It can be difficult to decide whether to feed your animal dry or canned food. There is no perfect answer, since the decision can depend on different factors, including the breed, age and health status of your pet. For instance, it is preferable to feed your animal soft food if the kidneys are not working well or if he/she has several teeth missing.

Dry food-Pros

• Convenient and easy to store
• Economical
• Can be used to help oral hygiene if designed for this purpose (for example the Veterinary formulated RC Dental diet helps clean the teeth due to the composition and size of the kibbles)
• Helps keep the jaw bone and ligaments healthy due to the biting involved
• Useful for training

Dry food-Cons

• Not as appealing for an ill or older pet who does not have a good sense of smell

Canned-Pros

• Good option if the animal is dehydrated
• Can be used for animals with a history of urinary problems
• Lower in calories than dry food (for the same volume); therefore, can be helpful for weight loss due to the high water content

Canned-Cons

• Tends to increase the accumulation of tartar
• Once opened, must be used within a few days and kept refrigerated
• Not as economical as dry food

It is also possible to mix dry with canned to get the best out of each type. Please discuss with your veterinarian and staff at Centrepointe Animal Hospital to find out what is the best type of food to feed your pet.