Should I mix water with Royal Canin

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

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Mixed feeding your dog

Is it better to use wet dog food or dry food? Or maybe prepare your dog food yourself? These are very often asked questions new pet owners ask their vets. Proper nutrition for dogs is the key to their healthy development. So it can be a daunting task to decide whats best to feed them.

Types of dog food

The most important ingredient that differentiates wet and dry dog food is the water content. In dry foods, the moisture content is around 8%, while in wet foods, this is usually around 75%. This means that the content of nutrients, and hence metabolic energy, is definitely higher in dry foods than in wet foods.

100 grams of dry dog food contains about 370 kcal. The same amount of wet food contains "only" 100 kcal. The differences are therefore significant. This also adds to the amount of food your dog eats. To cover your daily energy needs by feeding your dog only with dry food, you need to feed it about 3-4 times less than if we fed your dog only with wet food.

Wet dog food will definitely have more values and stimuli affecting your dogs sense of taste. Dry dog food is more difficult to chew, which can be a problem for some animals. There are dogs that are particularly picky, so will only play with dry food instead of actually eating it. This may be due to the difficulty in chewing on hard kibbles. The dog can then treat them as a toy, not food.

Mix feeding - combining wet and dry food

Both types of feed have their pros and cons, which is why pet owners are increasingly choosing to combine them. This is a good solution that can bring many benefits.

Combining wet and dry food brings a number of benefits. When it is necessary to switch a pet to a wet diet, the body will be prepared for such a change. This change can be carried out efficiently, quickly, and most importantly, without any unpleasant consequences.

There is no need to mix the dry food and the wet food in the one bowl when you feed your dog. In fact, you don't even need to serve them at the same time. One of the benefits of dry food is it doesn't spoil easily or leave a strong smell, which makes it perfect to leave out during the day if your dog likes to snack rather than gobble their food down. Then you can serve them their wet food in the evenings.

There are, however, two important points to keep in mind.

5 tips for mix feeding dry and wet food for dogs

Tip 1: Start by talkingwith your vet or retailer

A lot of dog foods are now specifically formulated for different life stages or for particular health conditions. Before you begin combining a wet and dry diet, it's worth having a conversation with your vet to make sure that you're giving your dog the right amount of the right food for their age stage and health profile.

Tip 2: Maintain portion control

Super Premium dog foods have specific portion sizes for particular sizes and bodyweights of dogs. These differ between wet and dry diets. Wet food contains less calories per gram than dry food. When you substitute some of one type of diet as you transition to mixed feeding, it isn't as simple as swapping half a cup of dry for half a cup of wet. Super Premium packets should include some guidelines on portion control, but if you are uncertain ask the retailer or pet food company for feeding guidelines that will maintain your pet at a healthy body weight.

Tip 3: Make the change gradual

Dogs might seem like they can eat anything, but sometimes their stomachs can be quite sensitive. This is why it is recommended that any change in their diet is handled gradually over a number of days. That way their digestion has time to adjust. A good rule of thumb to follow is to mix in a very small amount of the new food on day one and gradually alter the balance of new to old over seven days until you're serving the final balance of mixed food on day seven.

Tip 4: It doesn't have to be all-in-one

Tip 5: Don't forget the water

Of course, there are plenty of benefits in giving your dog a mixture of wet and dry food. One of these is that wet food helps to keep them hydrated. However, it only does part of the job. That's why you should always make sure that there is a constant supply of cool, fresh water on hand. Keep it out of the sun so it doesn't get hot, have more than one bucket or bowl so there's a backup if one gets tipped over while you're not there and keep an eye on how clean it is. Some dogs are notorious for dipping their dirty paws into the water.

Mixed feeding your dog

Mix feeding - combining wet and dry food

As we have discussed above, both types of diets, dry and wet, have their unique benefits. So what about using both together? Combining wet and dry food can be a good solution bringing many benefits to your pet. So how can you start doing this with your dog?

A lot of how to feed your dog will come down to your dogs personal preference. Some dogs will prefer their wet food separate from the kibbles as they each have their own unique aromatic profiles to encourage your pet to eat them. Others might enjoy them mixed together, but in this case it is best to be served fresh at the same time each day. There is no requirement to mix the dry food and the wet food in the one bowl when you feed your dog; In fact, you don't even need to serve them at the same time. One of the benefits of dry food is it doesn't spoil easily, which makes it perfect to leave out during the day if your dog likes to snack rather than gobble their food down. Then you can serve them their wet food in one to two set mealtimes during the day to best fit into your schedules.

Some additional tips for mixed feeding include:

1. Gently heating the wet food. This helps to release some of the great aromas in the wet food to encourage them to eat it. Important that this is only done in 5 second bursts, and to make sure you check the centre of the food with your finger to make sure it isnt too warm to touch and give it a good stir before serving it to your dog.

2. Make sure you clean the bowl used for the wet food after every meal. Even though your dog will lick the bowl clean, some of the oils and fats in the wet food will stick behind. These can convert to a rancid smell quickly. Remember your dog has a very sensitive nose, so this might discourage them from eating the fresh food you have put in the bowl.

3. For fussy eaters, a small amount of warm water mixed with the wet food can turn into a gravy to mix into the dry food.

4. Remember that any change in diet, including the introduction of wet food if they have not been mixed fed previously, should be done slowly and with care. Just like us, our dogs have a unique set of bacteria in their intestines that responds to the food your dog is fed. Therefore, a change in diet will result in a shift of this bacteria population that needs to be done slowly to prevent things like diarrhoea from a quick transition.