is canned food really bad?

[mydogroxy]

i was looking around, in my never ending search for a food that will satisfy both roxy and myself and found myself wondering...why is it that canned dog food is perceived as the worst? obviously i am not talking about mighty dog or some crap like that, but for example:

natures variety turkey and chicken:
Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Peas, Tricalcium Phosphate, Lecithin, Calcium Carbonate, Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay, Kelp, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Blueberry, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cranberry, Kale, Whole Egg, Sweet Potato, Artichoke, Garlic, Zinc Proteinate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Barley Grass, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Clove, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Rosemary, Sage, Inulin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Parsley.

this has a lot of good stuff in it. can someone enlighten me?

[imported_Cassie]

According to the whole dog journal canned foods even the low-quality ones, tend to contain fresher, higher-quality ingredients than dry dog food. They almost always contain a higher percentage of meat than kibble (which is limited to a maximum of less than 50 percent meat by the limitations of the extruding equipment)...Also canned foods usually contain way fewer chemical additives than dry foods, if any at all. It would be wasteful to use artificial flavors in canned products; because of the moist, fragrant nature of the meat-based contents, artificial flavoring and other palatants are not needed to entice dogs. Unlike dry foods, canned foods generally contain a negligible amout of preservatives; they are unnecessary in the sterile, sealed oxygen-free environment that a can offers.
If I could afford it I would feed my dogs only canned foods...as it is I always mix kibble with a few table spoons full of canned with their meals. Canned food is much better for your pet than kibble, its just the price which sways people against it...for instance for my solid gold, a can of dog food costs $2.49 canadian...I have 5 dogs that would be about $15.00 a meal (I am taking into consideration the taxes on top of the price I quoted) feeding 2 meals a day per dog would cost me $30.00 a day to feed my dogs canned foods...that is just not cost effectient, especially when I can buy a bag of kibble for about $30.00 and feed all 5 dogs for a week and only use about 2 cans for all 5 a week.
If you just have one dog and its not a big eater then canned foods would probably be within your price margin.

[DogPaddle]

SOME canned can definately be just as good perhaps better than kibble. Some people suggest that if you feed only canned that you brush the dogs teeth more often. You may be interested in Dr Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, expecially pages 10 and 11.

[TDG]

i think a lot of people still think that canned food is worse for a dog's teeth than kibble.

the truth? they are probably about the same. dry food might be a little more abrasive, but it can also stick to the teeth quite badly and cause plaque that way. canned food is not abrasive, but generally has more live enzymes that contribute to oral health left after the manufacturing process.

how clean a food (dry or wet) keeps your dog's teeth depends on the individual product and on the individual dog as well. i've seen some pretty nasty teeth from a high quality dry food (wellness) and very clean pearly whites from a private label "middle of the road quality" canned food.

personally i gave up on canned food entirely because it is expensive by comparison and as an "extra" added to kibble i don't like it that much. it's just adding more cooked/processed stuff to the diet. thus i supplement my dog's kibble meals with fresh, human quality fruits and veggies (mushed to a pulp), eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, meats and bones - things that don't have a large amount of the functional nutrients processed out of them already.

generally you can add about 20% meat without bones to a kibble meal without upsetting the calcium-phosphorus ratio (in case you are unsure and can't find this information on the manufacturer's website, email/call them and ask!). if bones are present in the meat, it counts as "balanced" in itself.