For New Pet Parents: Is Wet Food or Dry Food Better?
As new pet parents, it must be equally exciting and nerve-wracking caring for your dog. Whether they’re young pups or old dogs, it can be hard to determine their preferences and what’s best for them. By now, you’ve probably already heard about the long debate of wet dog food vs. dry dog food. Is one better than the other?
Some pet parents will swear up and down that one is better than the other. It must be confusing hearing both sides of the argument. The sheer variety of dog food available in the market can make the decision much more challenging.
To ease your mind and help make your decision easier, here’s what you need to know about wet and dry dog food.
The Difference Between Dry and Wet Dog Food
The most significant difference lies in the water content of each type of food. Dry food has a moisture content of 3 to 12 percent. Meanwhile, wet food has a moisture content of 60 to 84 percent. This difference dramatically affects the food’s shelf life. You will find that wet food spoils much faster than dry food. However, it is possible to extend the shelf life by leaving it in the freezer in some cases.
You’ll also need to be mindful of your portions when you serve your dog either wet or dry food. Dry food has a significantly higher calorie content than wet food. The amount of wet food you have to serve to match the calorie content of dry food would be around twice or three times as much.
When it comes to the food’s impact on their dental health, it varies from each dog. Owners that prefer wet food state that dry food gets stuck in their dog’s teeth. The other side of the debate argues that dry food helps clean their dog’s teeth. You’ll just have to observe your dog and see how they adjust to it.
The Advantages of Dry Food
Dry food is, first and foremost, cleaner, cheaper, and more convenient. It requires little to no preparation, and if you’re buying from a trusted brand, you don’t have to worry too much about the content. You only need small quantities to make sure your dog is healthy.
As for convenience, just like how it requires little prep, the clean-up is just as easy. At most, you might have to pick up a few stray bits and crumbs, but that’s about it. The long shelf life also ensures that you can stock up for a few months. Dry food is cheap, convenient, and overall cleaner.
The Advantages of Wet Food
A simple way to describe the advantages of wet dog food is to provide dogs with a better eating experience. The smell and taste of dog food are more intense and enjoyable for dogs than dry food. What it lacks in convenience, it makes up for in experience.
Dogs would probably choose wet food over dry food most of the time. Another thing to consider is that the high water content makes it easier to meet your dog’s fluid requirements. If your dog isn’t particularly fond of drinking water, this is an excellent way to help them along.
Conclusion
The most important thing to consider about what you feed your dog is content. In the end, it doesn’t matter what type of dog food it is, as long as the contents are healthy and nutritious. Both wet and dry dog food have different advantages and disadvantages.
Both of them can also ideally provide the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your dog needs. As for type, why don’t you let your dog decide which they like better? They might even prefer an excellent combination of the two.
EarthWise Pet Bentonville is a local pet store. We are committed to giving the best service to all your dogs. We offer a wide range of products and services to help your dogs feel and look their best. You can count on us to take good care of them. Our goal is to keep them as comfortable as possible, so let us know if there’s anything we can do to help!