Wet food vs. Dry food

Question

I've been feeding my dog Natural Balance dry food for the past few years. Only occasionally will she eat it right away when I put it out for her, but most of the time she "eventually" gets to it. The vet told me as long as she is eating at some point, it's ok. Some dogs are not that motivated by food and she is in healthy shape.

The other day I was running out of dry food so I bought a can of Newman's Own chicken and rice food. I was actually quite surprised out how "human-like" it looked. When I gave it to her, she absolutely devoured it in like 30 seconds.

I feel slightly guilty for feeding her dry food that she's not that excited by. Should I change to wet food b/c she seems to enjoy it more? Maybe mix 50/50 dry/wet?

Answer 1

I would recommend trying to add a tablespoon on top of the dry or mix in ¹/₄ wet with ³/₄ dry. Wet food will cost you much more than dry one, so if she can enjoy the mixture it will be better on your wallet.

When adding wet food make sure she consumes it within an hour, after that throw it out or wrap it up and place it in the fridge - it tends to spoil quickly.

Have you tried other dry brands? Maybe she just doesn't like the brand or the meat protein - some dogs aren't crazy for certain meats.

Answer 2

Mixing canned food in with your regular kibble may make your pup more interested in eating. Also, changing up your kibble to something more appealing or supplementing with fresh food may have the same effect.

You pup might also be bored with his food. It sounds like you leave food out for him in a bowl for him to eat when he pleases. You might consider stuffing a Kong with a mix of kibble, a tablespoon or two of wet food, and some fresh cooked meat/fish/veggies and offering that at mealtime.

The larger question of wet vs. dry food comes down to nutrition. Most wet food have less calories, protein, and fat than dry kibble. You'll need to strike a balance between feeding your dog something he likes and fulfilling his nutritional needs. Newman's Own Chicken and Rice canned food has (per can) only 10% protein, 5.5% fat, and 1% fiber, whereas Newman's Own Adult formula kibble has 21% protein, 12% fat, and 4.5% fiber per cup. Most dogs need more protein and fat than canned food provides.