At least several times a week, clients tell me sheepishly, “I give my pet some canned food.”  They often look worried that I’m going to lecture them.  I am here to dispel the myth that canned food is bad for our pets.

First of all, what is canned food?  I hate to break it to you, but most of the time, it is not actual slices of meat or pieces of vegetables.  Most brands of pet food take a formulation that is pretty much the same as their dry food formula and add water to it.  Then the food is shaped into a “slice” or a “meaty chunk”.  There are a number of brands out there that do have actual vegetables and chunks of meat in their food, so I’m not saying anyone is lying.  I’m just saying that the companies know they’re marketing to the owners, not the pets J

To me, it’s good news that many wet food diets are similar to their dry food counterparts.  Most dry foods are balanced diets as established by an organization called AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control Officials).  To me, the first and most important step is to make sure that whatever food you select is a balanced diet as established by AAFCO.  Look on the side of the bad near where the ingredients are listed.  There should be an AAFCO feeding statement that reads, “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that ABC Dog (Cat) Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for (appropriate life stage).”  When a company does an animal feeding test, they must feed their food exclusively to a group of animals for 6 months.  The animals in the trial are examined by veterinarians and also have blood samples taken.  I think it’s important that a company invests enough in its food to be certain that it is nutritionally balanced.

So, if you’re feeding a balanced canned food, is it worse for your pet than the dry food is?  Let’s take dogs first.  The most common reason most people cite for using dry food is that it’s better for pets’ teeth.  This is true for some foods, but not others.  See www.vohc.com for a listing of foods that do help prevent dental disease.  Otherwise, the food may or may not help the teeth.  In those cases, there are other options, such as chew toys to help keep teeth clean.  We may choose to use wet food in a case such as an overweight pet who needs to lose weight.  Canned food is less calorie-dense than dry food, so it helps pets feel fuller even if they eat fewer  calories.  These are just a couple of examples of how either type of food might be better for your dog.

What about cats?  There is a growing body of evidence that canned food is actually better than dry food for cats.   Cats are pretty strict carnivores, they hardly have any carbs in their diet if they live outdoors.  Picture a mouse as a staple of cat’s diet.  Any time a dry food is created, it must contain a fair percentage of carbs in order to be baked.  Many feline nutritionists think that canned food prevents feline health issues such as obesity, diabetes and urinary tract disease. 

What is the take home message?  Canned food is not bad for your dog or your cat, as long as it is a balanced diet.  Canned food might even be good for your pet.  I think introducing dry and canned food to dogs and cats is a good idea.  That way, they don’t get stuck on one thing.  Ultimately, as I’ve said before, nutrition is an individual choice.  Talk to your veterinarian about what food is best for your pet.