Sunday, January 22, 2012

Should You Choose Soft Or Hard Dog Food?

By Amanda Kirby


Dog owners are sometimes faced with a dilemma regarding what type of dog food to provide their dogs. Dogs themselves tend to prefer the moist, canned types of food. Not only are they more aromatic, they are also naturally tempting to the dog's palate than the dry kibble that comes in a bag. A dog's dental health, however, relies on the dog being able to chew hard and crunchy items and dry kibble foods serve this purpose well. What's an owner to do?

There are owners that make a two pronged approach when selecting dog food for their furry friends. Another thing they will do is mix a portion of dry food with canned, effectively giving their dog the "best of both worlds. You will definitely want to supplement it in some way with something that the dog can chew and crunch if you are feeding canned food to your dog. There are chew toys and dog biscuits that can help to serve this purpose.

Keep in mind that depending greatly on the nutritional value of its food is a dog's health. A dog is only as healthy as the food that it eats, in many respects. The food you buy for your dog should meet its nutritional needs as best as possible, whether it is dry or moist. Unfortunately when it comes to dog food you get what you pay for. Made with cheaper ingredients and lots of fillers are store brands as well as generics. While they will feed your dog, it's likely that they are not the best choices for it. The more expensive brands like Science Diet and Eukanuba which advertise that they are "specially formulated" really, to a certain extent, are. They are better suited to meet your dog's needs and they have higher quality ingredients.

As long as you are providing a good method for your dog to work out its choppers on a regular basis, then it truly doesn't matter whether you're using dry food or moist. During regular veterinary checkups your vet will examine the dog's teeth and will warn you if there's any issue that needs to be corrected by providing a different type of food or some dietary supplement.

The reason that dogs need to be able to chew on hard materials is twofold. Not only does it strengthen their teeth, it also works out the muscles of their jaw, keeping the teeth strong and the jaws powerful. Also, it provides a form of dental care. At least twice a week, owners should brush their dog's teeth. However, if it is not possible, then crunchy foods like kibble and biscuits act as a sort of natural toothbrush for the dog, loosening plaque and tartar and cleaning the teeth.

It is important to choose the right food for your dog, both for the pooch's nutritional needs and its good dental health . You need to make sure you're also providing something for Rover to really sink his teeth into if you prefer to provide your dog the tastier soft, moist foods that come in a can.




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