Choosing between wet or dry dog food isn’t as easy as you may have thought. Which is actually the best? Don’t worry, this is something many dog owners struggle to decide between…but you’ll soon find out in this article.
Next, we’re going to get into what exactly is wet dog food, and whether there are benefits of feeding your puppy a wet dog food diet. We’ll also have a look at what dry dog food is and those benefits. After all of that, we’ll help you decide whether wet or dry puppy food is the way to go.
Maybe talking about wet or dry food is already a few steps ahead from where you’re at the moment. Not sure how much to feed your puppy in the first place? Check out our puppy feeding chart to learn!
If you’re looking for general training advice, get started here!
Download the Zigzag puppy training app today and get your puppy started on their training journey! Besides a step by step puppy training, socialization and habituation program, we cover lots of other important information like common behaviour problems, and many more golden tips and tricks. Better yet, you’ll also gain access to our team of professional puppy trainers, who are available 24/7 to answer your questions via our in-app chat. No time to talk? Ziggy Ai, our virtual assistant for all things puppy training, will be happy to take over.
What is Wet Dog Food?
Wet dog food is generally canned or pouched dog food that has a high moisture content, generally around 65 -75% in the USA. It’s made by grinding or mincing protein sources (generally meat, but there are also vegetarian dog foods available now) and mixing with a gravy containing added vitamins, minerals, and grains. It is then cooked, and canned or pouched ready to be shipped.
Popular brands of wet food for puppies are:
- Purina Pro Plan
- Natures Menu
- Nature Diet
- Forthglade
There are also raw and home cooked versions of wet dog food. You can read all about them in our articles raw feeding for puppies and DIY home cooked puppy food.
What Are The Benefits of Wet Food For Puppies?
Wet food is often tastier, so dogs tend to like it more. It can also help keep your puppy hydrated, since it contains a high water content.
Wet puppy food is also pretty convenient to use for spreading on lickimats, stuffing in Kongs and using in other puzzle feeders, to prevent boredom.
If your puppy is teething, or you have a dog with dental issues, then wet food can be a good choice as it is easier and less painful for them to eat.
You’ll commonly see 4 week old puppies eating wet food or being weaned onto it, as they don’t have their shark-like puppy teeth yet. For these very early stages, they’ll need very wet food to gain strength and grow.
What is Dry Dog Food?
Dry dog food is commonly called kibble. It typically contains around 10-12% moisture and is the most common way to feed domestic dogs.
Dry dog food is made by mixing raw ingredients (meat and meat meal, or plant protein, cereals, grains, vegetables, oils, fats, vitamins, and minerals). Then, they are processed by adding steam, water, or fat to make a dough, and cooked at a high pressure and temperature before being shaped into kibble.
The kibble is then dried down to reduce the moisture content, and spray-coated with fats, oils, and additional vitamins/minerals before packaging into bags and shipped. The entire process aims to create a nutritionally complete dry food for dogs.
Popular brands of dry food for puppies are:
- Purina Pro Plan
- Barking Heads
- Forthglade
- James Wellbeloved
- Eden Dog Food
What Are The Benefits of Dry Food For Puppies?
Dry dog food is generally cheaper than wet pet food when the same brands and qualities are compared. It also offers a nutrient rich way of feeding with less waste.
Dry puppy food is also very convenient because it doesn’t spoil when left out as quickly as wet dog food, and you can even use it for training treats.
Should I Give My Puppy Wet or Dry Dog Food?
Either will work just fine! Feed your puppy the best food you can afford. As long as they are nutritionally complete foods, wet and dry dog food will both give your puppy all the good stuff to help them grow into a healthy dog.
Based only on taste, we must admit that many dogs do prefer wet food. It’s also super useful to be able to have that hydration already in their feed, so you don’t need to worry if they are drinking too much or too little.
Really, the question should not be whether to feed them wet or dry food, but which is the best dog food overall.
Discover more on feeding your puppy
To learn more about feeding your puppy, why not check out articles on how much to feed a puppy or our guide to puppy nutrition. Since you’re here, check out our guide to puppy bowls, to pick the one to take your pup’s dinner time to a whole new experience.
Download the Zigzag app to learn more about your puppy’s health and development! Our team of professional dog trainers and behaviorists are always available to help you through any hiccups for smooth training and lifelong learning.
FAQs:
Can I mix wet and dry dog food?
Yes! Wet and dry dog food can be mixed. You just need to adjust the quantities accordingly so that your dog is getting the correct amount of calories required.
Can I switch my puppy from dry to wet food?
Yes, make the switch gradually by introducing the new one over several days, and reducing the amount of the old food.
Do dogs get bored with the same food?
We tend to think they do, but no. Dogs have much fewer taste buds than cats and can eat the same food all the time. But it can be smart to feed them different foods, so their gut gets used to digesting and coping with different things, and they don’t become sensitive or suffer allergies if a new food is introduced.
Do puppies get tired of kibble?
As long as the food meets all of a growing puppy’s dietary needs, they’ll be fine eating the same formula every day. Changing proteins and adding variety can be a good idea for puppies, so that they get used to eating different foods and don’t become reliant on only eating one brand or type.
