can you feed wet and dry dog food together

Dry Dog Food vs. Wet Dog Food: Which Is Better?

The number of dog food products on the market can make it very confusing for you to choose a diet that is appropriate for your pet. Not only are there tons of different brands and ingredients, but even the most basic choice of wet versus dry dog food can be overwhelming.

Its important to always consult your veterinarian for more specific recommendations that best fit your dogs lifestyle, but this article will go over the main differences between dry and wet dog food.

What's the Difference Between Wet and Dry Dog Food?

Both dry dog food and wet dog food can provide nutritionally balanced diets, but the major difference is in the way they are processed.

How Is Wet Dog Food Processed?

Wet food starts with grinding the protein sources, or meat ingredients. Then a gravy that contains vitamins, minerals, and grains is added. Once those are mixed, the food is cooked and sterilized to produce the canned product.

As a result, wet food has a much higher moisture content than dry food. You can see the percentage of maximum moisture on the label, under the Guaranteed Analysis section. A dry food might have around 10% moisture (max.) while a wet food might have something like 78% moisture (max.).

How Is Dry Dog Food Processed?

Dry food contains very similar ingredients, but instead of adding gravy and canning the product, the meat mixture is pulverized in order to create a consistent dough that can be cooked.

Once cooked, the dough is extruded through specifically shaped holes to form kibble. The kibble undergoes a drying process, and then is sprayed with fats, oils, vitamins, and minerals and packaged before the fats and oils can spoil.

Some dry dog food diets also add live probiotics to aid in digestive and immune health.

Is Wet or Dry Food Better for Dogs?

Both types of dog food are good choices, but each has their own benefits and drawbacks depending on the nutritional needs of your pet.

Benefits of Wet Dog Food Compared to Dry Dog Food

Wet dog food, or canned food, sometimes provides benefits that dry food doesnt offer, such as:

• Higher moisture content: Wet food may be a good choice if your dog doesnt drink as much as they should, or if they have a medical condition that could benefit from proper hydration. One example would be a dog with a history of urinary or kidney disease.

• Palatability: Canned dog food is often more aromatic and flavorful when compared to dry food. This may entice sick or older dogs to eat if their appetite is decreased.

• Satiety: Wet dog food tends to create a longer-lasting feeling of being full. Increased satiety is useful in weight management, especially in dogs that seem to have a never-ending appetite.

• Easier to chew: Dogs that have dental disease or other oral abnormalities may find wet food easier to chew than dry food.

Benefits of Dry Dog Food Compared to Wet Dog Food

Dry dog food, or kibble, often offers certain benefits that wet food doesnt provide, such as:

• Dental health benefits: Dry food encourages dogs to chew their food, which aids in preventing tartar buildup and secondary periodontal disease.

• Convenience: Compared to wet food, dry diets are much easier to pre-portion, and they wont spoil if left out all day. This can be beneficial for dogs that are grazers.

• Financially feasible: Depending on the brand of food, dry diets may be less expensive to purchase and store long-term.

• Food enrichment: Kibble is easier to integrate into food puzzles and slow feeders that may improve a dogs quality of life through cognitive stimulation.

What Dry Dog Food Do Veterinarians Recommend?

The most commonly recommended dry dog food brands, by veterinarians, are the same as for wet food: Royal Canin, Science Diet, and Purina Pro Plan. Here are a few dry dog food options for puppy, adult, and senior life stages:

Guide to Mixing Wet and Dry Dog Food

Mixing wet and dry dog food is another option that may provide the best of both worlds. However, it is very important to ensure you are still providing the properdaily feeding amountto prevent overfeeding.

The best way to do this is to have your local vet calculate your furry friends daily calorie requirements for maintenance. Then you can calculate how much dry and wet food your dog should have each day to reach that number of caloriesand dont forget to factor in any calories from treats.

Featured image: iStock.com/NickyLloyd

WRITTEN BY

Heather Hoffmann, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Heather Hoffmann is a 2018 graduate from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a certificate in...

Can You Mix Wet and Dry Dog Food? Vet-Verified Pros & Cons

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Do you ever mix wet and dry dog food together? Many people do, but is it a good idea? Some pet owners believe that mixing the two will provide their canine companions with a more well-rounded diet. However, others think that this could actually be harmful to the dogs. So, whats the verdict?

Yes, you can mix wet and dry dog food. In fact, many pet parents do it to add variety to their dogs diet or to make sure their pup is getting all the nutrients that they need.

However, there are a few things that you should keep in mind when mixing wet and dry dog food.

Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food is also known as kibble. Its made up of bite-sized pieces of meat and other ingredients that have been cooked and then dried. Dry food is typically high in carbohydrates, which can make it a good choice for dogs that need more energy.

Dry dog food has a lot of advantages. For one thing, its great for dental health, since the crunchy kibble helps to remove tartar and plaque. Its also easy to store and has a long shelf life, which makes it a convenient option for busy pet owners.

Additionally, dry dog food is usually cheaper than wet food, and theres a large variety of brands and flavors to choose from.

However, there are also some disadvantages to dry dog food. There is wide variation in the quality of ingredients, and choosing a food suitable for your dog can be daunting. In addition, some dogs dont enjoy the texture of dry food and prefer wet food instead.

Pros

• Great for dental health
• Easy to store
• Long shelf life
• Cheap
• Large variety of ingredients

Cons

• Some dogs may not like it

Wet Dog Food

Wet dog food has several advantages, including the fact that dogs tend to like it more than dry food. The high moisture content in wet food can also be beneficial for dogs that need to stay hydrated, such as those with kidney issues.

Additionally, wet food is softer and easier to eat, making it a good choice for dogs with dental problems. Finally, wet food is often used to wean puppies, since it is easy for them to consume.

While there are many benefits to wet dog food, there are also some drawbacks. Wet food is generally more expensive than dry food, and it can be messy to feed. Wet food also spoils more quickly than dry food and requires refrigeration after opening.

Despite these disadvantages, wet dog food can be a nutritious and delicious option for your four-legged friend.

Pros

• Dogs tend to love it
• High moisture content, aiding hydration
• Ideal for dogs with dental issues
• Great for weaning puppies

Cons

• Expensive
• Messy
• Spoils quickly
• Requires refrigeration after opening

Mixing Wet and Dry Dog Food

As you can see, there are both advantages and disadvantages to feeding your dog wet or dry food. So, what happens if you mix the two?

Mixing wet and dry food can give your dog the best of both worlds. The dry food will provide them with the crunchy texture that they enjoy, while the wet food will add moisture and flavor.

Additionally, mixing wet and dry food can help to ensure that your dog is getting all the nutrients they need. Different types of food offer different nutritional benefits.

For example, dry food is typically high in carbohydrates, while wet food is higher in protein. By feeding your dog a mix of both, you can help to ensure that theyre getting a well-rounded diet.

The Benefits

• Positive effects from both types of food
• Easier to disguise the introduction of new flavors
• Provides texture and variety to their diet
• More cost effective than feeding just wet food
• Aids in weight management (wet food is less dense in calories)

The Downfalls

• More work involved
• Mixture gets soggy if not eaten immediately

Make sure youre feeding your dog the right amount, check out our dog foodcalculatorhere:

The exact amount of calories an individual animal needs to maintain a healthy weight is variable and influenced by many factors including genetics, age, breed, and activity level. This tool is meant to be used only as a guideline for healthy individuals and does not substitute veterinary advice

How to Mix Feed Your Dog

Now that you know some of the benefits and drawbacks of mixing wet and dry food, you might be wondering how to go about doing it. There are three primary ways that you can mix these two dog foods:

• Straight mixing: This is the simplest way to mix wet and dry food. Simply combine the two foods in your dogs bowl, and let them eat as usual.
• Alternate days: If youre concerned about the wet food going bad, you can alternate between feeding your dog dry food one day and wet food the next.
• Alternate meals: Another option is to feed your dog dry food for one meal and wet food for the next. This can be a good option to blend into your routine. Many owners opt for dry food for breakfast and wet food for dinner.

Ratios

When it comes to mixing wet and dry food, there is no perfect ratio. It will vary depending on your dogs individual preferences and nutritional needs.

A good starting point is to mix one part wet food with three parts dry food. From there, you can adjust the ratio as needed based on your dogs response.

Transition Period

When mixing wet and dry food, its important to do so gradually. Sudden changes in diet can cause digestive upset in dogs. Instead, slowly introduce the new food over the course of 710 days.

Begin by mixing a small amount of wet food with their dry food. Each day, increase the amount of wet food while decreasing the amount of dry food. By the end of the transition period, your dog should be eating mostly wet food with only a small amount of dry food mixed in.

Tips for Success

• Consult a vet before making any changes to your dogs diet.
• Use different flavors and textures to entice your dog to eat.
• Choose a food that is high quality and nutritious.
• Monitor your dogs weight and energy levels to ensure that theyre getting the right amount of food.
• Never mix prescription or specialty dog food before discussing it thoroughly with your vet.

Summary

There is no such thing as the best option for all when it comes to feeding dogs. Cost, storage, ease, medical concerns, physical limitations, access to food types, individual dog pickiness, and much more may all influence your choice of whether to feed only wet or dry food or a combination of both.

Featured Image Credit: Yuriy Golub, Shutterstock

How to Properly Mix Wet & Dry Pet Foods

Using wet pet foods to supplement or 'top dress' dry kibble is popular practice. In fact, research shows that many pets that eat a therapeutic dry foods are also eating awet foods from a supermarket. If you are feeding your pet a therapeutic food, it's important that you not mix it with more wellness-based types of foods.

Therefore, it is NOT recommended to mix Hill's with other foods. Mixing with wet cat or dog foods other than Hill's may:

• dilute the precise balance of Hill's nutrition
• cause undesired weight gain
• expose your cat or dog to higher levels of certain minerals

Hill's offers a wide range of products with no excess salt, clinically proven antioxidants and over 50 vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals. This is the ultimate in precisely balanced nutrition, formulated to enhance your cat's health and longevity. Additionally, it is not recommended to mix therapeuticfoods with foods from the pet store or supermarket because it may decrease the impact the therapeuticfood has on your pet.

If you wish to offer your pet a more varied diet, talk to your vet about complementing your their dry food with Hill's Science Diet or Prescription Diet wet products. Both are packaged in either cans or pouches and are the only wet food solutions to effectively complement Hill's dry food.

Click here to find your local vet and to see the full range of Hill's products, go to our product selector.