My Ellie came out of hospital last week following a very bad reaction to a virus (possibly kennel cough) and infection. She lost a lot of weight in a short time and was all skin and bone. The vet sent her home with Hills Science Convalesance tinned food which was great for mixing the antibiotics in. I fed her 4 times a day, gradually adding pedigree chum as the Hills ran out. She's doing really well and has put on weight, and I've reduced the meals down to the usual two. I've also started adding Burns dried food which she was on before. The problem is that both dogs seem to have got ataste for the tinned and are turning their noses up to the dried!- ( Ruby has had the tinned too cos she had to have antibiotics ). I'm just really wary of cutting out the tins as Ellie has been so ill and I just want her to keep getting better. However I prefer them to be on a complete

What about Chappie?  That is a tinned complete.

I'm just thinking about what's better for their teeth, and their breath is much worse on the soft stuff. I origanally put them on the Burns to keep the weight OFF, as Ellie is a lab x and was getting a bit lardy and Ruby is a cocker and they do tend to develop fat bottoms!

Yes, that is one of the reasons I prefer mine on dry.  Well you will just have to get tough, give them the dry you choose when you feel they have enough reserve and do not weaken if they resist for a day or two.

i don't really think dry makes any difference to teeth unless they are eaten by very small dogs or a large dog eats a huge biscuit.
just a little question to put it into perspective - do your teeth feel clean after eating biscuits?
a raw chicken wing once or twice a week works wonders - aslong as they chew it.

good complete tinned is natures menu (although is expernsive).

another option is to soak the dry and gradually put less water in so it gradually becomes harder over a couple of weeks until you no longer need to put water in.

if they don't eat it soaked add a little tinned food - mix very well and reduce that over time as well

hope this helps Anna

Dogs generally naturallly prefer a wet food as it tends to be more aromatic and it more closely resembles what they would eat in the wild.

Why not feed your dogs Naturediet?  It is a complete food containing only meat, rice, carrots and bonemeal and most dogs absolutely love it and do well on it. Unlike some other canned foods it is vacuum packed and does not contain any unecessary flavourings, colourings, additives etc.

If you prefer dry, just give them the choice of dry or nothing......

one of my girls has days when she turns her nose up at the dry (which I do soak a little) so occasionally I add a tin of sardines in sunflower oil if I added tinned food then she would just eat that and leave the dry!

Thanks for the replies. I think I will try the Nature Diet. I took Ellie back for a review on Weds this week and her weight was slightly down from the previous weeks which concerns me as she can't really afford to lose anymore. I think for the time being I'll just have to feed her the wet stuff until she's totally  recovered. She's still coughing and has finished her antibiotics, but still isn't right.

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