Am I reading this right? Could this be disinformation? The approach is unusual I believe.

http://holisticpetfood.wordpress.com:80/2008/09/03/lifes-abundance-new-canned-dog-food-a-most-unusual-approach/

I could not find anything on the Castor and Pollux or Newman’s Own websites explaining why the small can, or how to use it (i.e., only source of food, topper, or dry food supplement).  But Dr. Jane Bicks, the holistic veterinary formulator who made the announcement for Trilogy HealthyPetNet, offered an explanation that makes sense.  She said that a canned pet food should only be used as a supplement, a tasty treat, a break from the monotony of dry food all the time, but never as a sole source of nutrition.  That’s because there is so much moisture in canned pet foods that it would be impossible for the animal to get adequate nutrition before their stomachs are full.  It’s different in the wild — they’re getting blood and marrow and all other sorts of fluids chock-full of nutrients.  But with canned pet foods, it’s the water in the meat, broth, etc.   

These canned foods are excellent nutrition, don’t get me wrong.  With the nutrient profiles in turkey, turkey liver, shrimp, and eggs for the breakfast food, and chicken, chicken liver, crab, and eggs for the dinner food, our pets are getting great, well-rounded nutrition.  They just would not get ENOUGH if all they ever ate was canned food.

So these foods, and this would be true of the other ultra premium canned foods, are intended to be used along with your dry food.  Dr. Jane Bicks said that to maintain a proper balance, you would use 75% dry food and 25% wet food.

Castor & Pollux comes in big and small cans.  My dogs had one mixed in with their dry for breakfast. 

I don't see on the Life's Abundance site whether or not their new canned is a balanced diet.  Maybe it's just a topper or mix-in, like Wellness 95% canned dog food or Before Grain canned foods?  The 95% cans and the BG canned are supplements.

Interesting.  I would think small cans for small dogs.    

Is Dr. Bicks still using Menu for her canned foods?  I corresponded with her briefly during the recalls last year and she was quite adamant in her support of Menu.
I suppose the rice and meat and vegetables I feed are largely made up of water as well.  No weight loss here.

My cats are getting fat on canned, and I feed them less than the particular cans recommend. 

http://www.preciouspets.org/healthypetnet/drjane-bio.htm

I'm not seeing any statements like that warning about canned food there.  Seems like it would be on the label if the food is only to be used as a treat or supplement.  You could always contact her about the statment in that link 3cat found and see what she says.  I tried but this link does not seem to be working.

http://www.healthypetnet.com/HealthyPetNet/General/ContactUs.aspx?realname=&Ath=False&hdr=&cat=0

She'd certainly want to know if there are opinions attributed to her that are not correct.

Thanks, 3cat.  Hope I didn't send her a bunch of dup's.  The screen just hung for me when I pressed the send button several times.

Even leaving aside her possible vested interests, she's forgetting one very important thing.

In the wild, animals are continually active. They burn a lot of calories hunting prey, defending themselves, staking out territory and dealing with the elements. They need to get a lot of nutrients from a little food. Domestic animals burn less calories in a day than their wild counterparts, so they can't take in as much. But they'll still eat until their stomachs are full - so better they fill their stomachs with protein and moisture than with dried grain fragments.

Yes, Biscuit, I didn't get a reply as of September 9, 2008.