Is it better to give puppies wet or dry food

When to start feeding puppies wet food: A vet weighs in on how to wean

When to start feeding puppies wet food is asked by many first-time dog owners. Getting a new puppy for the first time is an extremely exciting experience and a time when you and your pup will experience a lot of firsts together - one being moving your puppy onto wet food.

Up until 3-4 weeks old most puppies should still be getting all the necessary nutrients from their mothers milk or a milk replacement. Once a pup comes off the milk, theyll move onto a solid food diet but as their teeth are still growing this might look like a gruel (a mixture of dry puppy food and water to soften it). The reason they dont graduate straight onto the best wet dog food from milk is that wet food doesnt have the right amount of calories that a puppy needs to develop and thrive during this stage of growth.

If youre in need of a full run-down on weaning your puppy from the very early stages right through to starting them on wet food, carry on reading. Vet Elizabeth Racine has included everything you should know below

Small animal general practice veterinarian, Dr. Elizabeth Racine, is a specialist in pet health and wellness. She covers everything from veterinary behavior, internal medicine and nutrition. Away from her surgery, Dr. Racine writes for major companies in the industry from the American Kennel Club to Elanco and CareCredit to Bayer PetBasics.

How to wean a puppy

Weaning puppies begins around 3 weeks of age. Weaning should always be a gradual process and puppies should never be abruptly taken away from the mother. Instead puppies should be offered a semi-solid food.

Feeding wet food to puppies at this stage is not recommended, because wet food does not contain enough calories to support a young puppys rapid rate of growth. Wet food is also very rich and may cause stomach upset in young puppies during weaning.

Create a mush

During the weaning stage, puppies should be fed mush. This can be made by mixing an appropriate dry puppy food with water and allowing it to sit overnight in the refrigerator, forming a soft mush. This mush can then be heated in a microwave (mix thoroughly and check carefully for hot spots!) and offered to the puppies.

Most puppies will start eating the mush right away, but some may need a day or two to get used to the idea. Its also important to let the puppies see mom eating solid food during this time, because puppies will often mimic their mothers behavior.

Provide fresh water

Be sure to also provide a shallow tray of fresh water for the puppies to drink from and possibly play in! Once the puppies are eating the mush well, you can gradually decrease the water content to make the mush more solid. During this time, the mother should be naturally weaning the puppies by decreasing their access to her milk supply. This, combined with their newfound interest in solid foods, will naturally wean the puppies off of milk and onto puppy food.

When to start feeding puppies wet food

When the puppies are eating solid dry food consistently and are no longer nursing from their mother, wet food can be introduced into their diet. For most puppies, wet food can safely be introduced at around 6-8 weeks of age. Wet food may be too rich for some puppies, so introduce only small amounts at first and ensure there is no gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, or bloating before you increase the amount of wet food you are offering to the puppies.

Because wet food has a high moisture content, you may notice that the puppies drink slightly less water than they did when they were eating a solely dry food diet. This is normal and is not cause for alarm as long as the puppies remain well-hydrated.

Is wet or dry food better for puppies?

For neonatal puppies, dry food soften with water is better than wet food. This is because wet food has a very high moisture content and a lower calorie content, so the puppies feel full before theyre able to consume enough calories to meet their bodies needs.

Because dry food has a higher calorie content than wet food, it is a better choice for puppies during the weaning process. Once the puppies have been weaned and are eating solid food consistently, the choice to feed wet food or dry food is just a matter of preference. As long as the diet you choose is complete and balanced and age-appropriate for your puppy, theres no significant difference in health benefits between wet food and dry food.

Choosing a wet food for your puppy

If you do decide to feed your puppy wet food, it is important to make sure you choose a product that is healthy and balanced to support your puppys growth and development. Check the back of the can for the AAFCO Statement (US) or the Statutory Statement (UK) which should say something like formulated for growth or for growing puppies. If your puppy is a large or giant breed, choose a wet food specifically formulated for large breed puppies. The statement on the back of the can should say for the growth of large breed puppies or similar.

Youll also want to ensure that the wet food you choose is from a reputable company, which you can do by utilizing the World Small Animal Veterinary Associations guidelines on selecting pet food or by asking your veterinarian for a product recommendation.

For more information on how to select a pet food, you can learn how to read a pet food label or check out the recommendations from board certified veterinary nutritionists

How much to feed your puppy

Pet parents always ask How much should I feed my puppy? This is a difficult question to answer, because the right amount to feed your puppy depends on many individual factors such as your puppys age, breed, current weight, and body condition, as well as the calorie content of the food you are currently feeding and the number of meals per day your puppy gets.

As you can see, with so many factors involved theres no answer that works for all puppies! Instead, your veterinarian is your best resource to help you determine how much to feed your puppy to ensure he or she is getting the right amount of calories to support healthy growth and development.

As long as your puppy is fully weaned and eating solid food, its okay to introduce some wet food into his or her diet. Just start out with small amounts and watch out for any digestive upset, which can occur with diet changes. If your puppy enjoys wet food and tolerates it well, its okay to make this type of food part or all of his or her meal wet food is just as healthy for dogs and dry food!

Got more questions? Puppy not eating? Noticing puppy aggression? We've got all the answers here for you.

Wet vs. Dry Dog Food: Which Is Right for Your Pet?

Dog food seems like such a simple thing, but all of the choices available can be overwhelming when deciding what your pal should eat. One of the comparisons you'll confront starting out is wet vs. dry dog food.

First, consider your dog's overall health, age, and behavioral needs. Both types of food are good choices, but it's important to look at the benefits of each to decide which is right for your dog.

The Benefits of Wet Dog Food

Wet dog food, or often times referred to as canned dog food, is a great source of things you don't often get as much of in dry. This includes:

• Greater water content: Wet dog food is particularly valuable for hydration. If your dog doesn't drink enough or you live in a dry, hot climate, a wet dog food can keep your dog properly hydrated, according to PetMD. Even so, you should still make sure fresh water is readily available for your pup.
• Helping dogs who have trouble chewing: Dogs can have issues chewing hard kibble for a variety of reasons, such as loss of teeth, misaligned jaws, or even a uniquely small mouth. In these cases, a canned dog food may be much easier for them to manage.
• The smell: Older dogs lose some sense of smell, and therefore might not eat their dry food with the same gusto or interest that they used to. Wet foods such as Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Beef and Barley Entree have a richer scent and flavor that could spur an increase in appetite.
• Satiety: The higher moisture content in canned food often helps a dog feel full. This may be useful in a weight management program for those dogs who appear to have an endless appetite.

The Benefits of Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food is packed with nutrients, and well known for being:

• Convenient: Measured portions of dry food can be left out all day for a dog to eat at their own pace without worry of it spoiling.
• Economical: Dry dog food can be less expensive to buy in bulk and store than wet dog food.
• An aid in cleaning teeth: Some dog foods are formulated to reduce plaque, stain, and tartar buildup as the kibble is designed to scrape away these buildups on your dog's teeth.
• Enriching environment: Dry foods are often easier to use in food puzzle toys which can be beneficial in entertaining your dog while you are at work, and controlling food intake for those "eager eaters". Since your dog is not hunting for supper, the mental stimulation of getting food from puzzle toys can improve their quality of life.

The Best of Both

A third option is to choose both wet and dry foods. You can do this by mixing the foods together in the same bowl, giving dry in the morning and wet in the evening (or vice-versa) or by giving them wet food as a "treat" for exceptional behavior. Just make sure you're not increasing your dog's caloric intake when mixing these foods, especially if he's on a weight management plan.

Keep in mind you should avoid mixing different brands, especially if your dog is on a therapeutic food. Hill's Pet Nutrition foods are specially formulated to meet the needs of your pet, and by mixing different brands you can dilute the precise balance of Hill's nutrition.

Talk to Your Vet

If you have any concerns at all about your dog's health or about whether your dog should be eating dry or wet dog food, ask your vet.

Whatever you decide to do as you compare wet vs. dry dog food, make sure you follow these guidelines in changing your dog's food for the smoothest transition. It's also okay to let your dog tell you which type of food he prefers. When you first start them out on a new food regimen you monitor their feeding habits to see if he gravitates to one over the other. Just be sure to not change food too quickly or too frequently as it could upset their digestive system. Also, ensure the food you choose is balanced and meets the nutrient needs of your dog's health considerations.

Contributor Bio

Kara Murphy

Kara Murphy is a pet parent and freelance writer in Erie, Pa., Her dog, Maddie, is particularly fond of dry dog food.

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The choices available for feeding your puppy can be overwhelming. But one of the first decisions is between two choices will it be wet or dry dog food for puppy? Each has its fans and its detractors. Is one better than the other? Many dog owners have strong feelings on that! Yet some feed their dog a mix or wet and dry foods to make sure they are covering all the bases.

No single food option is the best for every single dog out there. Even dogs of the same breed can have different nutritional needs. Each owner has to weigh up the pros and cons of wet or dry dog food for their puppy and then consider their choices for whichever they pick. Understanding the pros and cons of wet and dry dog food is the first step to making the best choice for your pet.

Pros of Wet Food for Puppy

• Puppies will show a lot of enthusiasm for wet dog food. It has a stronger scent than dry. If your pup is easily distracted from their bowl at mealtime, wet food should hold their attention. You are not likely to see any leftovers.
• Wet puppy food offers your dog more hydration. If your dog is extremely active and not drinking much water, wet food can increase their moisture intake.
• If your pup seems insatiable and is always actively looking for more food, or gaining weight by eating too much, wet food might help. Dogs feel fuller after a meal of wet food because of the higher moisture content.

Cons of Wet Food for Puppy

• Wet food is more likely to stick to your dogs teeth. Daily toothbrushing is important for dogs that eat wet food to prevent tartar from building up and causing tooth decay and gum disease.
• Storage can be a hassle with wet dog food. Tins generally hold more than one serving, so they need to be covered and refrigerated to avoid spoiling. The tins need to be washed out well before they go in the recycling.
• If your pup is a messy eater, it is easier to sweep up dry kibble than wet dog food. Those enthusiastic little eaters can make a big mess!

Pros of Dry Food for Puppy

• Dry food is hard and crunchy. That means it is better for your dogs teeth. It doesnt stick in their teeth as much as wet food, and the crunching can help scrape tartar off of their teeth.
• You have a lot more choices with dry dog food than with wet. Its a more popular option, which means that more companies make it, and they make more different varieties to suit dogs of every age, size and activity level. When you are deciding about wet or dry dog food for puppy, think about what they will eat as an adult too.
• If your dog prefers to free feed and nibble at their food throughout the day, you dont have to worry about dry food spoiling. It can be left out in their dog bowl without going bad.
• Dry puppy food is easier to store in general. It can go into a large container or bin, or it can stay in the bag in a press. Room temperature is grand. As long as it is kept dry, it will stay good.

Cons of Dry Food for Puppy

• Very active dogs need ample protein. If you choose a dry dog food for your pup, make sure the amount of protein is adequate if your dog is exceptionally active. Wet foods are generally higher in protein, but you can find dry dog foods such as Red Mills Engage and Leader Supreme with all the protein a hard working dog needs.
• Dry dog food can be difficult for dogs with dental problems to chew. It is more of a concern for senior dogs. Younger dogs should have good, strong teeth, so it isnt an issue in deciding between wet or dry food for a puppy.

More to Consider

Deciding between wet or dry dog food for puppy involves many factors. Because wet puppy food has a stronger scent and taste, pups will go for it first if given a choice. That means that once they are used to a diet of wet food, dry can be hard to sell. If you start your pup on wet dog food but later discover that the optimum food for them is dry, it wont be easy to switch your pup over. If down the road your dog develops a food allergy or your lifestyle changes so that the convenience of dry food is more important to you, your dog is going to need a lot of convincing to eat the dry food.

Of course, this is not really an either/ or situation. Many dog owners give their pets the best of both worlds by feeding a mix of dry and wet dog food. If you do this, it is a good idea to make dry food the bulk of their diet and not offer wet food in every meal. Dogs are well able to pick out the food they prefer and leave the rest in the dish! Mixing the two foods well will help with this. You can also feed a diet of dry dog food and offer wet food as an occasional treat.

Whatever you choose, remember the most important thing is that the puppy food use wholesome, natural ingredients balanced to give your dog optimum nutrition. Your puppy doesnt care what colour or shape the food is. They want what tastes best, and you want what best supports their growth and development so they thrive.