Can we feed Royal Canin without water

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 may have more stimuli affecting your dog's 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.

How to feed your dog after surgery

Undergoing surgery can be a stressful experience for your dog. As with humans, dogs need a period of rest and convalescence after their operation, during which time they may need to be fed in a way that doesnt aggravate their digestive system. How and what you feed them can support their recovery and help them develop a healthier digestive system postsurgery.

Ways of feeding your dog after surgery

Depending on the type of surgery your dog has undergone, your veterinarian will advise you on the best way to feed them. For some digestive issues, the surgery may involve placing a feeding tube so it leads directly into your dogs stomach or esophagus, bypassing any organs that may be functioning poorly.If your dog has a feeding tube, youll need to change the consistency of their diet so it can be administered via the tube and possibly a syringe. Liquid diets, wet food and heavily moisturized dry food can all be given through the feeding tube, as long as they are of the right texture and size so they dont block it.As your dog recovers, you can take other actions to help them eat more easily and comfortably. Placing their food and water higher up, rather than in bowls on the floor, can aid digestion as gravity helps their food move down into their stomach. Small dogs can be fed while you are holding them, with their head over your shoulder.

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

Mixed feeding your dog

Types of dog 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.

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

Feeding your cat after surgery to support recovery

If your cat has recently had an operation, its important to take care of them in the right way to give them the best chance of recovering quickly and effectively.

Surgery can be very difficult for your cat, both mentally and physically. Their body will be working hard to repair and maintain its strength, so the diet you feed your cat and how you feed it is crucial.

How should I feed my cat after surgery?

Your cats body and digestive tract is unlikely to be able to cope with the same amount of food ingested as it was pre-surgery. Digestion and proper absorption of nutrients from food takes a lot of work from your cats system, and this energy may be being directed elsewhere to speed the healing process.

Ask your veterinarian for advice on how to feed your cat immediately after surgery. How much should you feed after you bring your cat home? Does your cat need a diet change? Most veterinarians will recommend feeding a smaller portion the night after discharge from the hospital, such as half of the normal portion, but it will depend on your cat and what type of procedure they have had. Many cats dont have their full appetite after theyve had surgery, but ask your veterinarian about this if it persists.

If your cat vomits after eating their food on the same day as their surgery, ask your veterinarian to recommend the best way to progressively return your cat to their feeding plan.

Your cat may have to wear a protective collar to prevent it licking or scratching their wound; make sure this doesnt interfere with eating and drinking, and if so remove it during meal times. Depending on the type of surgery your cat underwent, it may require assisted feeding through a feeding tube. If this is the case, talk to your vet about the best way to do this.

What to feed kittens

In the first few weeks of their life, your kitten will exclusively feed on milk from its mother. But after that, its important to introduce your kitten to nutritionally appropriate food that will support its growth in that crucial first year.

What does my kitten need from its first food?

Your kitten will be growing rapidly in the first few months, and although growth slows after this time, they will still need the right nutritionto support the development of healthy organs, muscles and skeleton.

A precisely formulated food makes sure your kitten has the exact nutrients it needs in the right amounts to provide the protein, vitamins, minerals and other elements that are essential to supporting healthy development.

As well as satisfying your kittens unique nutritional requirements, their first food should be suitable for their young digestive system and teeth. For cats, smell and texture of food is a bigger deciding factor than taste, but as kittens retain their milk teeth until four months old, its important to select one with an appropriately sized kibble so its easy to chew. It is beneficial to introduce your kitten to wet food as it can have health benefits and may be difficult to introduce later in life.

From birth to four months, your kitten goes through an intense growth spurt that helps to build a strong skeleton and muscle mass. For this, they need protein and other key nutrients from their diet, such as antioxidants for immune system support.

Between four and 12 months, their growth slows but your kitten will still have a high energy requirement as they begin to explore their surroundings, while their body continues to grow and they develop muscle mass. However, their digestive system is still maturing, so choose an energy-dense, highly digestiblefood that gives them everything they need.