Wet vs Dry Dog Food: Which Is Better?

The impossibility of choosing nutritious dog food is only one part of the arduous process that is finding the best kibble for your pet. There is a huge difference between dry and wet dog food – so much so that this decision often overwhelms buyers, causing them to stop their search and stick with a kibble not providing their dog with the nutrition they require.

As the debate between canned dog food vs dry dog food rages on, we believe either type of food can be more advantageous than the other depending on the dog. We know that this somewhat ambiguous stance may send you straight towards the ‘Back’ button, yet your dog’s individual needs come first. Therefore, rather than compose a classic pros and cons list, for clarity we’ve split what you need to know to come to an informed decision into three categories: age group, overall health, and convenience.

Age Group

What age is your pet?

As anticipated, senior dogs have a tough time digesting food in comparison to boisterous pups. Besides, many older dogs experience a sensory decline to the point that no dry food is appealing. In this instance, feeding your dog wet food that exudes a stronger scent is recommended. Several high-caliber brands offer kibbles branded as puppy food and senior dog food to make your choice even easier.

Overall Health

Does your dog suffer from any illnesses?

For dogs who suffer from certain illnesses, canned food can’t be beaten. In particular, its high moisture content is perfect for poorly dogs who have urinary tract infections or suffer from even more serious illnesses like kidney disease or bladder cancer. This is on account of the canned kibble’s role in hydration – the liquid dilutes the urine, thereby decreasing the chance of the bacteria colonizing.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t impede the risk that canned dog food may make your pup ill if left sitting out for too long. As a result, leaving canned food out for longer than an hour dramatically increases the risk of bacterial growth. Accordingly, if your dog likes to pick and choose when s/he eats throughout the day, dry kibble may be the better choice.

Is your dog obese? Does it feel like no amount of food can ever fill them up?

Canine obesity, which is regarded as a complex disease, is most often engendered by a dog’s uncontrollable appetite. Interestingly enough, scientists have even identified a gene variant in Labradors, the erasure of 14 base pairs of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene, that has been proven to affect their appetite and their ability to feel full. As Labradors carry at least one copy of the variant, this indicates that members of this breed are scarcely completely full. As canned dog food contains a higher moisture content than its dry counterpart, this type of kibble could help curb their incessant appetite.

Are you worried about your dog’s teeth?

With respect to dental problems, wet dog food arguably comes out on top for a number of reasons. Not only is crunching dry kibble is a chore for dogs with dental issues, dry dog food encourages plaque and tartar to build up near the gum line due to containing a higher percentage of refined carbohydrates. And if you think premium dog food is too expensive, receiving a vet bill will send you running for the hills.

However, a rebuttal is that many dry dog foods are made to reduce evils like plaque and tartar build-up. How do they succeed in doing so? The hard kibble scrapes away any build-ups from your dog’s teeth. Although many vets declare this ‘perk’ of dry dog food to be ridiculous – after all, you’d never catch a dentist telling their human patients to chow down on chips to remove plaque from their teeth – there are many other ways to keep your dog’s teeth clean. Dental chews, for example, help reduce plaque build-up whilst letting your dog look forward to a tasty midday treat.

Convenience

How often are you home?

If you’re a dog owner who’s always on the move, dry dog food can be left sitting out for your dog to enjoy whenever they want throughout the day. Although this handy life-hack would never work for gobblers such as Beagles and Labrador Retrievers, other breeds with different genetic compositions won’t go hungry when you’re at the office.

*Side Note: Although leaving food out for your dog to enjoy whenever they’re hungry is beneficial for you both, this does not mean you should ever leave your dog alone for over four hours*

How much storage space do you have in your home?

The best thing about dry food? It can be stored anywhere. For adults with children who take up a colossal amount of storage space around the home, being able to hoard dry dog food on the floor of any cool and dry environment is a major perk.

On the other hand, canned food cannot be stored in an uncontrolled environment like your garage or outdoors and should be kept in a place where the temperature is between 50-100°F.

Related Post: Food Container For Dogs

Why not both?

If you’re still indecisive, why not try both types of food at once? Topping understood as when dry food and wet food are mixed together, gives your dog’s meal that much more flavor. Although you should never mix different brands of dog food together, the majority of reputable brands sell both canned and dry food that complement one another in flavor and nutritional value.

To sum up, there is no straightforward answer regarding whether dry or wet food is better. All that matters is that that your dog receives the correct balance of nutrients to meet their specific health requirements.