Try them both if you are unsure and see which one yields the best results for you.:)

Similar problem, Kramer was a xmas present from my husband and he brought him with royal canine, he always had dry hair, but then he started flaking and itching really bad, about two weeks ago i switched him to life's abundance, which is a natural product no corn anything, only off internet though and i mix that with natural choice chicken, rice and oatmeal, or lamb, he is doing, so far so good, still waiting to see a difference in his coat though.

:aimeeyork

Whatever you choose, make sure your pet is getting a well balanced diet that is not too high in protein, carbs or fats. There needs to be a balance. I found that my YTs gained too much weight with the Merrick, but my brother's Boxer does great on it. I started my 4 year old on Royal Canine when he was a puppy, but he really didn't like it, so we tried several higher quality foods. For the past 2+ years he has been eating Solid Gold "Wee Bits" and loves it. I was supplementing with a little of the Solid Gold canned food, but it is currently not available. I was told they are "reformulating" it and have been waiting for the new version for several months and therefore, was forced to find something else. They now eat Innova canned food with the SG "Wee Bits" and are doing great. It is another very high quality, all natural food and a little pricey, but I believe (in this case), you get what you pay for. My 18 month old female is pregnant and expecting any day now, so she is currently eating the Innova and Wellness puppy food with the Wee Bits. I have learned that if they do well with one food, don't switch to another food if you don't have to. Yorkies have sensitive stomachs. My Yorkies are like my biological kids; I want to give them the best possible food without unnecessary additives and preservatives. We try to eat as much organic food as possible and stay away from processed foods that are high in bad fats. As with yourself and your own children, you are making an investment towards a happy and healthy life for your pet. Good luck!

To those of you who use canned food, aren't you worried about teeth/tartar problems? I know dogs like canned better, but I thought dry kibble was SO much better for their teeth. Yorkies are known to have more tartar problems then most dogs, so this especially concerns me. Tartar (not cavities) cause gum disease which leads to tooth loss and other problems.

Caniade!!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: I tried both and Chloe had no interest in Merrick dry food at all..besides the Merrick flossies!! She goes crazy over the flossies!!

I recently put in a thread about canidaie, about possible tylenol in their food and the customer service was nasty, Im sticking to solid gold. They had some stuff about innova as well, check in to it.

Chester loves the wet food from addiction, good stuff as well for out furkids

dry food is not much better for their teeth. It would be like us eating cookies and expecting it to clean our teeth. Both cause plaque and tarter buildup...no matter what you feed, you should brush your dog's teeth regularly

Your right, if dry kibble was the same composition as a cookie, but it isn't. You know the old saying, "that's the way the cookie crumbles?" Well kibble is made not to crumble. It does not break apart easily like a cookie, there's an abrasive action that cleans the calculus off the teeth. Not only that, but since moist food is made of up to 80% water, dogs don't need to drink as much water throughout the day, which is good for helping rinse off plaque before it turns to tartar. I agree, " no matter what you feed, you should brush your dog's teeth regularly."

Most kibbles break when they hit the coronal tip of the tooth, so there is not much cleaning going on. Some food (like Science Diet T/D) have been shown to reduce tartar by about 39% but regular kibbles haven't been shown to do this. The studies on this subject aren't really reliable because they didn't meet certain standards (the studies weren't done the same way and there was some problem with their reliability). It would not be surprising to see dog food companies come out with regular food similar to the size and texture of dental diets in the near future, so it would have some effect on teeth. Kibble may clean teeth slightly, but not enough to feed it. I am paraphrasing from a veterinary nutrition textbook.

Canned may build tartar faster than kibble but it isn't anything teeth cleaning can't take care of.

That being said, Ellie ate mostly kibble for the longest time with no tooth care. She developed stage 3-4 periodontal disease and had to have 9 teeth pulled. A few months after this she went on homecooked food (similar consistency to canned). She gets her teeth brushed everyday and gets OraVet once a week. Her teeth have never been prettier.

Also, Ellie's vet is very into dentistry and sees no problem with me homecooking. Her nutritionist doesn't either.

I like the moisture content in canned or homecooked foods because they don't have to drink as much then. Dogs usually drink only when they have to and I like to know Ellie is getting plenty of moisture.

That is why I am okay with not feeding kibble.:)

Generally speaking, I am all for any method of feeding that will help keep their teeth clean and reduce the number of cleanings they have to have. I'm assuming that my vet is not the only one that cleans teeth under anesthesia--something I don't want done if I can avoid it! :( So I personally am not so easily willing to dismiss what role a food plays under the premise that \'I can have their teeth cleaned so it doesn\'t matter.\'