitable for most adult, healthy dogs.
- Preventive – a diet that prevents the development of any disorders.
- Medical or veterinary – a diet that is part of the therapy in the treatment of an animal.
- Restoring – pates or pastes that can be fed from a syringe. Restorative products are very high in calories, enriched with probiotics and vitamins in excess of the norm, so it cannot be fed to a dog on an ongoing basis.
Differences in individual characteristics:
- Age group.
- Dog dimensions.
- Breed affiliation (feed for certain breeds is not produced by all manufacturers).
- Wool length.
- The degree of activity.
Let’s rank wet dog food by class.
Economy class
Economy class is relatively cheap and the most advertised pet food. Veterinarians do not recommend feeding dogs with economy-quality products and there are a number of reasons for this:
- The food does not contain meat – skin, fat and other production wastes act as a source of proteins and fats.
- The food contains cereals that are not digested by dogs – corn, wheat.
- The food contains soy, a GMO product that is (at best) useless for the dog.
- The food contains preservatives, salts, flavors, dyes, flavor enhancers.
Naturally, the popularity of economy feeds directly depends on the price, the cheaper the product, the more often it is bought.
There are no official statistics, however, the reviews of the owners allow us to distribute the rating places between:
Premium class
Premium class is everyday products that are suitable for healthy pets with an active lifestyle. The premium segment has one significant disadvantage – high calorie content. Simply put, there is a serious risk of gaining excess weight. Naturally, premium food is not suitable for allergy sufferers and dogs with chronic diseases.
General characteristics of premium feed:
- 25-30% meat in the composition (pure or mixed).
- The composition should contain vegetables and vitamin supplements.
Premium wet dog food rating:
- 1st place – Hill’s Ideal balans – many consider this food to be super-premium, but in terms of composition, canned food belongs to the premium segment. Protein content: 36-40% (not dehydrated meat and derivatives), the composition includes cereals, including wheat and sources of coarse fibers (vegetables). The range is pleasing, there are products for different ages, needs and even breeds. Hill’s Ideal balans are products that leave the competition behind in terms of price and quality.
- 2nd place – Royal Canin – products are slightly more expensive than Hill’s, so they are not so popular among owners. The quality of Royal Canin is slightly better than Hill’s, especially the lines for dogs with special needs. The range is pleasing, the food is divided by age, size and special indications. The protein index is low: 12–20%.
- 3rd place – Pro Plan – an adequate choice in terms of value for money. The food is clearly divided into lines, for dogs with special needs, the food is a bit more expensivebjectively, there is little meat in the food, up to 70% of fresh chicken. After processing, the indicator will drop to 35–40%.
It is important to understand that the premium class is the broadest. It includes high and low quality feed.
For example, owner reviews indicate that Royal Canin is suitable for more pets than Pro Plan. At the same time, Pro Plan is highly praised by cat owners. The conclusion is obvious – do not trust the inscriptions on the front side of the pack, always read the composition of the food.
Super premium class
Super-premium food is an optimal daily diet. If the pet has health problems, its diet should be selected from specialized lines.
Super-premium feeds are characterized by the following qualities:
- At least 50% pure meat.
- The composition should not contain flavor enhancers, flavors, synthetic sources of nutrients.
- Cereals, most often, are absent.
- Most often, the composition contains vitamin and mineral supplements.
Premium feed rating:
- 1st place – Grandin – canned food that contains only meat, broth, linseed oil and mineral supplements. The food is produced in Germany and meets the high standards of the EU countries. The mass fraction of meat in canned food ranges from 66 to 70%, which is an excellent indicator for super-premium and holistic class feeds.
- 2nd place – Eukanuba – contains slightly less meat than Grandin, but has an advantage in assortment. Eukanuba is based on lamb or duck meat. There are several separate lines, for example, for puppies, hypoallergenic and malnourished animals.
- 3rd place – Almo Nature – belongs to the super-premium segment, but is inferior in terms of meat (and offal) content – up to 50%. Pleases with a wide range by age and purpose, there are also products in pieces, with sauces and jelly.
Important! Super-premium feeds can differ significantly in quality, more precisely, in the amount of meat in the composition. Pay attention to the guaranteed indicators, which are listed under the composition, the proteins should be at least 20%.
Holistic class
Holistic feeds are considered the highest quality, and therefore the price for them is the highest. Products are characterized by the following qualities:
- At least 60% pure meat.
- The presence of vegetables, fruits, herbs.
- The presence of all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Holistic class feed rating:
- 1st place – Barking Heads – the leader of the rating, since canned food is perfectly balanced. The food contains 60-70% meat, healthy cereals, vegetables and other sources of coarse fibers. Unlike most canned foods, Barking Heads keeps your dog feeling full for longer.
- 2nd place – Belcando – confidently “steps on the heels” of Barking Heads and is in second place only because most of the products are based on chicken meat (up to 80%). The composition also includes alternative protein sources, vegetables, berries. The advantage of Belcando is in an expanded range of weights and purposes. Belcando’s food line includes hypoallergenic and grain-free products.
- 3rd place – Merrick is a great food, only ranked 3rd because it’s so hard to buy. Canned food is based on chicken or duck meat, also includes broth, stewed (not dried) vegetables and fruits. The aroma of the food is very attractive, many owners say this. Pets eat Merrick with great pleasure. Only one caveat – producers and consumers cannot decide which class Merrick belongs to. The food can be considered a holistic or super-premium product of high quality.
Holistic-grade feeds are, of course, preferable to premium-grade products, however, consider your options wisely. You should not often transfer the dog from one class of food to another, this will lead to problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
If you are not sure that you can feed your dog a holistic dog food on a regular basis, it is better to stay on a quality super-premium diet.
Wet dog food rating with features
Ranking wet dog foods with specialties is a difficult task, as product ratings are directly related to your pet’s needs. It is most reasonable to evaluate feeds according to the assortment, reviews of owners and veterinarians.
Puppy food
Puppy products contain 10-15% more protein than adult dog foods. The rating includes:
- 1st place – Royal Canin – a wide selection of products for puppies, affordable price, numerous positive reviews from the owners. In addition, Royal Canin produces a bitch’s milk substitute that can be fed to blind puppies.
- 2nd place – Natures Protection – super-premium food at a relatively affordable price. Natures Protection is a relatively recent release, but has a very good reputation and is praised by most owners.
- 3rd place – Brit – a relatively inexpensive and popular food that can be considered as complementary foods for puppies aged 2-7 months.
Veterinarians recommend feeding puppies natural food, however, there are exceptions. For example, if a puppy was fed artificially, it is better to transfer it to industrial feeding. For puppies that are stunted, there are special foods that allow you to quickly gain weight and put your metabolism in order.
For small breeds
Food for small breeds of dogs should meet the needs of pets, namely, give them enough energy to not only keep them warm, but also to be active.
We rank feeds according to popularity and owner reviews:
- 1 place – Grandorf – more expensive, but better than Royal Canin and Pro Plan.
- 2nd place-Royal Canin-a confident leader in terms of price-quality.
- 3rd place – Purina Pro Plan – no less popular feed and closest competitor Royal Canin, slightly inferior in quality.
A diet made of extremely soft food is recommended for most small dogs until a complete change of teeth and correction of bite, if necessary.
Little dogs are also prone to early loss of teeth, so many owners have to transfer pets into soft feeds at the age of 5-6.
For elderly dogs
Feed for older dogs should be developed taking into account the natural slowdown in metabolism. If an elderly dog feeds on food, which is designed for a young animal, it receives too many carbohydrates. A quick weight gain leads to the development of heart failure, arthritis and, quite often, to diabetes.
Merrick Backcountry: The Ultimate Ancestral Canine Diet
Rating of humid feed for elderly dogs:
- 1st place – Nature’s Protection – The food takes a leading position, as TM provides a choice of feed for older dogs. Products are a super-premium class and enjoys a good reputation.
- 2nd place – Royal Canin – there is a wide selection of preventive and specialized feeds. In the class, Royal Canin refers to the premium, but is characterized by high quality.
- 3rd place – Hill’s – the range of feed for older dogs consists of only two positions, but is supplemented by an extensive line of preventive feed. Hill’s is a premium feed with good taste and high-quality characteristics.
If the owner saves on feed for an elderly dog, he inaccurately reduces the time allotted to her. Dear feed is not the only alternative, the translation of an elderly dog into a dietary, natural diet, this is a very common and successful practice.
Veterinary feed
Veterinary feed cannot be appreciated from the point of view of popularity, since they are prescribed as part of therapy and, most often, are used temporarily.
The rating of humid veterinary feeds is compiled according to the assortment:
- 1st place – Hill’s.
- 2nd place – Royal Canin – the widest assortment, there are high-quality canned foods for exhausted animals.
- 3rd place – Purina Pro Plan.
Note! Lifetime feeding with therapeutic food is relevant only in the case of serious, chronic pathologies and constant medical monitoring.
How to choose a wet dog food for a dog?
You can find out how to choose a wet lump for your dog in two ways: consult a veterinarian who will give advice and justify them or understand the issue yourself.
An independent choice of a pet diet is an optimal way out, since no one but the owner is aware of the needs of the dog.
When choosing food, rely on the needs of the pet, after, on the quality of the food. It is necessary to take into account the size of the pet, the degree of its activity.
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