What’s Better… Canned or Dry Dog Food?

by Mike Sagman
Share

Ever wondered what’s better? A canned dog food… or a kibble? For me, it took a trip away from home and a call from the kennel attendant that finally helped me solve that riddle.

Dry Dog Food in a Bowl

“Bailey hasn’t eaten a bite in two whole days,” she advised. ”What would you like us to do?

We had gone away for the holidays and had no choice but to leave our little guy with the vet.

And now we were worried.

Bailey’s recent favorite… a chicken and rice kibble… had been brought along with him to the kennel.  But now he didn’t want any part of it.

When I asked the aide if she had any suggestions, she quickly replied…

“Why don’t you let me try something. It almost always works… especially with our finicky dogs who refuse to eat.”

When I called back a few hours later I was relieved to find out Bailey had “gobbled up every bit of it… and even licked the bowl”.

Want to know what “it” was?

An Overlooked Dog Food Option

Canned dog food. That was it. Bailey wouldn’t eat the kibble… but he sure did love that wet food.

So, I decided to learn more about canned dog food. I knew Bailey liked it. And he liked it a lot more than he liked kibble.

But I had to be sure if it was OK for him to eat. After all, I’d always heard that canned dog food wasn’t as good for dogs as kibble.

Why Canned Dog Food
Can Be Better Than Kibble

In many ways, canned dog food can be superior to kibble.

For starters, canned dog foods are frequently made with higher quality ingredients. Fresh meat-based protein. 

And notably fewer carbohydrates.1

can-vs-dry-nutrient-contentPlus, due to their air-tight packaging, canned dog foods contain no synthetic preservatives. So, fats and oils sealed inside cans don’t easily become rancid.

And no artificial flavorings and colorings.

With cans, meat ingredients are closer to their natural state. So, canned products are more palatable… and appetizing.

Help for Dogs with Dietary Problems

Have an overweight dog that needs to lose weight?

The moisture content of canned dog food can make the same amount of nutrients (on a dry matter basis) occupy more volume. So, your dieting dog can feel fuller… faster.

And what about older dogs?

Seniors are frequently afflicted with serious dental problems that can make chewing dry kibble difficult… even painful.  So, canned dog food can be the perfect solution.

The Truth About Dog Food
and Dental Health

Now, I know it looks like I’ve forgotten to mention how kibble can be better for your dog’s teeth than canned food.

But my own professional background makes that silly rumor difficult to accept.

Find out for yourself.  Be sure to read “Dry Dog Food and the Myth of Cleaner Teeth” to learn the surprising truth.

So, Which Is Better… Canned or Dry?

To help answer that question, here’s a summary of my findings…

canned-vs-dry-foodFrom this chart it seems like canned dog food might be a better choice.  But looks can be deceiving.

Where Kibble Wins… Hands Down

Now, when it comes to convenience… nothing beats kibble. Plus if you’re on a budget (and who isn’t these days) a quality dry dog food is almost always a better buy.

But one important warning…

Never leave any canned food in your dog’s bowl for more than an hour or two.  Unlike kibble, wet foods exposed to the environment can more easily grow bacteria… and quickly become contaminated.

Of course, every open can must be kept refrigerated.  Be sure to discard any unused dog food within two to three days.

Why You Should Consider Both

Now, I hope you don’t think I’m recommending canned food over kibble… because I’m not.

There are times when feeding either one may be the better choice for your dog. But there are also times when mixing the two together (a process known as topping) makes an especially tasty choice.

  1. National Research Council, National Academy of Science, “Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats”, 2006 Edition, National Academies Press, Washington, DC, p 317 ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


Tagged as: ,
← Older Comments
  • sandy

    I’m not familiar with Butcher’s canned food, but if it meets requirements for your dog’s age and you like the ingredients in it, it should be ok.

  • JohnB

    So if i mix james wellbeloved dry food and butchers canned it will be ok?

  • sandy

    Merrick has 24 different varieties to choose from and they are for All Life Stages.  Some are chunky, some are thick (but not pate), one even has a chicken wing in it.

  • sandy

    No.  I use several flavors – Merrick, Weruva, Addiction.

  • JohnB

    Does the canned food and kibble have to be the same brand or does it not matter?

  • sandy

    Wet food is actually better than dry.  But if you like to feed kibble, then topping the kibble with canned food would be a great thing to do.  It also adds variety when you top kibble with different flavors of canned.  You can even add real foods like sardines or other fish, scrambled egg, raw or lightly cooked organs (gizzards/liver/heart/etc…).  Gnawing on raw meaty bones keeps the teeth clean athough you would need to find some small ones.

    http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/karen-becker-best-worst-dog-food/

  • Shawna

    Hi Tina ~~  You are not alone in your confusion for sure.. :)

    In my opinion, raw is the bet (I am a raw feeder go figure :) .  But, it has to be done right.  Lots of variety, organs (where the vitamins are), a source of calcium etc.  Feeding a diet that is not balanced in nutrients can cause some severe nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition.

    Kibble is dehydrating (canned has a better water content).  Some kibbles are cooked at excessively high temperatures which creates cancer causing by-products from the protein and carbohydrates in the food.  Canned foods usually have a better protein, fat and carbohydrate ratio as they do not require carbs to be included for formation purposes.  However canned foods have a chemical called BPA (in the lining of the cans) that is problematic..

    In my opinion, canned is better then kibble and a balanced raw is better then canned.

  • Tina

    I have been very confused lately about food.  I have a 4yr. old Chihuahua that I fed Science Diet dry for 3 1/2 yrs of her life believing I was feeding hr one of the best foods you can buy (that’s what you get for believing advertising and not researching).  A breeder corrected me last June and told me about Blue Buffalo.  I switched.  The end of December I learned for the first time of raw and grain-free.  I starting feeding her boiled chicken, brown rice, green beans, and carrots.  She started itching like crazy.  I have gone back to commercial dog food, but I switched to Taste of the Wild because it is grain-free.  I know Blue Buffalo Wilderness is grain-free, but I just liked the looks of all I read about Taste of the Wild.  I only added wet food because I thought it would be cruel to take her off all she had been getting and give her back kibble, but I always thought dry food was better for them because it kept their teeth cleaner than wet food.  Now I have been told dry food is actually not as good on teeth as wet food and wet food is better than dry.  I am confused.  Somebody tell me what they would do?!?

  • Johnb

    My dog is on James Wellbeloved turkey and rice kibble it is the only dry food he will eat but he still picks on with it but when this dog comes to stay at myne she has the same food moxed with canned food and one day he got into it and ate all of it at once, do you think i should start giving him canned food mixed in? if i did i would want to give Butchers because thats what he liked from the other dogs bowl

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi BlueAmericanBully,

    Mixing a wet food together with a kibble is called “topping”. And it’s usually a great idea.

    Topping can help improve the taste (palatability) of almost any dry dog food.

    However, since yours is still a puppy, be sure the canned food you’re using meets AAFCO profiles for either “growth and reproduction” (puppies) or “all life stages”/

    You never want to feed your puppy a food that’s designed for adult maintenance only.

    Hope this helps.

  • Blueamericanbully

    I recently got a American bulldog puppy. He is now 7 weeks old and I’ve been feeding him blue lamb dinner kibble. I also purchased some blue lamb wet canned food and let him try it and he absolutely loves the er over the dry so I plan on mixing a little in w his dry food. Does anyone know if this is ok to do or should I just keep him on dry or what?

  • http://brotherscomplete.com Richard Darlington

    Melissa

    I think you have made a very important point. Just because AAFCO has listed minimums and maximums for certain vitamins, etc. does not imply that they are added to the kibble in the proper proportions to each other.

    In humans there are at least 7 ‘symbiotic’ pairs of nutrients (Calcium to Magnesium is one of them) and it is far more important that they are in balance in relation to each other than the absolute quantities of each.

    This is one of the points I was trying to make to you some time ago when explaining the quality differences between kibbles. When we asked our nutritionist to design Brothers to be as healthy a kibble as possible the very first thing he said was that he was unaware of any kibble that focused on balancing the nutrients to each other and he was absolutely adamant about the ultimate importance of this in creating a healthy food.

    I get a hair analysis done every year to make sure my nutrient levels (as well as heavy metals) don’t get too out of balance. It would probably be quite revealing to get a hair analysis done on our dogs.

    I know it’s had to believe that a dog food company actually cares enough to pay to have the nutrients in every formula perfectly balanced (taking into account every component of the food) especially when the “industry” does not differentiate between going to all that trouble and expense and just meeting the AAFCO minimum/maximum standards. As a manufacturer we are not allowed to differentiate between these two circumstances either – we can only put the same “balanced and complete” on the label that everyone else uses.

    There’s no real way to “know” if I am telling the truth (other than trying the food for a few months to see the difference) but I’m very encouraged that you do recognize this important difference in the quality of different dog foods.

    I’m actually considering contacting a hair analysis company to see if it’s feasible to do hair analysis on dogs.

  • melissa

    LG-

    I am with you on the fact that many people attempt home cooked diets or home made diets and have no clue on how to balance the diet properly. I feed kibble-however, with that stated, how do we know that the kibble is complete and balanced w/out excessive and/or deficiency? I purposely rotate foods to avoid the potential of shortage/excessive and add in “toppers”, but many people also assume because the “bag says so” that they are doing the right thing by their dog. Below is a link to a current study that is attempting to look into a link between bloat and potassium deficiency. The part I find the most interesting in relation to this blog, is the fact that three diets studied(*and unnamed unfortunately) show deficits or excesses based upon the weight of the dog and how much is fed. It will be interesting to see if this study pans out-

    http://www.weimaraner-scotland.com/GenInt/Bloat.htm

  • LG

    Raw food diets and home made diets can work great BUT if you don’t know what you’re doing (and most people don’t) they can be very damaging especially in young animals. Working at a vet’s I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had young dogs and cats in that jumped off a couch or piano and fractured or shattered a leg due to brittle bones. In every case, the owner is feeding a home-made diet with an inappropriate Ca:Ph ratio. The worst part is these people were trying to do the best for their animals but instead were starving their development. The final cost in many cases is over $1000 or euthanasia. And that’s just the Ca and Ph there are many many more vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can and do occur. There are many reasons why we have commercial dog food and it’s not just convenience and corporate greed as many sites claim. Commercial feeds are Formulated, regulated, TESTED and guaranteed to provide a balanced diet and all necessary nutrients in the proper amounts. If you aren’t willingto calculate nutrient contents or your homemade diet, including digestible Calcium, then you should buy a high quality manufactured feed instead. Diets too high in meat can and will leech the Ca right out of the bones and it is very very hard to transition the animal back to kibble after it has been on a meat rich or raw diet. Which is important to consider if you ever plan to go on vacation or get bored with cooking for your dog.

    Remember wild dogs & cats don’t just eat meat, they eat all the offal and bones including the half digested plant material in the prey’s system. They also eat rotten meat, other animal’s feces, entire fish including the head, their own after birth, grass and other plants… I could do on A natural diet is NOT the healthiest diet.

  • sandy

    Ali,

    I haven’t read anything regarding digestive issues with can + kibble. Recent discussions here have been on feeding RAW food separately from kibble since raw food digests faster and uses a different stomach pH and can get “stuck” in the stomach with the kibble which breaks down slower and some folks worry about the bacteria from raw food getting “stuck” for a longer period of time with the kibble. Am I confusing you?

    Basically can and kibble together are ok. Makes the kibble more interesting and appealling especially when using different can foods in rotation.

  • ali

    I want to feed my dogs wet food as part of their diet…. With three Weimaraners only wet food isn’t an option ($$$). My question is, can I mix the two together morning and night? Or would it be better to feed one dry meal and one wet meal a day? I’ve heard mixing can increase digestion problems (different time lines to break down wet vs. Dry)… Any advice would be appreciated!

  • zyquilla

    I have a 4 year old miniture schnouzer.he’s too cute ,and looks like nice soft black bear.

  • Ashley

    We have a 8 week old Shiba Inu puppy who we are bringing home next Friday. I’m hoping to create an optimum food plan for his health. I was planning on feeding him Nature Variety’s Instinct Raw frozen food, slowly transitioning him from the dry food he is currently eating. Does this sound like a good plan, to feed him solely raw food? Or would it be optimal to add kibble as well to this diet? Or maybe even instead give him kibble mixed with can? It seems the raw food diet is preferred to kibble mixed with can according to Dr.Beckers ‘Best and Worst Foods” video? Also, should I switch up the flavor of raw food I buy (beef, chicken etc.) each time I buy it, to add variety to his diet? And I read that Natures Variety does HHP to their raw food? What is this and does it make it less preferred to other raw foods?
    Thank you

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sharron… This is not necessarily true. As long as the calorie content of each meal remains the same, there should be no change in your dog’s weight. To lose a pound, simply cut back on the number of calories served. And over time, you should see the difference you’re looking for. If after a few weeks, you don’t see any change, then cut back a little more. Hope this helps.

  • Michelle

    sharron, you said your dog needs to lose a lb. Do you mean 1 pound? That should be really easy. Just fast her for a day.

  • sharron

    Hi Mike

    My dog needs to lose about a lb – i’ve been told that feeding her canned will help her lose weight quicker than feeding her dry
    Is this true?

  • Bob K

    CRICKET – There are lots of 4 and 5 star kibbles out there if that is what you choose to feed your dog. There are also recommendations and ratings of both dry, canned and raw foods on this website. Many questions come up for you to consider.
    1.) When was the last time your dog had a complete Fecal test including Giardia and Coccidia? Fecal tests are fairly inexpensive.
    2.) What else is your dog eating and drinking? Grass, River water, lake water, dirt, other animals fecal, etc…..
    3.) What dog foods are available in your area?
    4.) Do you have a specific budget for dog food?
    5.) How much time do you have to prepare and shop for your dog?
    6.) If you are sure its the dog food, then transition slowly to another formula from Taste of the Wild or another 4 or 5 star brand.
    7.) Why are you soaking your kibble for 2 hrs? Perhaps feed the food in smaller portions 2 or 3X a day.
    8.) You want it easy – there is no simple answer since we do not know your lifestyle, budget, where you live etc….. Just feed the dogs McDonalds, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Purina dog food or Old Roy – There you go – simple, but I doubt that’s what you really want.

  • CRICKET

    My dogs name is Ocean and he is 50 3 pounds and eight months old.
    I have been feeding him taste of the wild kibble(no grain) but just like the other dog foods( I have tried a few all super clean ,no grains ect. his stool is still runny unless I add pumpkin. If I dont add pumpkin then its runny again. I am not sure what to do. This is a great dog food brand. I am not sure I can afford raw. The kibble contains no citric acid so I know its safe to add hot water and let it soak and wait two hours before excersize.. I add probiotics and a little cayanne sometimes ,this seems to help. He seems to eat slower when I do this. There is a lot of info out there and I am a bit over welmed and want to cry sometimes because I just want him to be healthy. It says a fifty pound dog is suppose to eat 1 pound of raw. Is that one pound of meat and then a few veggies. I wish I had help . I have three kids and a dog no time for research. Can anyone tell me what to feed a 53 pound dog. recipies ect. what snacks ( i give him beef marrow ,but i think to often.once a day. )help! someone make this easy for me. Oh and I put DE earth in his food starting last week.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Christine… Unless you’re using a dehydrated (or freeze-dried) product, adding water is not the same thing as re-hydration. Most kibbles are designed to be eaten as they are. Since unlike canned or raw (“real”) foods that consist of about 70-80% water, dry kibbles contain only 10% moisture… nowhere near what would be considered natural.

    So, adding some moisture could help. I say “could” because adding water to a kibble may affect its palatability (tastiness) to your pet. Or, if overdone, you may be forcing your dog to drink too much water in order to consume the full serving of food you’re offering.

    In any case, there’s really nothing anyone can do to magically turn a dry kibble into fresh, real (raw or cooked) food. Hope this helps.

  • Christine

    In one of your reply comments you mentioned canned food being easier on senior dogs teeth and gums. I have an 8yr old boxer and his teeth are getting bad. I’m starting to consider mixing his kibble with canned, but I’m also wondering about soaking his kibble. Do you have any thoughts on that. I have heard that it also makes it easier to digest the food since they don’t really chew it when they eat. Any truth to this? Thanks for all your info! This is a great site!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jo… Sudden dietary changes can be very upsetting to your dog. Did you transition from the old food to the new one gradually over a 7 to 10 day period? If not, you may wish to check out my FAQ page and look for the topic, “How to Feed a Dog”. Hope this helps.

  • Dan Malmborg

    Whenever my golden retreiver (97lbs) gets diareah I give him cooked brown rice for a meal or two–I use the bags of rice you drop in hot water and give him a half a bag with his dry food. He is usually better in 1-2 days. Hope this helps

  • Gordon

    Mike – I just added a post on ‘Suggested Raw Dog Food’ and it doesn’t come up, nor does any comments show under that thread, and yet it states that there are 275 comments there to read. Is there another glitch?

    My post just then was an interesting one where I advise how I met Dr. Tom Lonsdale for the first time, yesterday. It would be nice if it could be read.

  • Jo

    We welcomed a new beagle to our family two months ago and are struggling to find the proper food balance for her. We were initially feeding 1 can of EVO per day (1/2 in AM, 1/2 in PM), plus a cup or two of EVO kibble to supplement. She seemed fine with that at first, but later seemed increasingly hungry at each mealtime. Thinking the canned food would be better/more protein dense, we discontinued the kibble altogether and began feeding her 2 cans per day (1 in AM, another in PM). Within a day or two, major diahhrea began and we assumed this was caused by either the change in diet mix, or from OVERfeeding with the 2 cans? Earlier this week we discontinued the canned food and went back to kibble, serving only 1 cup in AM and 1 cup in PM to see if the diahhrea will slack off. She is 9 months old and weighs 30 lbs. Help!

  • Rebecca

    Thank you! I’ll keep an eye out for the videos!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Rebecca… Rotating each day between kibble and a good commercial raw product makes sense to me. However, raw is only costly when you use commercial raw products. There are many experienced raw feeders that buy their foods fresh from the butcher. And done properly, this can be a very cost effective way to feed your dog.

    I’m planning to post some helpful videos that are currently under development. So be sure to check back soon.

    And by the way, I agree with your assessment of my use of the phrase “bad dog food sucks”. It sounded cute at the time I wrote it. But now they seem completely inappropriate.

    I’m currently in the process of removing these off color remarks. But unfortunately, a few still elude me. Thanks for your suggestion.

  • Rebecca

    Mike,
    Thanks for your helpful reply! I would love to feed my dog 100% raw or raw and canned. But I don’t think we can afford it. I feed her Taste of the Wild kibble in the morning and Bravo! raw in the evening. How does this sound to you?
    Also, I’m sorry for my remark about the ending of your articles – it’s your article and my comment was unnecessary.

    Sandy,
    Thanks for your comment! I watched the video. It was very informative!

  • sandy

    Rebecca,

    It is important for dogs to eat high moisture foods. Eating kibble keeps them in a constant state of dehydration. Here’s an informative video: watch “best and worst foods for your pets” at http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/karen-becker-best-worst-dog-food/

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Rebecca… The moisture content of any living creature’s diet is always critical. So, the closer a dog’s food is to “real”, the healthier it is.

    Containing about 75% moisture, raw fresh food is a far cry from kibble (at just 10% water). I’m truly amazed at the number of folks who truly believe kibble is superior to canned food.

    Just the same, many dogs still thrive on quality kibble. If you feed kibble, be sure to serve plenty of water alongside. And topping the kibble with wet food (like canned or fresh meat) can improve the healthiness of any dog’s meal. Hope this helps.

  • Rebecca

    Hi Mike,
    How important do you think it is for dogs to eat a diet high in moisture? I was surprised to see that you didn’t mention it on this page, the Raw Dog Food article, or the article about the importance of water. I know it’s important for cats to eat canned or raw food since they have a low water drive. Is that the same for dogs? How much water is in a wolf’s prey?
    I have seen at the end of many of your articles “Remember… bad dog food sucks. Pass it on.” Of course, I agree. But I thought it sounded a little bit unprofessional. Lol. Others may be of a different opinion. Just thought I’d run that by you.
    Thank you so much for this wonderful website. It has helped me immensely.
    Rebecca

  • Gordon

    I know Michelle. You have a sense of humour. :)

  • Michelle

    LOL Gordon! You blow her up. Don’t feel guilty. I was just messing with you.

  • Gordon

    Haha Michelle, I have a gf. I blow her up when I need her then put her back in the closet when I’m finished. JK. No really, I have one, but she’s 10 years my junior and wants to just be friends with benefits, and I want something more. A bit of a role reversal. Anyway, enough of that. You’re making me feel guilty. I’m just a naturally flirtatious guy. I mean no harm. :) . It’s intended as a compliment in case she ever does read it. Not intended as anything else.

    You’re absolutely right, Shawna. I’ve recently been re-reading a lot of Dr. B’s literature, as I haven’t read same in a long while, apart from his product guide. So I’ve taken out his books which were collecting cobwebs (Yes it’s been that long).

    Remember, just because I don’t buy his patties anymore and dislike his character, doesn’t mean I disagree with his teachings. That would be childish.

    Anyway, to back you up Shawna, although the following talks about calcium supplements, but the semantics are the same, I quote a paragraph from Dr. B’s ‘The BARF Diet’ book, on page 43 he states,:-

    “Supplementing with artificial calcium [and that includes bone meal], where a pet is being fed a properly constructed BARF, is not only unnecessary, [except in specific disease situations e.g. Eclampsia], it may be downright dangerous. For example, giving calcium supplements to a pup being fed a properly formulated BARF diet can cause a calcium excess and result in orthopedic disease such as Hip or Elbow Dysplasia.”

← Older Comments