# Wet Food Only?



## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

Can't comment on the brands (things a bit different over here) but I can tell you that Pippin came to us with Royal Canin puppy kibble, promptly refused to eat it and practically went on hunger strike and after quite a saga ended up on wet food only for several months. We only got her back on some kibble when she turned 18 months, gradually reintroducing it, and now is happy to eat it, indeed seems to relish the crunching. But she is spoiled... I kind of think if she likes something, will eat it, and it is good quality, then that's okay with me too whether it is wet or dry.

Her current level of porkiness isn't due to what dog food she eats - it's post operative and post accident lack of exercise and overindulgence by bad parents! Bacon... treats... etc.

The other members will know more about the brands over there, and will be able to advise you on that.


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## Carrie-e (Oct 23, 2012)

He is a fussy boy! He is only young though. The main problem you would have if he will only eat wet food is his teeth. The kibble helps remove tartar which is a big problem in toy dogs. Like manxcat said Pippin was on all wet food for a while and then she introduced kibble so definitely keep trying to do this,even if it's a small amount, and I would suggest cleaning his teeth everyday and adding plaqueoff powder to his food. I'm not sure how old they have to be for that,I will try and find out for you. My two have plaqueoff every day on their food and I clean their teeth,they really love it,they like the taste of the toothpaste and when I get the brushes out I say "come on then,who wants their teeth done first!" And they both rush into the kitchen! You might find using a little finger brush helpful to begin with.


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## Graham (Oct 6, 2013)

Thanks as always Manx and Carrie. I guess it's not the end of the world after all. I read a lot on it before bed last night, and there's just so much conflicting info out there. Some say the tarter thing is a common myth..even among some vets. 
I think today I'll let em have the wet food and try much less kibble.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I don't think kibble does a good job of reducing tarter. I know that raw bones are fantastic at this. Tarter is a major issue for toys so I urge you to be proactive. I do several things to keep Swizzle's teeth in good shape. Most importantly a raw chicken neck at least every other day. Plenty of bullies and tracheas for chewing. I also brush his teeth frequently. I shoot for everyday but fail to be as consistent as I should be. I also have a dental pick to scrape off tarter. Swizzle does not have tarter yet but I go over his teeth with the pick so he is use to it. 

I think you may have anal gland problems on an all wet diet. Not enough roughage to keep things cleaned down there. Also I do think there is more of a tendency on dogs to get fat on an all wet diet. If you supplement with raw bones and keep an eye on your dog's weight it is probably fine.


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Can I suggest Royal Canin X-Small puppy? Cash was 2 pounds when I brought him home and the kibble was perfectly sized for him to eat! I'd be worried about an anal gland problem too with an all-wet diet and hot dogs aren't a great nutritional choice. 


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

Kennedy flat out refuses all kibble as well. Even if he hasn't eaten for a day... he just won't eat any kibble. He will however eat chicken necks and other raw meaty bones which clean his teeth. Kibble really doesn't clean teeth (think about crunching on crackers, it doesn't clean your teeth), but it does exercise the jaw. Feeding all wet food is fine I would just make sure that the meat in the food is of good quality and that there is no unspecified meats for example: poultry byproducts, meat meal, animal fat, ect. Before switching Kennedy to the Nature's Variety frozen raw food- which he LOVES, I fed him the Nataure's Variety, Halo, and Wellness CORE canned foods. He was on and off of liking the canned foods, he would eat it with encouragement which is better than not eating the dry food at all, but it was frustrating. Now I just put the food down and walk away, he eats it quickly. Honest Kitchen is a good option too if you are going to do wet food. It is reasonably priced and you just mix it with water. As for weight gain, I find that if the wet food you buy is made with mostly meat and very little grains or fillers then you will not see weight gain. Usually wet food has a higher meat content than dry, dry food has more fillers usually.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

If you are open to raw I feed Aunt Jenni. Honest Kitchen is a very good food too. Swizzle has this sometimes when we go on vacation.


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

CT Girl said:


> If you are open to raw I feed Aunt Jenni. Honest Kitchen is a very good food too. Swizzle has this sometimes when we go on vacation.


I might try Aunt Jenni to mix things up a little. I saw it at the natural grocery store near me.


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## Graham (Oct 6, 2013)

I actually am open to raw. It won't cost much to feed him, but if we get a bigger dog in the future I don't want em eating different foods, and one be more appealing, or a tease, to the other dog.

With the Wellness the kibble size is tiny so that's not the problem. I just don't think it tastes good. 

He really loved the wet food today, and I put about a TBS or two of kibble in it. He ate more than any meal so far. So I think that's our answer and we'll just have to stay on top of his teeth.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

if you travel with your dog, having one that will eat kibble (does not have to be for every meal) helps. i feed my dog wet food generally, but i use a grain free kibble called carna4 for treats. if he's not hungry, he will hold out for something like wild boar hearts. if he's hungry, he will eat the carna4. important if i have to board him for any reason, too.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Kibble does nothing to promote clean teeth, if your dog has ever vomited a fresh stomach full of kibble you'll notice that most pieces are completely intact as dogs don't chew their food like we do. Wet food helps hydrate your dog, and though I feed kibble, everyone's food gets covered with water. We get kibble and water cereal every day here.

Along with bad teeth, toy breeds are also prone to being over weight. Your dog isn't going to let himself starve if food is available. If he has high energy, bright eyes, and a healthy coat he may already be getting enough nutrition. I'd just give a few small treats in-between meals throughout the day to prevent hypoglycemia.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

my dog will chew his kibble "treats" if i tell him "chew, chew." that's because when he was a pup and chewed certain treats, i named the action. otherwise, like most dogs, he "wolfs" his food. but i agree that the bit about chewing kibble keeping teeth clean is just salesmanship by the pet food companies. what seems to work is those super baked veal neck bones the aussies and new zealanders export. no longer as easy to find in my area as they used to be, but for awhile my vet used to remark how clean my dogs' (i had two at the time) teeth were.


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## Lily's-Mom (May 31, 2012)

I think you may have found your answer - mix a small amount of canned food into the kibble and that should help. We used to do that with our Pomeranian. Even when traveling we brought a small can along with the kibble and kept it in a cooler or hotel room frig. She also really liked Ziwi Peak food. It is quite pricey but for a toy breed it's ok because they don't eat much but since you said you are thinking about a larger dog in the future, it may not be financial feasible.


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