The dental health of a dog is a high priority for every dog owner, and the type of food that their pets eat is a huge part of their overall wellness. Often, new dog owners are overwhelmed by the huge selection of different dog foods, and finding the one that is right for their dog’s teeth can be a bit of a challenge, especially when on a budget. The best type of dog food is dry dog food, because it will help scrape plaque off of a dog’s teeth and is much cheaper on a per meal basis than wet food.
Firstly, many dogs suffer from bad dental health, as bits of food can become stuck in their teeth, which can lead to plaque buildup and cavities. Wet food, as it is mushy and semisolid, can easily stick in a dog’s mouth and can require daily brushing by the owner to remove it. Alternatively, if the dog eats dry food, the kibble will break apart and remove plaque build up and stuck food from a dog’s teeth. However, not every type of kibble will do this; look for a brand of kibble that is approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). No wet food can do this, as the semisolid state that the food is in means that it can get in between a dog’s teeth with little trouble. These brands are specially formulated to promote dental health and have a shape that will scrape off plaque. A list can be found on the VOHC website: VOHC Approved Products
Secondly, dry dog food is typically less expensive than wet dog food. A prime example of this can be found in any pet store: on Pet Smart’s online store, both Beneful wet and dry foods were compared. A can of Beneful Hearty Roasters wet food sold for $1.89 per can, which constitutes a single meal of ten ounces. Comparably, a 31.1-pound bag of Beneful Healthy Fiesta dry food sold for $28.99, and can make up 141 meals (assuming that a meal is one cup, and that one pound of food is equal to 4.5 cups of food). If you bought 141 meals of wet food, it would cost $266.49 without taxes. Dry food gives a much better value than wet food, giving much more food at a much lower price.
Dry dog food is a great way to keep your dog’s dental health, which is a major concern for many breeds of dogs, and is much cheaper than wet food, something that can’t be overlooked as pets are already quite expensive to keep.
Dylan Lamberti - I have been writing on-line for a period of just under two years, and have written for such sites as Demand Media Studios and Brighthub.
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