Companies that produce dog and cat food make big claims about their products, including how they will improve their joints and make their fur shine. You might still have some concerns about the ideal methods for feeding your feline and canine friends even if you’ve avoided the frequently pseudoscientific trends like raw diets, organic pet food, or vegan kibble. One of the most basic is: Is wet food better than dry food?
The good news is that either kind of pet food can give your animal the total nutrition they require to develop, run, play, and generally have a good time. By examining the “statement of nutritional adequacy” that can be found on any (commercial) pet food, you can be certain of this. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) regulates these statements in North America, and similar organizations exist in Europe and other places. The statement of nutritional adequacy will look something like this: “[complete and balanced nutrition] for all _____,” where the appropriate pet category (adult dogs, cats of all sizes, nursing mothers, etc.) is filled in for the blank. ), and the bracketed part may be omitted.
If this sentence appears on the label of your pet’s food, you can be confident that if you adhere to the feeding instructions on the package (e g. Your pet is getting all the calories, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and protein they require (e.g., 12 cup kibble per cat per day). Many businesses will also offer guidance on how to feed your pet both wet and dry food if you want to do that.
Despite the fact that both wet and dry pet food can nourish an animal, some owners (or pets) may prefer one over the other.
Cans of wet dog and cat food dominated the market before extruded kibble, as we know it today, became popular in the 1950s. The first canned cat food didn’t hit the market until eight years later, in 1930. The first canned dog food, “Ken-L-Ration,” was made of horse meat and released to the market in 1922.
Many animals still consume wet food as at least a portion of their diet, despite the fact that wet food no longer accounts for the majority of cat and dog food sales.
Wet pet food has a number of advantages, but the main one is that animals generally prefer it. This might be because the food is moister, softer, more strongly scented, or potentially tastes more strongly, but it could also be because of the macronutrients and serving size.
Similar amounts of protein and fat are found in both wet and dry foods, but dry foods have significantly more carbohydrates than wet foods. Your pet won’t have any issues digesting these carbohydrates; both dogs and cats can do so, though less effectively than canines. But just because they aren’t an issue doesn’t mean that the higher carbohydrate content of dry food is unimportant. In contrast to dogs, cats are extremely sensitive to the tastes of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Because wet foods have nutrient profiles that are much more similar to cats’ natural diets, some researchers have hypothesized that cats prefer them.
In terms of serving size, a pet must consume more wet food than dry food to get the same amount of calories on a per-gram basis. So a meal of wet food may appear larger to them than a meal of dry food.
Whatever the reason, pets frequently prefer wet food to dry food. Therefore, wet food (either on its own or combined with kibble) may be a good option if you have a sick, elderly, or underweight animal that needs to be encouraged to eat.
Wet foods’ increased palatability is a double-edged sword. Giving an overweight animal less tasty kibble may encourage them to consume fewer calories and shed some pounds. Giving them wet food, however, would enable them to consume more food for the same amount of calories, which might ostensibly make them feel fuller.
Wet food is usually sold in tins or sachets. They cost more, take up more room than bags of kibble, and may need a can opener to actually open them. They must be covered and refrigerated after being opened, which can smell pretty bad next to your human food (even high-quality canned pet food stinks; I won’t argue this point) and present a problem for a home that strictly adheres to veganism, vegetarianism, or kosher standards.
Wet food must be served to pets at mealtimes because it can’t be left out at room temperature, which may be difficult given how busy many people’s schedules are. Anything that your pet doesn’t consume is likely to be thrown away, and the bowl it is served in needs to be cleaned after every meal, unlike a bowl for dry kibble that can go much longer without being cleaned.
James Spratt is widely thought to have created the first dry commercial dog food in 1860. The Spratt’s Dog Biscuits were similar to what we now refer to as dog treats, like Milk-Bones. Additionally, Spratt is credited with creating the first dry commercial cat food.
However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that improvements to the extrusion method led to the creation of extruded dry pet food. Purina was the pioneer in the production of dog and cat kibble, releasing Purina Puppy Chow in 1957 and Purina Friskies in 1962.
The prolonged shelf life of dry pet food is a significant advantage. Kibble can be purchased in large quantities because it doesn’t spoil easily. This saves you money because dry food is more affordable per calorie than wet food, and it also means fewer trips to the pet store. This is especially true as you buy kibble in bulk. Due to its shelf stability, dry food can be put in an automatic feeder or a feeder with a large hopper so that it only needs to be refilled every few days. This allows pets to graze on their own schedule and allows owners to leave food out for them. Kibble is safer than canned food for your pets in an emergency because there won’t be any refrigeration if there’s a power outage.
The impact of kibble on pets’ teeth is another crucial benefit. Numerous studies have discovered beneficial connections between dry food and dental health. Plaque buildup and gingivitis in dogs and cats can be reduced with the help of specially formulated dental kibbles. However, regular non-dental kibble can help both cats and dogs with gingivitis and dental deposits.
The idea behind how dry foods—but not wet ones—can prevent plaque buildup is a straightforward one. The more your pet chews, the more debris they scrape off their teeth inadvertently. Therefore, items like bones assist dogs in reducing the formation of plaque. Kibble obviously requires more chewing than wet food when consumed, but pet food manufacturers have also altered the nutritional characteristics of their products to maximize the dental benefits. Dogs who were fed cross-shaped kibbles chewed their food longer, and cats whose dry food had more surface area and volume accumulated less plaque. Plaque-reducing ingredients are also present in many specialty dental snacks, similar to how fluoride is present in toothpaste and water.
Although dry food is convenient, it does have a few drawbacks. I’ll once again point out the double-edged sword of palatability. In general, dry food is less enticing to pets, which may be advantageous if your animal needs to lose some weight but may be harmful to animals trying to gain weight. In a similar vein, because kibble is frequently left out for animals to eat at will, it can be challenging to ensure that every pet is getting an equal amount to eat.
While buying in bulk is one of the main advantages of dry food, it is also one of its main disadvantages. The cost of the food per gram is higher if you can’t or don’t want to purchase a large bag of kibble. There are numerous valid reasons why someone might not be able to afford to buy a large bag of dry food. They might not have enough room for it, be unable to afford it, be unable to physically carry it, lack a vehicle to transport it in, or be concerned that their pet won’t finish the entire bag before getting bored with the food.
In light of that, feeding kibble to a pet who is a picky eater can be risky. While a single can of wet food costs only a few dollars, dry food is frequently only available in quantities sufficient for a few weeks’ worth of meals. According to studies, both cats and dogs prefer novel foods to those that have been fed to them repeatedly. As a result, you might want to switch up the brands or flavors of pet food your pet consumes. This is much simpler with wet food.
The effects of dry food on gastric emptying, or how long food remains in the stomach, may be a problem with cats in particular. Dry cat food has been shown to result in slower gastric emptying times than wet food. The shape of the kibble can also have an effect. Why is gastric emptying rate important? Because it may affect your cat’s feeling of fullness (since food may cause them to feel fuller for longer), as well as the likelihood that they will develop hairballs. Some veterinarians think that hairballs can result from delayed gastric emptying times because the hair that cats eat has more time to twist around, build up, and form a tangled ball while in the stomach. However, since this connection has not been established, it should be treated with caution.
The best pet food will ultimately depend solely on your animal companion. Your dog or cat’s nutritional needs can be satisfied by feeding them either wet food, dry food, or a combination of the two. But because each animal is different, it is your responsibility as their caregiver to choose the food that will be best for them based on their preferences, medical history, physiology, behavior, and a variety of other factors. You may even want to speak with a veterinary nutritionist if you want to be sure you’re making the right decision.
It is a fairly common practice to use humans to taste-test various varieties of wet and dry pet food, but even though many of those research participants are being paid, it’s not enough to persuade me to do it.
Pros of wet food
Veterinarian Jamie Whittenburg explains that ingredients like meats, grains, and nutritional additives are ground and combined to create dry dog food, also known as kibble. The water content is then removed by shaping them into tiny kernels and cooking them at high temperatures.
Dry food is often recommended by vets due to its:
Simon notes that many dog owners begin by giving their dogs dry food because it’s easier. This is due to the fact that it can be stored for a longer period of time after being opened and leaves less mess around the house (or on your pet’s face).
When you need to allow your friend to gradually eat their meal, kibble usually comes in handy. For instance, if you leave for work and Luna demands access to her bowl of food
Though Whittenburg asserts that kibble can be left out for extended periods of time, she generally advises against it. Aka, head home to your pets, pals! They miss you.
All that chewing on dry food may actually help your dog keep their teeth.
“I recommend dry food for dental diets,” Whittenburg says. She prefers to supplement a wet food diet with dry kibble because “it can be thought of as brushing the dog’s teeth daily.” ”.
In fact, a small 2022 study found that dogs fed dry food had lower breath odor and tooth plaque buildup and a healthier oral microbiota than dogs fed wet foods. Some older studies have contested this claim, saying the evidence isn’t totally there yet — so more research is needed to confirm these findings for sure.
Another thing to think about is that, according to Whittenburg, the increased added sugar content in low-quality wet foods may be to blame for canine cavities worldwide.
However, as of now, the majority of vets concur: Dry food = improved oral hygiene. Simon explains that because kibble doesn’t stick to teeth like wet food can, gingivitis and plaque buildup are reduced. She makes the point that breeds like greyhounds, poodles, and chihuahuas that are susceptible to dental disease should pay particular attention to this.
There are also prescription foods for dogs with dental issues that use unique fibers that essentially “act as a toothbrush,” according to Whittenburg.
Why Canned Dog Food Can Be Better Than Kibble
Canine food in cans can be superior to kibble in many ways. They typically contain more meat protein than their dry counterparts.
And they’re made with fewer carbohydrates, too.
Additionally, canned dog foods contain no synthetic preservatives due to their airtight packaging. Therefore, fats and oils that are sealed inside of cans don’t easily go rancid.
And no artificial flavorings and colorings.
With cans, meat ingredients are closer to their natural state. So, canned products are more palatable — and more appetizing.
The principle of why dry, but not wet, foods help stop plaque accumulation is a simple one. The more chewing your pet does, the more they are scraping unwanted things off their teeth. That’s why things such as bones help dogs reduce their plaque formation. Eating kibble at all obviously involves more chewing than wet food, but pet food companies have also changed the parameters of their foods to maximize their dental benefits. Changing kibble shape from round to cross-shaped led dogs to spend more time chewing, and increasing surface area and volume of dry cat food led to a reduction in plaque accumulation. Many special dental kibbles also include plaque-reducing substances, sort of like why fluoride is included in our toothpaste and drinking water.
It wasn’t until the 1950s, however, that advances in the extrusion process led to the invention of extruded dry pet food. Purina was first to both the dog and cat kibble game, manufacturing Purina Puppy Chow in 1957 and Purina Friskies in 1962.
Wet food must be served to pets at mealtimes because it can’t be left out at room temperature, which may be difficult given how busy many people’s schedules are. Anything that your pet doesn’t consume is likely to be thrown away, and the bowl it is served in needs to be cleaned after every meal, unlike a bowl for dry kibble that can go much longer without being cleaned.
If your pet’s food bears this sentence, then you can be sure that if you follow the feeding guidelines on the package (e.g., ½ cup kibble per cat per day), your pet is receiving all of the calories, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and protein they need. Many companies will also provide instructions for if you want to feed your pet both wet and dry food. 
Similar amounts of protein and fat are found in both wet and dry foods, but dry foods have significantly more carbohydrates than wet foods. Your pet won’t have any issues digesting these carbohydrates; both dogs and cats can do so, though less effectively than canines. But just because they aren’t an issue doesn’t mean that the higher carbohydrate content of dry food is unimportant. In contrast to dogs, cats are extremely sensitive to the tastes of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Because wet foods have nutrient profiles that are much more similar to cats’ natural diets, some researchers have hypothesized that cats prefer them.
FAQ
What is better for your dog dry or wet food?
In general, wet food is preferable to dry food for dogs. Wet food has more water, which keeps dogs hydrated, and fewer carbohydrates, which are hard for dogs to digest.
Can dogs live on dry food only?
Pure kibble diets are perfectly acceptable to give to your dog. Alternately, you can add some cooked or raw meat, fish, vegetables, and rice to their diet to vary it. Many dog owners prefer to feed their dogs a raw meat diet, and while this can work well for some dogs, there are some crucial factors you need to be aware of.
What is the healthiest food to feed your dog?
- Kale. This vitamin-packed leafy green is loaded with vitamins A, E, and C.
- Carrots. Crunchy and naturally sweet, carrots are loved by most dogs.
- Pumpkin. …
- Sweet Potatoes. …
- Fish. …
- Nori (dried seaweed) …
- Chia seeds. …
- Quinoa.