Choosing between canned dog food and dry dog food can be a little confusing for new dog owners. I’ve had dogs for 13 years and it’s still confusing to me at times! We often give our dogs canned dog food on top of their kibble, but I never thought about giving it to them exclusively. I decided to take a closer look at the benefits of canned dog food, though, and I may just change my mind!
Benefits of Canned Dog Food versus Dry Dog Food
Higher levels of real meat protein
The number one benefit of good canned dog food versus even the best dry dog food is that it tends to have a higher protein content. While dry dog food ranges between 18-32% protein, canned food typically starts at about 28% and goes all the way to 50% in some of the highest quality brands. Keep in mind that some of that protein is from dry ingredients. You’ll also want to compare crude protein to chose the best brand.
Easier to chew
Puppies have chompers that can tear through an entire sofa in minutes flat, so you may not be to concerned about them managing to chew their kibble. However, in dogs with dental health problems, canned dog food is definitely the ideal choice. Even if you take the best care of your dogs teeth, older dogs still may end up with dental problems. You may want to consider switching your senior hound to a canned food diet.
More filling for doggies on a diet
Okay, so canned dog food does typically contain more fat than kibble. However, it contains more water and other natural meat juices. You know how when you’re on a diet, you drink more water to feel fuller longer? Well the same applies to dogs. Even though canned dog food has more fat- albeit natural fats-it’s more filling. Way better than trying to convince your meat-loving pooch to eat green beans to lose weight (yes, that’s a thing, the green bean diet for obese dogs!).
Better taste appeals to picky eaters
Despite many rumors, dogs will not eat just anything. At least not my dogs! While I do have one that will devour everything in sight (hence my knowledge of the green bean diet, the only thing he turned down in his life, by the way!), my two older dogs are very picky. The reason we use canned food on top of their dry food is because they won’t eat dry kibble anymore. They will, however, eat any canned food that I put in front of them! So while I can’t personally tell you if canned tastes better than dry, my dogs seem to think so.
With all the benefits of canned dog food, maybe you’re wondering why you should bother with dry kibble? Well, honestly, the cost is a major reason. Canned dog food can be incredibly expensive. Some brands recommend feeding one can per 20 pounds of dog each day. For me, between three big dogs, I’d go through close to 10 cans a day. Blue Buffalo (affiliate link), one of the best canned dog foods, costs about $2.25 a can. It would cost me over $22 a day to feed my pups, or $660 a month! If you have a smaller dog, though, the cost may not be as prohibitive.
