Recommend a canned/moist food?

[InBetweenDays]

We two lab mixes, one of which had to have a tooth removed yesterday (it had broken off and they had to remove the root). He normally eats only dry kibble, but our vet said we should feed him soft food for two weeks. Last night and this morning I added some broth and heated up his kibble to soften it, but it took about 30-45 minutes to get soft enough to where I felt comfortable giving it to him (and being a lab he has a hard time waiting that long once I open the food container ).

I'm considering getting some canned food but don't want to upset his stomach with such an abrupt and temporary transition. He's already on Rimadyl (for arthritis from a bad leg he's had since before we got him), Tramadol for his mouth pain, and an antibiotic to prevent infection with the root. Any recommendations? Or would you mix up rice, ground beef, and cottage cheese? Or just continue softening his kibble?

[niemand88f]

Poor guy

There are lots of good wet foods out there for dogs. What brand of dry food do you currently feed him? Many brands like Wellness have a wet food line too, so I would try to get the same brand and main protein if possible. Luckily you can get individual cans, so if something doesn't work you can return the other cans.

[InBetweenDays]

I know. He had a rough start to life - he broke his leg as a young puppy and his previous owners didn't fix it. Just allowed it to heal poorly then dumped him at the shelter when he was 7 months old. So now he has a mangled leg and has always walked with a limp. Plus he has hip displaysia. But he's 10 years old and the happiest and most loving dog I know.

Right now both dogs eat Kirkland Lamb & Rice Adult dog food. I could probably get to Costco tomorrow but I doubt they sell individual cans. We have a local, high quality pet store so maybe I should just stop in there to talk to them about his situation.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2013 16:26:06 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

I know. He had a rough start to life - he broke his leg as a young puppy and his previous owners didn't fix it. Just allowed it to heal poorly then dumped him at the shelter when he was 7 months old. So now he has a mangled leg and has always walked with a limp. Plus he has hip displaysia. But he's 10 years old and the happiest and most loving dog I know.

Right now both dogs eat Kirkland Lamb & Rice Adult dog food. I could probably get to Costco tomorrow but I doubt they sell individual cans. We have a local, high quality pet store so maybe I should just stop in there to talk to them about his situation.

I would go to Mud Bay (I assume that's the place you're talking about) and talk to them. They're super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.

All of their food, even the opened stuff, is returnable if he doesn't like it.

[InBetweenDays]

Jan 15, 2013 16:53:27 GMT -5 @uwhuskygirl said:

Jan 15, 2013 16:26:06 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

I know. He had a rough start to life - he broke his leg as a young puppy and his previous owners didn't fix it. Just allowed it to heal poorly then dumped him at the shelter when he was 7 months old. So now he has a mangled leg and has always walked with a limp. Plus he has hip displaysia. But he's 10 years old and the happiest and most loving dog I know.

Right now both dogs eat Kirkland Lamb & Rice Adult dog food. I could probably get to Costco tomorrow but I doubt they sell individual cans. We have a local, high quality pet store so maybe I should just stop in there to talk to them about his situation.

I would go to Mud Bay (I assume that's the place you're talking about) and talk to them. They're super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.

All of their food, even the opened stuff, is returnable if he doesn't like it.

Well hello there

Yep, I was talking about Mud Bay. I think I'll stop there after work. My concern isn't him not liking it. One time he had to get his stomach pumped after he got into our upper cupboards and ate baker's chocolate (can't figure out how he got into the upper cabinets as an 80lb dog with a bad leg). The e-vet said he was the only dog they've ever had that readily ate the activated charcoal. But it is good to know I can return it if it doesn't sit well with him.

[patches31709]

Our dog loves Merrick wet foods.

[dexteroni]

Oh poor puppy. I was coming in to recommend Merrick too. Dexter eats it sometimes; their stews are more like real food than that solid meat puree that many wet foods are. And it doesn't upset his sometimes sensitive tummy.