Canned Food

[Raddy]

No I am not feeding my little one canned food.... (shall be the BARF diet) but have just had a discussion with someone at work in relation to feeding dogs canned food......he says that you should. And he told me not to get sucked into all these special diets and foods available.

just wondering - where can i find information on why certain brands of canned food are bad.......just so he knows the facts.....

edited to add that this guy doesnt have a dog........

thanks

Edited January 9, 2006 by Raddy

[KitKat]

I think the main problems are the preservatives, the amount of water and the quality of the ingredients and fillers etc...

But as to 'proof' a quick google could probably bring you up a number of websites

[Erny]

I think the main problems are the preservatives, the amount of water and the quality of the ingredients and fillers etc...

But as to 'proof' a quick google could probably bring you up a number of websites

Not to mention false impressions. IE x%protein as advertised by the can (and remember ... they don't normally quote on a "dry weight" basis, so the % can be misleading), can in fact be indigestible. Ergo, dog doesn't receive the % protein you might expect. Also, the fact that canned food is heat sealed - cooking food destroys the natural enzymes and microbial content, preventing the natural process of decay. Unfortunately, it also destroys natural vitamins, essential fatty acids, amino acids and proteins contained in the food and renders many minerals unavailable for absorption from the gut. Apart from the food then becoming nutritionally deficient, the absence of valuable enzymes (which assist not only in slowing the ageing processes but also the digestion of the food) forces the pancreas to work harder. This may result in a number of canine related diseases, including Pancreatitis, Pancreatic Insufficiency and Sugar Diabetes.

What you don't know is what quality is of the food substances contained in many of the products. Is the meat content derived from high quality sources, or from dead, dying, diseased or disabled (4-D rule) animals and/or whether the meat has been chemically treated to prohibit it from human consumption. Do you know if the grains or vegetables etc used are high grade quality, or whether they were deemed unfit for human use due to excessive chemical contamination in the fields or perhaps the production remains swept up off the manufacturing plant floor.

"Give Your Dog a Bone" by Dr. Ian Billinghurst (pp 17-25) gives such information, as does the Vets All Natural website.

There's another link called Understanding Dog Foods and Dog Food Labels you could look at too, although I haven't looked at it for a while, so I'm not sure if it is still current.

Hope you might find some of this information helpful.

As Anne suggested, a google search will avail you a number of other "horror" story/accounts regarding canned food.

Having said this, I'm not suggesting or claiming that all canned food is as bad as the worst, but there's no way of knowing for sure (unless you work where the commercial foods are processed.

Edited November 22, 2005 by Erny

[TiffanyAmber]

http://www.wholisticanimal.com/commercialfood.html

http://www.wholisticanimal.com/processedpetfood.html

Edited November 23, 2005 by TiffanyAmber

[Beanzy]

I give Beansy Natures Gift canned food (well, ok it's the small foil tubs) from time to time when I'm feeling lazy and she's fine. She loves the stuff

[Dogsfevr]

I dont feed can but many people do & there dogs live happy ,healthy lives.

Feeding is a personal choice & i respect someones elses choice ,if there dog is fine on the stuff then why should they change.

2 of australias all time top show dogs where feed canned because it suited them & thats what they enjoyed each to there own i say.

[BubbleGirl]

Make them pick up dog poo after a can of dog food, proof is in da poo's ;)

[eridorsmooths]

At the moment I am feeding Natures gift to one of my dogs as he has been very fussy with food and loves this. I think you are being a bit harsh to comment that all tinned food is evil.

And Riley honey you were near by when Moss pooped it wasnt that bad, no worse then his normal diet of mince, vegies, pasta and a small amount of dry food

[noisymina]

To be quite honest, Raddy, if the dog is being fed and cared for - and is not overweight - I would not be bothered "having words" over the diet.

If you are asked what you believe is best, or what you feed your dog, by all means share that info.

Apart from that, as already said, to each his own.

cheers

[mersonmalinois]

just wondering - where can i find information on why canned food is bad.......just so he knows the facts..... ;)

Like others have mentioned, canned food is fine for some dogs and not for others.

I don't think a blanket statement "canned food is bad" is a fair one.

From time to time I use a bit of canned food to flavor up my dogs' meals. They love it and there is no yucky poos to pick up.

[Jintanut]

;)

Just tip a can of dog food infront of Jinta, Take a photo of the look on her face....take it to show your friend.

On the odd occasion I have tried (for convieience sake) to feed canned food to her she looks at me like im outta my head/ and or trying to kill her. She KNOWS its Evil.

[ReXy]

Just tip a can of dog food infront of Jinta, Take a photo of the look on her face....take it to show your friend.

On the odd occasion I have tried (for convieience sake) to feed canned food to her she looks at me like im outta my head/ and or trying to kill her. She KNOWS its Evil. ;)

lol thats funny my dogs would do the same.... i get the look like " are u kidding u expect me to eat THAT"..... lol with the exception of toby who will eat the natures gift chicken... which mustnt be that bad coz it smells almost eddible..lol

[TiffanyAmber]

Give them a Xmas present.........Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale.

Lots of info there.

[sas]

I have mixed feelings having had large dogs who both lived past 15 and were feed canned food.

There certainly is evidence or just plain common sense that tells you that artifical flavours and preservatives and the other nasties in processed foods aren't good for dogs as they aren't for humans, mind you just like humans some dogs are quite sensitive to preservitives & colourings.

There are cancer links as well, but geez these days they even think red meat has a cancer link so you don't win either way. Mind you it's not rocket science to see good results coming out of a natural diet which has well balanced ratios. A barf diet with incorrect ratios isn't doing the dog any good either such as when my parents thought that just feeding chicken wings would be a good way of putting an oveweight lab on a diet, the concept is close but if you muck up to ratios you're mucking up other things as well.

My kids are on Billinghurst BARF paddies for dinner and Natures gift for breakfast.

[KismetKat]

Make them pick up dog poo after a can of dog food, proof is in da poo's

or smell their dogs farts!

[KOE]

Years ago my now gone dogs were fed on pal meaty bites and pal cans all lived to ripe old ages and were fine. My dear old abbey ate nothing but chicken pal, this lot here look at me as if I am trying to poison them.

[KismetKat]

Years ago my now gone dogs were fed on pal meaty bites and pal cans all lived to ripe old ages and were fine. My dear old abbey ate nothing but chicken pal, this lot here look at me as if I am trying to poison them.

but do you remember the farts?

[Erny]

Make them pick up dog poo after a can of dog food, proof is in da poo's 

or smell their dogs farts!

Feeding human grade roo mince can produce some nasty smells too, though ....... (Not arguing against raw whole meals ... I'm in favour)

[Zia's Nuthouse]

I dont feed can but many people do & there dogs live happy ,healthy lives.

Feeding is a personal choice & i respect someones elses choice ,if there dog is fine on the stuff then why should they change.

2 of australias all time top show dogs where feed canned because it suited them & thats what they enjoyed each to there own i say.

Amen

[KOE]

Years ago my now gone dogs were fed on pal meaty bites and pal cans all lived to ripe old ages and were fine. My dear old abbey ate nothing but chicken pal, this lot here look at me as if I am trying to poison them. 

but do you remember the farts?

They sure were smelly and lots of poop well more than euk gives out anyway.