Ask Me Help Desk - New dog food

I was at a festival and someone was giving out samples of a new dog food. I want to know this is safe BEFORE I try it out for Owen.
Company is "The honest kitchen"
Name brand is Zeal
100% natural dehydrated food for dogs with added vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients: dehydrated white fish(haddock whiting), sweet potatoes, eggs, organic coconut, organic alfalfa, apples, pumpkin, parsley, cabbage,bananas,salmon, cranberries, garlic, rosemary, tricalcium, phosphate choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, vitamin D3 supplement, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate.

You mix it with water and it becomes a substance like oatmeal. They claim it is fine for a dog and is organic.
My big concern is they said dogs don't need hard dog food to help keep teeth clean and that this soft food is what dogs all should have.

I've never heard of this dog food, but after reading your post, this last part has me concerned.

Quote:

My big concern is they said dogs don't need hard dog food to help keep teeth clean and that this soft food is what dogs all should have.

Soft food is not ideal for dogs. Anyone that knows dogs, knows that. You're right to be concerned, and it concerns me as well. If they don't know the basics, that feeding mush (which is what soft food amounts to) to dogs, is not good for their health, not only oral, but general happiness, then I doubt they know dog food at all.

It's really up to you, but I wouldn't try it. If you decide to, remember to start small, 3/4 old food mixed with 1/4 new for a few days, then 1/2 old 1/2 new for a few days, then 1/4 old 3/4 new for a few days, then switch completely to new.

I have to add. We fed our poodle Silver soft food all his life. By the age of 5 the vet had to remove teeth, they were rotting. By the time he died he had only one tooth left.

Indy, our lab, died at the age of 16, had all his teeth, never had a cleaning at the vet, never brushed his teeth. I did nothing to his teeth at all. He lived on dry food all his life. Every time we went to the vet, the vet (different one each time, because of the way our clinic works), would always comment on his teeth. They were shocked that such an old dog had such great teeth without any dental work every being done. His last appointment before he died, the vet said "He's 16, but has the teeth of a 2 year old dog".

Jasper was 10 1/2 when he died, and in all those years he lost only one tooth. It actually just fell out on its own. The vet said something got caught in it, and it rotted. All of his other teeth, he died with them.

Just food for thought. :)

I guess I knew this all ready. I wish I would get to the place where I could trust my own judgments.. but when it has to do with my pets I second guess everything.
Thank you Alty for this as you helped me decide not to try the food and made me realize I do know something's about dogs. I had the best teachers all of you experts on here so I know my stuff!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogrann

I guess I knew this all ready. I wish I would get to the place where I could trust my own judgments.. but when it has to do with my pets I second guess everything.
Thank you Alty for this as you helped me decide not to try the food and made me realize I do know somethings about dogs. I had the best teachers all of you experts on here so I know my stuff!

You do know your stuff. Even if you didn't, anything that makes you say "This concerns me", should be enough for you to walk away. :)

I do have to say. I don't know anything about this dog food. I'm not discrediting them. They could be amazing. But, the fact that they stated that a dog does not need dry food, and it does nothing for them, is enough for me to say that I wouldn't try it. The only time, in my opinion, that a dog needs food that is moistened, is when they're weaning, or when they're old and have no teeth left. But a young dog like Owen, he needs to chew, not only for his happiness, but for his health, especially his teeth. :)

I agree, dry kibble helps to keep the teeth clean and good oral health makes a pet healthier all around.
Dental disease can lead to heart problems, tooth root abscesses, losing teeth over the years can cause the jawbone to resorb (basically disintegrate)
Did they claim that there was a added enzyme or something that took care of dental bacteria?
Just grasping at straws, I think I must Google it out of curiosity.