Canned food

1- Canned food is more fattening than dry food. False!

If we compare canned food with dry food of the same brand, it is false to think that the humid formula is more fattening than dry formula.

Indeed, since canned food contains a lot of water, its caloric content is lower than that of the dry food. Furthermore, since water takes up a lot of space in the stomach, the animal will eat a greater volume of dry food than canned food before it feels full.

2- Canned food promotes tartar build-up. False!

Whereas tartar forms when dental plaque mineralizes, dental plaque forms because saliva, food and bacteria react together in the mouth.

Therefore, foods' texture has no effect on the formation of dental plaque and even less on tartar build-up. The only exceptions being that of foods that are specially created to clean the teeth.

Nevertheless, of all the foods available out there that « claim » to reduce dental plaque and tartar build-up, the only ones that have demonstrated a real efficacy are those that have received the VOHC's (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal of approval.

The VOHC is an independant agency that verifies if foods that pretend to clean the teeth are as effective as their manufacturers claim they are. Thus, it is only after proving that the foods lower the accumulation of dental plaque and/or tartar by at least 20% that the VOHC stamps its seal of approval on the bags.

3-Canned food softens stools. False!

Stool softening is not generally caused by the fact that canned food contains a lot of water. It is often rather because when canned food is introduced for the first time or when a brand of canned food replaces another brand of canned food, the composition of the ingredients in the new food inevitably differs from that of the old food. Consequently, this can modify the animal's intestinal flora and create soft stools, maybe even diarrhea.

Thus, it is useful to introduce canned food in an animal's diet early on in life, when it is perfectly healthy, starting with very small quantities at a time and progressively increasing the quantities. This to get it used to this type of food in case it is affected, later on in life, by a disease (like diabetes or kidney faileure) that requires a diet composed of canned food.