I have mostly always fed my dogs wet food which I know isn't good for their teeth. How can I switch my dog to mostly dry food or should it be all dry?? My dogs teeth are not as pretty as when he came to us last yr(he was lost) and I know it's due to the wet food & probably the treats. HELP!!

I had the very same question once and asked my Vet. He recommended mixing some dry food with the wet, gradually increasing the dry food until the mix was more dry than wet, gradually becoming all dry food. Now another person may have different advice.

I won't disagree shy because you are right on the money. Ds, that is what you need to do. Over a week's time, you need to mix the two foods, gradually increasing the amount of dry and reducing the amount of wet. The reason for this is to give the dog's digestive tract a chance to adjust to the new food properly. If you don't, your dog may vomit, be very gassy, and/or have diarrhea. So, you need to ease into. Thank you for being so kind as to take a stray into your home. I wish more people were like you.

Ds, wet food is the most quick way for a dog to develop tooth decay. I am not surprised your dog's teeth aren't as pretty as when he first came to you. The dry food cleans the plaque and tartar off the teeth. Kibble is the best thing for your dog's health. Wet food is not a good idea at all. You may want to take him into your vet's office and have his teeth cleaned. My dog is almost 5 years old, has been on kibble since I adopted her, and it is finally time that I take her in for a cleaning. I hate the thought and expense of it, but I want her to have the benefit of her teeth in her old age. Losing teeth too early is most certainly avoidable. There is nothing as sad (and kind of gross) as seeing a dog gum their food.

1 Yes, dry food is better for a dog's teeth. It also helps control breath. Some day I am going to take a picture of my 13 year old Lab's teeth and post it. She has eaten kibble all her life and never had a real bone. Her teeth are in excellent shape.

2 Yes, mix it in over a week. If he quits eating, see https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post254171

3 Try to find the same protein source in the new chow, chicken, lamb, corn, etc.