Most dog parents want the best for their furry friends, which comes down to the type of food they eat. In shops nowadays, one can get confused over which type of food is the best between dry and wet foods. You may find that some may want to combine them.
Dry Dog Food
As the name suggests, dry dog food is a type of food that has a shortage of water. Its appearance and texture are like that of a biscuit. Due to its lack of water content, it is the best option for long-lasting shelf life in supermarkets.
Making dry dog food involves mixing the dry ingredients and a small amount of water to form a dough. The components mainly consist of cereals like wheat, corn or barley. On most occasions, dry food can be fed to the dog by itself or used as a complementary food.
Alternatively, freeze dried dog food is a way to preserve raw ingredients like meat in treats that a dog need as it contains protein and nutrients that will help your pet grow.
Advantages of Dry Dog Food
It is cheaper: since dry dog food is made with a high amount of carbohydrates and proteins, and minerals, it has a lot of energy content. It means that dogs only have to eat a small amount to be full. - It is easy to manage and store: unlike wet dog food, dry food does not have messy stains or spills. It makes it easier to clean up in case your dog has an accident. Additionally, dry food is odourless. The advantage of this is it is travel-friendly. Moreover, it is simple to store dry foods than wet foods due to their lack of moisture.
Wet Dog Food
Wet dog food is a type of dog food that has a lot of water content (usually around 70 to 80 per cent) which is then mixed with the dry ingredients to come up with the final product. Despite a large amount of water that it has, it does not swish around in its packaging because it is mixed together with gelatin or some sugars to form a jelly that holds it in place.
As soon as you open a wet dog food, it is advisable to store it in the fridge and finish it after a few days. Wet food has more protein and fat content than dry dog foods.
Advantages of Wet Dog Food
- It is tastier: for most dogs, moist food is more appealing because it has moisture that they enjoy. On top of this, wet food usually is softer, so it is suitable for dogs that don’t have strong teeth.
- It is healthier: due to its high water content, wet food helps ensure dogs stay hydrated. In addition, wet dog food is higher in proteins and fats than carbohydrates in dry food, allowing dogs to stay healthy and away from obesity. Wet food also has fewer preservatives than dry foods.
Pros of Mixing Wet and Dry Dog Food
A dog owner may choose to mix both wet and dry foods for their dogs because it can lower the general cost of their dog’s food while ensuring their food is full of flavour and healthy, as long as they are fed the correct amounts and pet stores like Whiskers N Paws offer a large choice of dog food and supplies that will make your four-legged friends happy.
Another advantage of mixing the two kinds of foods is if ever your pet is required to change their diet to wet foods only, the process will go smoothly because the dog will have already become used to the taste. It will lead to a smooth diet transition, hence preventing rough stool and causing the dog stress.
Cons of Mixing Wet and Dry Dog Food
Combining wet and dry dog foods has its own set of challenges as well,
- Overfeeding: since dry dog food has many minerals and nutrients mixed, it has a high energy content. Due to this fact, it is essential to avoid putting equal amounts of dry and wet food or else your pet will become obese.
- Digestive issues: a dog’s stomach grows accustomed to the food it eats. Mixing wet and dry foods suddenly can put the dog’s digestive system in distress, leading to diarrhoea and constipation for most dogs.
Conclusion
Yes, it is possible to mix dry and wet food to provide for your dogs. However, they should be given at different times to avoid digestive problems for your pets. The best option is to stick to feeding your dog one type of food at a time.
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