There are 3 types of commercially prepared dog foods that are available in the market today: Canned foods, Semi-moist foods, and Dry foods.
Canned Foods
This type of food comes in several varieties which ranges in quality as well as price. They consist of about 75% water and is mixed with assorted meat, fish, and cereal products. They are easy to prepare and dogs love them! However, canned foods produce low-energy nutrients, which means that you would need to give your dog a big serving in order to provide him with the required energy he needs.
If you have a large dog, you would have to double the amount of servings, which makes canned food a bit unpractical and on the pricey side. To solve this problem, consider mixing canned foods with dried food. The mixture will provide more energy for your dog and will also add volume to the food, thereby saving you money.
There is another kind of canned food that only contains meat, hence called “all meat canned foods”. Similar to regular canned food, all meat canned food does not provide your dog with the proper amount of energy that his body needs. In order to get enough energy, you would need to give him large quantities of the food, although this will only produce an unbalanced diet. Therefore, all meat canned foods should also be mixed in with dried foods or even semi-moist food.
Semi-Moist Foods
This type of food has high concentration and only contains 15 to 30% water content, which provides more energy for your dog in less amount of volume than canned foods. Their ingredients consist of meat, cereals, vegetables, sugar, and fats. They are easy for your dog to digest and he will surely love the taste. They come in a wide variety, do not need to be refrigerated, and many owners find them to be the most convenient way to feed their dogs.
Semi-moist foods are expensive and is loaded with sugar and corn syrup and therefore, should not be given to dogs with diabetes. In addition, these foods are also loaded with colorings and artificial flavors. It is best to give your dog this type of food only on an occasional basis rather than his main source of diet.
Dry Foods
Dry foods contain about 10% water, providing high energy value to your dog. They are the least expensive of all the dog foods, they can be stored in bulk quantities, and they do not need to be refrigerated. This is why most pet owners prefer this to have a food for their dog and considerate it to be the most economical way to feed their pets.
On the other hand, the majority of commercially prepared dried foods contain mostly cereal and is very limited in the amount of protein that the dog requires. Consider mixing dry food with canned foods to give your dog a well-balanced diet. Another alternative is to choose a brand that contain meat as its main ingredient.