Ask the Pet Nutrition Service: The Word on Wet Food-Only Diets for Dogs

My 14-year-old dog will no longer eat her dry food. I had been feeding her canned food mixed with the dry food, since she has had soft/liquid stools. Is a canned food-only diet adequate? What can I do about the stools?
—Esther C.

The good news: A diet consisting of strictly canned food is indeed adequate. However, there are some additional things you should consider in this situation.

First, we are concerned that your dog is having soft stools, especially since she is elderly. A trip to the veterinarian is in order to determine both why your dog's eating habits have changed and the cause of the soft stools.

If the soft stools are simply related to the canned food, then a different type of canned food may be helpful. There are canned diets specifically formulated for older dogs, and there are canned diets specifically designed to help with gastrointestinal problems, such as soft stools. Ask your veterinarian to recommend one of these veterinary/prescription diets for your dog.