Fresh, kibble or canned: which dog food is best in Pakistan?

Dry kibble, canned food, fresh cooked food or a pot you cook at home: any of them can feed a dog well if it is a complete diet your dog does well on. They differ in how much water they carry, how they are kept, and what they cost a day. We make Wagbowl, a fresh food, so here is the comparison with the research and the prices laid out plainly, including where fresh food does not win.

What is the difference between fresh food, kibble and canned food?

• Dry kibble is cooked and pressed into pellets, then dried to well under 10% water. A sealed bag keeps for months without a fridge, and every pet shop sells it. Keep an opened bag closed, cool and dry.
• Canned food is about three quarters water. Tins keep on a shelf until opened; an opened tin goes in the fridge, covered, and is best used within about three days.
• Fresh cooked food is meat and vegetables cooked and frozen. Ours runs around 70% water, is cooked in Lahore and delivered frozen, and goes straight into the freezer: a monthly plan never needs room for more than ten packs.
• Cooking at home can work, but it is hard to get complete. When UC Davis vets checked 200 published home recipes for dogs, only nine met minimum nutrient standards for adult dogs. Our homemade dog food guide shows what plain chicken and rice misses.

Whatever the type, check the label says complete: a complete food is enough on its own for the day; a complementary one (a topper or a treat) needs other food alongside it.

Is fresh dog food better than kibble?

The best study so far is small. At the University of Illinois, 12 beagles ate four foods in turn: one kibble, one fresh food and two frozen cooked foods. On kibble the dogs needed more food to hold their weight and passed 1.5 to 2.9 times as much stool, and the kibble was the least digestible of the four (81.5% of its dry matter digested, against 87 to 91% for the others).

What that study did not show: it measured digestion, not health, and it tested one kibble against three particular foods. It was also paid for by a fresh dog food company, as most studies of fresh food so far have been. So the fair summary is that the cooked fresh foods tested were more digestible than the kibble tested. It does not prove fresh food makes dogs healthier, and we don't claim it does.

Does canned or fresh food help a dog drink enough?

It adds water to the day. In a small study, dogs eating a fresh food took in more water in total than on kibble, even though they drank less from the bowl, and canned food added more again. The kibble-fed dogs still met their needs by drinking, and that study too was paid for by a fresh food maker. Keep clean water out whatever you feed.

Does kibble clean a dog's teeth?

Ordinary kibble, no. Tufts vet school calls the idea outdated: kibble and canned food both leave plaque. Only some specially made dental diets have shown a benefit, and vets treat brushing as the best thing you can do for a dog's teeth, whatever it eats.

How much does each type cost a month?

Kibble: the middle of each bag's own feeding chart, regular price. Canned food is left out: we found no feeding chart from its maker. A month is 30 days, rounded to Rs 100. Full tables for 10, 20 and 30 kg dogs are in our dog food price guide.

So kibble made in Pakistan costs least, at about Rs 6,400 a month for a 20 kg dog. Fresh food on our Monthly Plan costs more than that, and less than imported kibble.

Which type suits which dog?

• Tightest budget: dry kibble made in Pakistan, in a big bag.
• Little freezer space, or you travel often: kibble or canned food, which keep without a freezer.
• Outside Lahore: kibble and canned food ship across Pakistan; fresh frozen food, ours included, is Lahore only.
• A dog that picks at its bowl: food with more smell. Warm food smells stronger, so fresh or canned food served warm is worth a try. Give any new food three days before judging it.
• You were going to buy imported kibble anyway: for a 20 kg dog, fresh food on our Monthly Plan costs less a month. This is what we make; try it with the 1 Week Trial, 7 packs at half price.

Can I mix fresh food with kibble?

Yes, plenty of owners do. Halve both portions rather than adding fresh food on top of a full bowl of kibble, or you will overfeed. Daily amounts by weight are in our feeding guide, and any change of food goes over a week: our 7-day switching plan shows how. Not sure about something else in the bowl? Check it in Can my dog eat?