Choosing what you want to feed your dog in terms of feeding kibble versus wet food carries many different considerations.

Dry food is usually what many dog owners decide to feed their dogs. Because its low concentration of water (~10%) and how easy it is to transport and serve this is usually the more economical choice. Because kibble is dry people tend to think that it'll help keep tartar build up low because it scraps the teeth. This isn't entirely wrong or right. The kibble pieces break apart at the tip of the tooth so not much scraping action goes on near the base of the teeth. Special bones and treats can be given to the dog to help with tartar build up but kibble alone won't eliminate the problem.

Semi moist foods aren't always the best choice, simply because they are high in sugar and salt and most of our pets don't need the extra salt/sugar. Sticky and sugarly foods can also contribute to certain dental diseases that are responsible for tooth loss in dogs and cats

Wet foods have high concentration of water but can be more convinient to use for small dogs. But because of smallers dog's crowded teeth the soft nature of wet food can certainly contribute to faster plaque build up in the teeth. (Although tartar will always be there no matter what diet the dog is on, this is why it is important to keep your dog's dental hygiene in tip top shape!).

Summary from Peteducation article: http://peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659+1661&aid=3328

interesting..didn't think about it all of the options in that depth. good info!

i feed my mini schnauzer dry kibble and he's been good on it. i guess according to this, it is suitable for him. yey

Ive always fed dry ...

My vet said it wasnt so much that the dry food provided scraping action .. it was more that the wet foods caused more tarter and food build up near the base of the teeth

Betterdog4u wrote:

Ive always fed dry ...

My vet said it wasnt so much that the dry food provided scraping action .. it was more that the wet foods caused more tarter and food build up near the base of the teeth

Ya thats what the article pretty much suggest. But like I mentioned and as we all know, tartar will build up will always be a consideration we have to take. I only feed wet food when Junior stops eating in the summer months.

I only used wet food when Chip had oral surgery.

I give it as a treat a few times per year and it is MIXED with dry at these times.

Betterdog4u wrote:

I only used wet food when Chip had oral surgery.

I give it as a treat a few times per year and it is MIXED with dry at these times.

Ya mixing it with the dry food is what I do. Hahaha if I gave Junior wet food alone he'd gobble it up a few seconds, no joke! So the dry foods keep him from wolfing it down...which I guess is another consideration that could go into this

Most dogs would prefer wet food if given a choice. Yet it would be wiser to feed your dog wet food every once in a while, as a treat, maybe. In the long run it's better and more time saving, specially if you have a busy lifestyle, to stick with dry kibble. What's important is to see that your dog is getting nourishing food.