# Best Canned Food for Puppy?



## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

I'm so happy that little August is eating well.

Is it possible to buy more of the canned food the vet provided? That would be the best it seems to me. I know the vet food is usually more costly, but probably not too much and worth it to avoid switching food again.

The gradual rate at which you are supposed to introduce a change of diet over many days is going to require that you get yourself some more of the current food anyway.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

There is a very good explanation of canned dog food in an article called; 'Healthy Nutrition In A Can: Everything about Canned Dog Food' at dogsaholic.com At the end of the article they provide a list of the best canned foods with protein, fat, & carbohydrate content. 
GOOGLE IT!
Also use Chewy.com to look at various ingredients in foods and then go to Dogfoodadvisor.com to check on the rating and if you scroll down on the food you are checking on you will see a graph of the protein, fat, and carb contents of a food. 

Example: Under The Sun Grainfree Duck Formula on the can says it is 8.5% crude protein but then if you check the calorie weighted basis it says 33% protein at dogfoodadvisor!

I current feed raw and kibble but occasionally use dehydrated and canned... currently: 
Only Natural Pet Turkey and Duck (canned)
Only Natural MaxMeat Lamb and Cod (air dried dehydrated)

Other foods That are great IMO; (all rated 4 or 5 stars) that I've used
Merrick 96% Buffalo& Lamb
Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Lamb
Nature's Variety Limited Instinct Rabbit
Under The Sun Grain Free Duck (these come in little cups of 3.5oz which I take when going out somewhere) 

I change Molly's food quite often as she has no problem with it...... so I can take advantage of whatever sale will get Molly the best food possible! LOL!


P.S. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME DOGS CANNOT TOLERATE HIGH PROTEIN OR HIGH FAT CONTENT!
NORMALLY ALL THE PROTEIN A GROWN DOG NEEDS IS A MIN. OF 18% AND A PUPPY NEEDS A MIN. 22%
REQUIREMENT ALSO DEPENDS ON HOW ACTIVE A DOG IS.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

The tiny amount of actual meat in canned and similar foods was one of the things that pushed me into cooking for my animals at home - pound for pound it was the equivalent of feeding fillet steak and pheasant breast! Even the very highly recommended food I was buying was at least 50% rice and vegetables. Remember that fresh meat is around 10 - 20% protein, once the fat, water, etc content is taken into account, so 9% is not that low.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

I have yet to see a good canned dog food. There are few decent proprietary kibble foods. Human canned meat is not as good as canned cat food. With care and patience you can find a proprietary dog food that is wholesome. If you make it yourself it will be if you follow a few guidelines. Don't feed a dog cat food.

Eric.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

*Feeding a puppy*



ErinWynne said:


> I'm not going to start feeding him dry food until he's a little older. At least 14 weeks.


I am mystified as to why you are putting off feeding kibble. I (and many others) feed puppies with kibble from the very beginning. At first it is soaked until it is soft. Gradually the amount of water is reduced.

There are far more brands of top quality kibble than there are canned dog foods. IMHO, canned food is just used to get picky dogs to eat an adequate amount of kibble.

One other thing - many people think an all meat diet is optimum. Not true. Dogs need vegetables as well. Wild dogs and their relatives eat the stomach and intestines of their prey to obtain adequate vegetables. My dogs relish carrots, green beans, pumpkin, and many other vegetables.

I like kibble that contains vegetables and does not contain by-products. The best brands meet that requirement. I agree that dogfoodadvisor.com is an excellent source of information, although many of the products they rate highly are not available here.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I think this pup was very reluctant to eat kibble, and had a scary bout of hypoglycaemia as a result - I can absolutely understand wanting to avoid a repetition of that!


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## ErinWynne (Apr 19, 2017)

Thank you everyone for responding! If August rejects the kibble I probably will end up switching to cooking his food at home. It seems like the healthiest option for a picky dog based off everything I've read.

MollyMuiMa- Thank you for the links and information! I will definitely look into those foods and google that article.

BeautifulBlue- I was able to get another small can from the vet yesterday, however they said not to continue feeding it since it didn't have the nutrition needed for a dog long term. They said it was very bland and basic used only to help his stomach heal. 

Johanna- August currently only weighs two pounds. When I got him he refused to eat anything other than boiled chicken and scrambled eggs. He became hypoglycemic, dehydrated, lethargic and started having bloody diarrhea which caused us to go the ER vet. He needed fluids and is currently on antibiotics.

The vet, everything I've read, and everyone on here said that until he gains weight it's best to feed him whatever he will eat and as much of it as he wants. I was jumping for joy when he actually ate 2 tablespoons of wet food, that's a huge improvement for us. 
I have multiple brands of high quality kibble in mind once he's big enough. I just don't want to start switching him now for fear he will reject all food again. 
I also completely understand that dogs require veggies in their diets. The dogs I've had in my care always got some for treats and in their food. I was just appalled at seeing a wet food with 0.1% protein on the shelves.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Goodness, Erin, you did a great job pulling him through. I must have missed the earlier posts about his problems.

Incidentally, I used to handle a dog that occasionally had hypoglycemic seizures. We kept a jar of clear Karo syrup handy and administered about a tablespoon (this was an adult miniature poodle) when she would begin to show symptoms. It's not a cure, it just the immediate treatment for a crisis.


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## Dina (Jan 24, 2016)

Instinct by Nature's Variety Grain-Free Canned Dog Food is the only ones I will buy for Hugo. 

1) He is a very picky eater and just loves these
2) I like that they are actual chunks not just mush (Hugo wont eat mush... he hates getting his face dirty and licking it takes to long lol) 
3) They carry it at most pet stores in my area
4) Its grain-free! 


https://www.chewy.com/instinct-by-natures-variety-grain/dp/33426

I'd give it a try, it has pretty high ratings and reviews, and they have a really good raw boost puppy food which we transitioned Hugo to later as well 

Best of Luck!!


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