Wet food?

[Anna]

We are looking at putting the guys onto wet food but I've never fed wet before.  Advice?  Good brands for the allergy prone?

[blanche]

I like the Wellness canned.  Pretty much all I use.  But I don't use canned much so others may have better suggestions.  I think Amanda (Sami and Odie's mom) uses Wysong.

[Jeanne]

Wellness canned (when I need it for the pugs)  'Pug cat' get some Wellness wet every day.

[Anna]

I've bought a few to try but I'm having trouble figuring out a proper portion, some of these suggested servings seem way out.
And we have discovered that chunky is best with Darwin since he seems to require remedial soft food eating lessons.  We have to stand there with a fork to "help" when he mashes it into a corner, which is kind of pathetic.

[SpeedyPug]

Anna, I can send Jem and Geeg over to give vacuum lessons.  Wet/dry vac pugs?  We got 'em!  Here's betting Darwin figures how to dyson the wet stuff...he is a pug! 

[Gerk]

I'll third the vote for Wellness canned.  Our boys get sweet potato and chicken.

For amounts we started Cooper (who went on it first) at about 1/3 can for each meal (twice a day total).  We ended up moving him up to 1/2 of a can for each meal as he lost a bunch of weight (not a bad thing!) but the 1/2 can a meal stabilized him about perfect.  Bugsy is now transitioned over as well and eats the same servings.  Also just to clarify these are the large cans (I think 12 oz).

Bugsy is also soft-food challenged, but what we found that helps him immensely is we refrigerate the cans before we open them, so that when we put his in his dish and it's still chilled it helps to "stick together" ... and he can eat it much easier.  If we forgot to refrigerate or for some other reason it's warm he's a very very messy eater LOL.  He managed to get it all eventually, but in the process often ends up with it all over his face, on top of his head, behind his ears, etc.

[Anna]

I bought some Wellness venison to try.  Right now he is trying Merricks Venison Holiday Stew, which has chunks of meat, peas, and carrots in a broth.  He loves it and has an easier time with it than the Natural Balance but I don't know much about the brand.

[blanche]

As a rule, I find the portion ideas on dog food WAY too much.  And remember in terms of portions that Mark uses--both Bugsy and Cooper are big boys.

Merrick's is good food.  I like it, just found some of it too rich for some of my dogs over the years.  And they have a nice variety.

Can't help you on the messy eater thing as Tank is really messy.

[pugmetender]

If we forgot to refrigerate or for some other reason it's warm he's a very very messy eater LOL.  He managed to get it all eventually, but in the process often ends up with it all over his face, on top of his head, behind his ears, etc.

Aw Bugsy! 

[Anna]

Darwin isn't actually messy, he just has trouble actually getting it in his mouth.  He licks and licks and licks and gets is mashed into the corners and then just looks up at us helplessly.

[Pugpillow]

Darwin isn't actually messy, he just has trouble actually getting it in his mouth.  He licks and licks and licks and gets is mashed into the corners and then just looks up at us helplessly.

Would he find it easier if you added a little water so that it was more like soup?  That's what I do now with the breakfast slop for my guys.

[Anna]

No, he absolutely hates water added to food because then when he licks it up it splashes in his face and he hates that.  He is so fastidious!