Mixing Wet and Dry Dog Food
How many of us, pet parents, struggle with our furry friend’s appetite? Many times, our dogs might lose interest in the food they have been eating for months. This issue can be frustrating, especially when our dog needs to eat a specific type of food because of their medical condition. To make their meals as appealing as possible, we need to spice things up and make our dogs nutrition a bit more interesting.
Here are some of the questions that pet parents usually ask when struggling with their furry friend’s appetite.
How to Make Dry Dog Food More Appealing?
When thinking about promoting your dog’s appetite, mixing wet and dry food is one of the best ways to go. No matter how much we spent on tasty, high quality, protein-rich dry food, it is not exactly a natural texture of food our little ex wolfs prefer. Kibble can be a more economical way of feeding our pets, but some of our furry friends prefer delicious wet dog food. Mixing the dry and the wet food, therefore, is a good compromise because while you are still going easy on your budget, you are providing your dog with a feed he enjoys.
Does Dry Dog Food Expire?
Yes, as any food product, kibble has an expiration date. The strange odor of dry food can be why your pet is not so happy about its meal. If your dog does not like the smell of it, there is probably something wrong with it. Our companions have better developed smelling senses than us, so we need to trust them.
The dry dog food and especial dry –wet mixed food should not be left all day. If your dog doesn’t eat his meal at once, make sure to remove the bowl. Doing this is essential, especially during summer months, because food can easily get spoiled by the heat and insects.
What are the Benefits of Mixing Dry and Wet Dog Food?
There are several reasons why we might consider mixing wet and dry pet food.
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It is a perfect solution for our picky eaters. Mixed feed for sure adds extra flavor, texture, and aroma to the meal. Doing so, we make food more appealing, especially for those dogs with the prescribed diet.
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- It keeps our dogs hydrated. While dry food contains only 8 to 10% of water, wet food contains over 75 %. Mixing dry and wet dog food is an excellent way to keep our dog’s hydration status and kidney function working correctly.
- It keeps our dogs fit. Extra water in dry food will make our pets feel full. Considering that vet food has fewer calories per gram than dry dog food, mixing the two can help a lot with weight management.
- A combination of the two is a much cheaper solution than switching entirely on the wet feed.
- Keeping dry food in your dog’s mix keeps the dog’s dental health by reducing the build-up of plaque.
What are the Things I Need to Consider Before Starting Mixing Wet and Dry Dog Food?
Before making any change in your dog’s diet, it is best to consult your vet. A variety of wet dog food is available special created for dogs with different health conditions and life stages. You need to make sure your dog has a diet that entirely satisfies his needs.
Watch the calories
We must know that our companions need a different amount of calories per day, depending on their bread, age, and activity level, and health condition. We cannot feed a Jack Russell terrier and French bulldog with the same amount of food. They can seem the same size, but while Terriers are hyperactive little rascals, bulldogs are more layback and relaxed. Things are not as easy as swapping one cup of dry food with wet food. Wet food contains fewer calories than dry food. It would help if you got informed about your dog’s daily needs to ensure to provide them with an optimal amount of calories that will keep him fit and healthy. Your vet or a retile will give you this much-needed information.
Make Sure to Change Your Pooch’s Diet Gradually
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The dog who ate the best dry dog food for years will need at least a week to get used to the new mixed diet. Gradually increase the amount of wet food until you get to the optimal amount. The time for getting used to new feed is especially vital for dogs with a sensitive stomach such as Maltese dogs, Bichon on, and toy Puddles. Giant breeds, on the other hand, can develop a condition known as Dilatation and torsion of the stomach. This condition can happen if these dogs take a large amount of food at once. Our dogs may welcome their diet change with a better appetite, but that doesn’t mean we can change their feed from one day to another or let them eat too quickly.
Water Should Always Be Available for Your Pooch.
Adding dry food in your dog’s feed will do a lot regarding him staying hydrated. That, however, doesn’t mean that you should cut down the amount of water. It is crucial for our pets always to have fresh and cold water to drink whenever he wants. Make sure to change the water bowl every couple of hours. In the summertime, water can get quite dirty and contaminated while in winter times it gets too cold too quickly.
Our beloved companions enrich our lives in so many ways. To make that up to them, we need to provide them with the very best of everything. Mixing dry and wet dog food is a great way to keep their meals flavorful and balanced. The only thing we need to make sure is to pick the high quality dry and vet food that can satisfy our furry family members’ needs. Doing so, we are keeping them looking healthy and feeling great.
For more information and answers to your questions about dog food read some of our other articles such as American Bulldog Raw Diet; Benefits and Concerns.
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