Canned vs Dry

Discuss ways to improve the quality of your cat's life and longevity through proper nutrition; a place for all of your questions and answers about feeding your kitty!

Please keep discussions fun, friendly, and helpful at all times. Non-informative posts criticizing a particular brand or another poster's choice of food are not allowed in this Forum. References to any brand of food as "junk," "garbage," or other harsh names will be removed.

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Panther

821128

Purred: Tue Feb 7, '12 8:02pm PST


	Just kinda wondering what everyone's opinion on food is. From recently reading up more on kitty nutrition, I've found out that dogs and cats are waaaaay different in terms of what they need in a food and its really changed the way that I think about food shopping. So... Given two of the following choices, which would you choose to feed your cats, especially if money weren't an issue? Either a super premium brand of dry kibble (ie Orijen, which is about $60 on amazon), or a not-so-premium brand of canned food (ie Purina's Fancy Feast, which is about $12 for a case of 24 cans on amazon). I'd go for the canned food myself. But just wondering what all of y'all think.

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Save Plants - Let Me Eat- Meat!!!

Purred: Tue Feb 7, '12 9:01pm PST


	I'd go with the canned food.

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ZACK

BLACK is- HANDSOME

Purred: Tue Feb 7, '12 11:46pm PST


	Definitely the canned for us.

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Hunter

Master of- Disaster!

Purred: Wed Feb 8, '12 3:47am PST


	Actually, dog and cat nutrition, aren't all that different. Both are carnivores. Thats basically all you need to know. The best food for both species is raw. For Hunter, he eats canned food, and he gets both fancy feast and the higher quality foods (Addiction, Merrick, Natures Variety, Before Grain, Evangers{which I have yet to try on him} Weruva)On occasion when he is a big brat, I'll give him some kibble. He gets Orijen and only 1/4 a cup. But he hasnt had any in a couple of weeks. My dog, thats another story. Its hard when you have a picky animal. I recent tried Raw with her, and she just cant handle it. She has had Stella and Chewys Freeze dried raw, Stella and Chewys Raw, Natures Variety Raw, TOTW, Wellness, Orijen, Wellness Core, Natures Variety Instinct. For felines, I'd go with canned food.

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Ambassador at- the Kitty U.N.

Purred: Wed Feb 8, '12 5:06am PST


	Canned here too. I think the biggest difference in dogs (besides the fact that they're not strictly obligate carnivores) is that they can drink enough water to make up for a dry food diet, while a cat can't.

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Jack

1198637

Purred: Wed Feb 8, '12 5:17am PST


	Momma feeds us both wet and dry. We're all very healthy on it. She leaves out kibble for us to snack on, and we get a can a day on top of that as well.

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Bumpurr

RESPECT The- Star!

Purred: Wed Feb 8, '12 5:18am PST


	Like Alex says all the time, we find out stuff, based on necessity. I have a crystal kitty, so I know, from first hand experience, how imperative it is, to feed them wet food, to keep them flushed out, and the wet should be mixed with water, so its real soupy. But I also have one, the big Bump, who is not, at all, going to eat any wet, period. I test him on occassion, nope, its a no go. I also know there are other kitties out there, that won't eat wet. And there are other kitties out there, who will only eat certain foods, or foods on one day, but not the next, mol, so we have to adjust, to what they will eat, and/or, what their needs/issues are. I tried the less expensive wet, FF, it earned me sick cats and a $400 vet bill, they all went back on the grain free wet, no more issues, this is all, except Bump, who happily munched on his grain free dry, and just smiled, and said, I told ya so.

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Alex (sweet- angel girl)

Angel on a- mission!

Purred: Wed Feb 8, '12 10:04am PST


	Hey Bump!!! I posted that study about the Maine Coons in my newsletter and it's also on my website . BK is right, dogs are omnivores not obligate carnivores like cats. and that's not true about dogs and cats not being all that different. Dogs livers are able to convert things much easier than a cats, their digestive tracts are obviously bigger and longer, etc. There are vast differences, many in fact. But on the whole of nutrition, that similarity of food is very true in the sense that canned is always, ALWAYS better. Dogs can develop kidney/bladder/urinary tract issues from too much dry food as well as cats. Unless an animal is a cow, horse, goat, something that eats grains for their main meal (which we all know at this point that cats and dogs should NOT be doing), then they need moisture and the more the better. Long answer; canned is better.