Can You Mix Dry & Wet Dog Food? Vet-Approved Tips & Recommendations
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We all want what is best for our dogs, which means feeding them the right food. Sounds easy, right? Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion regarding what is ideal for our pets. For instance: is it okay to mix dry and wet dog food? The short answer is yes, you can mix wet and dry dog food.
This article aims to clear up that confusion so you can feed your dog well and rest easy. So, let’s dig in!
Can You Feed Your Dog Mixed Dry and Wet Food?
A mixture of dry food and wet dog food can be beneficial to your furry friend. When wet food is added to dry food, your dog can get more of the moisture they need in their diet. It can also improve the meal’s flavor quality, which might cause even the pickiest eaters to lick their bowls clean.
This can be especially helpful if you are on a tight budget since it allows you to have a premium meal for your pup without the premium price.
However, some precautions should be observed, and it is not in your pup’s best interest for you to randomly mix foods together.
Dos and Don’ts of Mixing Dry and Wet Dog Food
When it comes to what we feed our dogs, we must be careful not to give them something that could be harmful rather than helpful.
What Can You Do?
Mixing foods with different shapes, textures, and smells can be great for dogs!
These three attributes are critical components of what tempts your dog’s appetite. Mixing different foods together can reinvigorate your pup’s appetite and have them gobbling up every morsel in their bowl.
This can be especially useful for dogs who have grown bored with their food, making feeding a chore.
What Can’t You Do?
Most pet foods are created with a specific purpose, like the recipes created for puppies rather than adult dogs. If foods are mixed with no concern for their purpose or what might be in them, some health consequences may occur.
Secondly, do not mix therapeutic foods.
Therapeutic dog food formulas are designed to treat health conditions, which usually means they should be fed as the only food. Unless you speak with your vet and have their approval, it is best to avoid mixing these foods with others. No point paying for therapeutic foods and undoing the good work by mixing with standard food to bulk it out.
Best Wet Foods to Mix With
Now that you know the dos and don’ts of mixing pet food, you probably want to know what the best wet food options are to mix with your dog’s dry food.
Affordable Wet Foods
We all know pet food can get expensive. What are some affordable wet food options that still give your pup plenty of nutrients? This article has compiled an excellent list on the topic. After reading it, you can decide which option is best for you and your dog.
How Do I Pick the Best Food for My Dog?
Talking to your vet is the ideal way to select an appropriate brand, but if you want to have a better idea of what is in each bag of dog food formula, here are some quick tips that might help.
1. Look for an AAFCO Statement
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is an organization that regulates animal food by defining nutritional requirements for food.
If a pet food package is AAFCO-approved, that means that formula has met a standard of nutritional value that is appropriate for the age of dog for which the recipe is intended.
2. Know How To Read the Ingredients
When looking at an ingredient label, things can quickly get overwhelming. There are dozens of items listed, many of which you may have never even heard of. But there’s no need to panic; there is a way to make sense of it all.
The ingredients must be listed by how much of their weight takes up the bag. So, if chicken is the first ingredient listed, then chicken takes up the most weight in the bag.
This is a good sign—usually. Meat can be high in moisture, meaning that a large percentage of its weight may not be strictly providing protein.
3. Look at the Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis is a list of the nutritional content in the bag and the minimum percentages. This means that you can look at the list and determine how much protein, at minimum, is in the formula.
However, the guaranteed analysis of dry and wet foods will differ. They will appear to be lower on the wet food, though this is not always the case. This is because canned wet foods contain much more moisture than dry foods. To have an equal comparison, the percentages need to be on equal footing-by Dry Matter content.
To learn more about how to compare wet and dry meals (warning: it involves math, but not too much), take a look at the FDA’s guide.
- Optimize the benefits of your dog’s diet with our calorie calculator here.
Conclusion
Yes, you can mix your dog’s dry food and wet food. As long as you consult your vet and pay attention to what you are feeding your pup, mixing the meals can be enjoyable for your furry friend!
Featured Image Credit: Aurelie le moigne, Shutterstock
