Can I mix Royal Canin dry and wet food
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
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.
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
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.
During meals, the sensation of different textures in your cats mouth strongly influences their feeding experience. This sensory characteristic known as mouthfeel involves the detection of a wide range of physical stimuli inside the mouth. It involves a foods entire physical and chemical interaction with the mouth from the first bite and initial perception on the palate, onto mastication, and the concluding act of swallowing. In other words, eating is a tactile experience as much, if not more, than a gustative one, for cats. Thats why Royal Canins Sensory Feel improves mouthfeel, further stimulating your cats senses whilst bringing surprise and enrichment to mealtime. Its formulas are crafted with unique gravy and jelly textures that are creamier with a smoother coating that will last longer in your cats mouth. The unique texture also includes more stringy meat-like chunks which appeal to cats and provide variation in textural sensations throughout your cats meal.
Medium Adult Dry Dog Food
Ingredient: brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, oat groats, wheat, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, calcium carbonate, vegetable oil, potassium chloride, salt, monocalcium phosphate, choline chloride, hydrolyzed yeast, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, niacin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid], L-lysine, trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], magnesium oxide, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
Best food for cats
When people are considering what to feed cats, they often look at whether wet cat food or dry cat food will be best. The best cat food should not only provide the best nutrition, it should also be easy for you to manage and be something your cat wants to eat.
Ideally, it should also help keep any potential health problems in check. Wet food is a great way to look after some of those needs, while dry cat food is brilliant in other ways. Wet food helps increase your cats intake of water, whereas dry food helps maintain your cats dental health. The aroma of wet food is more likely to tempt a fussy eater, whereas dry food will maintain its quality in the bowl for the whole day. Because wet and dry cat food provides different benefits, it is worth considering feeding your cat a mixture of both (although not in the same bowl).
Benefits of dry cat food
One of the key benefits of dry cat food is it is easy to store and simple to serve to your cat. It can happily sit in a bowl all day without spoiling. This allows your cat to lightly graze on it frequently which is ideal for supporting healthy eating habits. When dry food is properly formulated, it also helps improve dental health by using a mild abrasive surface on the kibble to control tartar levels on your cats teeth.
Benefits of wet cat food
Many cats dont get enough hydration through drinking and rely on their food to supplement the amount of water they consume. A key benefit of wet cat food is it helps provide your cat with the extra water that not only keeps them properly hydrated but also reduces the likelihood of health issues in areas such as their kidneys or urinary tract.
Wet food also has the added benefit of giving off a richer aroma than dry food, which is important for cats because they rely heavily on their sense of smell than their sense of taste. A cats sense of smell is much stronger than the average human, while a humans tongue has around twenty times more taste buds than a cats tongue.
Wet or dry food what to feed a cat
When people are considering what to feed cats, they often look at whether wet cat food or dry cat food will be best. The best cat food should not only provide the best nutrition, it should also be easy for you to manage and be something your cat wants to eat.
Ideally, it should also help keep any potential health problems in check. Wet food is a great way to look after some of those needs, while dry cat food is great in other ways. Wet food helps increase your cats intake of water, whereas dry food helps maintain your cats dental health. The aroma of wet food is more likely to tempt a fussy eater, whereas dry food will maintain its quality in the bowl for the whole day. Because wet and dry cat food provides different benefits, it is worth considering feeding your cat a mixture of both (although not in the same bowl).
Benefits of dry cat food
One of the key benefits of dry cat food is it is easy to store and simple to serve to your cat. It can happily sit in a bowl all day without spoiling. This allows your cat to lightly graze on it regularly, which is ideal for supporting healthy eating habits. When dry food is properly formulated, it also helps improve dental health by using a mild abrasive surface on the kibble to control tartar levels on your cats teeth.
Benefits of wet cat food
Many cats dont get enough hydration through drinking and rely on their food to supplement the amount of water they consume. A key benefit of wet cat food is that it helps provide your cat with the extra water that not only keeps them properly hydrated, but also reduces the likelihood of health issues in areas, such as their kidneys or urinary tract.
Wet food also has the added benefit of giving off a richer aroma than dry food, which is important for cats because they rely heavily on their sense of smell than their sense of taste. A cats sense of smell is normally much stronger than an average human, while a humans tongue has around twenty times more taste buds than a cats tongue.
Benefits of mixed feeding
Cats respond well to a little variety in their diet. That doesnt mean they need to be eating something different for every meal or have their diet totally changed once a month far from it. However, providing them with a diet that is a mixture of wet and dry food has been shown to reduce problems with fussy eaters. Different cats also have different preferences when it comes to texture. By feeding them a mixed diet theyll get a combination of textures ensuring they will find the one they like.
Mixed Feeding respects the natural feeding behaviour of the cat. Cats prefer to eat different small meals throughout the day. Offer them a mix of wet and dry foods throughout the day, in separate bowls, to give your cat variation.
How to introduce mixed feeding
Mixed feeding can be done alternately and/or combined. The method of mixing depends on your cat's preferences. Introducing mixed feeding should be done gradually, over at least a week, to prevent a stomach upset. Find out the best way to transition your cat onto a new diet by
reading more here.
