# Is it a myth that canned food causes diarrhea?



## LaceyShihTzu (Aug 5, 2016)

My Shih Tzu absolutely hates kibble. She will wait till she's starving to eat any brand of dry food no matter what's it's mixed with. If I add a mix-in, she'll just maneuver her way around the bowl to drop the kibbles to the side as much as possible and lick off and eat whatever I added to the food. I was thinking of switching to just canned food or a dehydrated food such as Spot's Farm. I've always heard people say not to do it because it can cause diarrhea. It doesn't make any sense to me and I never tried it for fear of making her sick. I'm going to assume that just like wet food is best for cats that canned food is probably better for dogs anyway. She's a small dog and doesn't eat much so I can afford a diet of only canned food. She has food sensitivities and it seems like canned foods have less additives too. 

Does anyone here feed only canned or dehydrated and have no trouble with their dogs in the potty department?


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

The reason wet food is much better for cats is because they are designed to get most of their moisture from their food, not from drinking water. Dogs are not designed in the same way, so canned food doesn't have the same inherent benefits in that aspect.

However, canned dog food does generally have more protein than kibble which does make it better in that way. I imagine some dogs may find it too rich, and that is where you find the digestive upset happening.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Sometimes canned is added to kibble rather than substituted for it, that's overfeeding and can cause soft stools. Giving a dog a big treat when the gut is used to only kibble can upset the gut badly. Some dogs are poor water drinkers and feeding wet is a good idea - my Sassy and now Ginger don't drink enough.

If the canned food specifies it is a complete diet then it is fine and after transitioning properly dog will thrive on it.

Many dogs are fed only canned food. My sister's yorkie ate canned stuff best.


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## LaceyShihTzu (Aug 5, 2016)

I'm going to give it a try. My thinking is that canned is a bit less processed than kibble so if it works out for her, I feel like it's an upgrade to her diet. I can leave the kibble out for snacking if she'll even touch it. I know that most people do the 15 minute rule but she'll seriously hold out for almost 2 days. When she holds out, she ends up vomiting bile so I rather find something she'll eat consistently. I'm so tired of cleaning up after her and the vet says the yellowish, foamy stuff is a sign that her stomach is empty. She seems to always lick up all the wet food or whatever I add to the kibble so I'm hoping a switch in diet gets her eating better.


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