Last Updated: 19/08/2025
Combining Wet, Dry & Fresh Food: A Vet's Guide
Unlock the benefits of combining wet, fresh and dry dog food! Discover how a mixed feeding approach can enhance nutrition, palatability, and hydration for your furry friend.
Author: Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 11 minutes - short read
Feeding a balanced diet to dogs is of paramount importance for their overall health and well-being. A well-balanced diet ensures that your dog receives the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals essential for their growth, development, and maintenance of bodily functions. Providing a mixed diet that offers a combination of wet, dry and fresh food can help balance your dog's diet.
Wet, dry and fresh dog foods offer unique benefits and considerations, catering to diverse dietary needs and preferences of our canine friends. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the nuances of each food type, exploring their distinct characteristics, nutritional profiles, and the factors to consider when selecting the optimal diet for your beloved canine.
Understanding Wet Dog Food
Pros
- Helps to increase moisture intake, which is helpful for maintaining urinary health and overall vitality
- More palatable than dry food, so it can be great for fussy eaters, or older dogs with reduced taste and smell sensation
- Easier to chew than dry food, making it ideal for dogs with dental disease and jaw misalignment or deformities
Cons
- Generally more expensive per serve than dry food
- Can lead to weight gain due to it's higher palatability and therefore greater consumption
Wet food, as the name suggests, has a higher water content than dry food, and a softer texture, and typically comes in cans, trays, or pouches. While it may leave your wallet a little lighter, wet food can be largely beneficial for your pooch.
Dogs often don't drink enough water. Supplementing wet food into their diet can provide them with some much needed hydration to not only prevent dehydration but also the development of many urinary conditions such as urinary crystals or bladder stones.
Urinary crystals form when minerals solidify in the urinary tract. There are many factors that affect the formation of crystals including acidity or alkalinity of the urine, temperature, diet, infections, and other disease processes. However, the chemical concentration of the urine is a major predisposing factor. If your pooch stays hydrated, this will lower the concentration of the urine and helps to 'flush out' their system, reducing the likelihood of crystal formation.
Certain breeds are susceptible to urinary related conditions, and so for these dogs, good hydration is particularly important.
For any dog that has a history of urinary tract disease, good hydration is just one aspect of management. It is important to follow your veterinarian's advice in all aspects of treatment to reduce the likelihood of further issues in the future. For more information, read through our article on Urinary issues in dogs.
Older dogs tend to have trouble when it comes to meal times. As they age, dogs can often have a decreased appetite due to loss of taste and smell sensory receptors. However the stronger aroma of wet food compared to dry may increase their desire to eat.
Dental disease and jaw misalignment or deformities can cause difficulties in chewing kibble. Canned food is easier for older dogs to digest, their bodies are able to absorb essential nutrients and it provides comfortable bowel movements.
Wet food is definitely an asset to your dog's diet but be wary of excess weight gain if feeding solely tinned food. Using a light alternative like Hill's Perfect Weight wet food can help with calorie reduction.
Our Top Wet Food Suggestions
Understanding Dry Dog Food
Pros
- More convenient and practical option than wet or fresh food - more easily stored, with longer shelf life once opened, and no need for refrigeration.
- Can also be left in the bowl longer than wet food for dogs who like to graze
- Generally cheaper per serve than wet food
- Beneficial for dental health
Cons
- Less palatable than wet and fresh food
- Does not improve hydration like wet and fresh food do
Dry dog food, commonly known as kibble, is made from a dough mix that is cooked, extruded, and cut into small, bite-sized pieces.
Many people find dry food to be more convenient and cost effective compared to wet food. The easier storage and transport of dry food reduces excess costs for manufacturers and distributors than wet food and these savings are generally passed on to the consumer. Many pet parents choose to only feed their pet dry kibble, which is perfectly fine provided they drink enough water to compensate for the lack of moisture in the dry food.
From a convenience perspective, dry kibble is definitely a winner. An open bag of food will last months and can be placed in a storage bin or be kept in the original bag at room temperature. In comparison, an opened tin of wet food only lasts a couple of days and must be refrigerated. Due to its moist formulation, wet food cannot be left in the bowl as long or bacteria will set up camp.
Perhaps the biggest advantage with dry food is it's effect on dental health, as dry kibble can help your pooch with their oral hygiene. The scraping of dry food against the teeth removes built up tartar and plaque to prevent nasty dog breath, gingivitis and dental disease. For pets particularly prone to dental conditions, there are special dental care kibbles such as as Hills Science Diet Oral Care and Advance Dental Dog Food.
Understanding Fresh Dog Food
Pros
- Increased palatability compared to either wet or dry dog food
- Like wet food, fresh food helps to increase moisture intake, which is helpful for maintaining urinary health and overall vitality
- Can foster a more balanced microbiome by providing natural prebiotic fibres, leading to improved digestive health
- Gentle cooking methods help to preserve the nutrients in the ingredients, which may improve digestibility and bioavailability. This may also lead to smaller stool volume.
Cons
- Can be more expensive per serve than wet or dry food
- Shorter shelf life than dry or wet food
- Requires more storage space in the fridge or freezer
- Raw foods carry the risk of bacterial contamination, and therefore they are not recommended for dogs from certain households, or those with sensitive stomachs
As our understanding of the connection between diet and personal health grows, we are naturally applying the same scrutiny to our dogs' meals, fuelling the rising popularity of fresh dog food.
The use of whole, unprocessed ingredients, and gentle cooking methods (or in the case of raw food, no cooking), can lead to improved digestion, and higher bioavailabilty of nutrients, supporting overall health. This may also have the added benefit or smaller, less odorous stools!
The high moisture content aids in hydration, while the palatability of real, minimally processed and cooked meat, often entices even the fussiest eaters.
Despite these potential benefits, raw diets come with significant risks. The primary concern is bacterial contamination. Raw meat can harbour dangerous pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which pose a threat not only to the dog but also to the humans in the household through cross-contamination of surfaces or contact with the dog's saliva and faeces.
While gently cooked fresh food mitigates the primary risk of bacterial contamination associated with raw feeding, it still requires careful storage and attention to good handling and hygiene practices to ensure safety.
Want to know more? Check out our article all about the Benefits of Fresh Dog Foods.
Our Top Fresh and Raw Food Suggestions
The Power of Mixing
To equip your dog with a healthy, balanced diet, the ideal method is to provide both wet and dry food - and consider a rotation that alternates between different meat proteins and flavours. This mixed-style feeding program has a number of benefits:
- Cost-effectiveness - feeding a combination of wet, fresh and dry foods, compared to just wet or fresh food, will save you money in the long run due to the affordability of dry food 'per meal'
- Increased moisture intake - wet and fresh food helps keep your dog hydrated due to its high moisture content
- Variety for enhanced palatability - this is particularly helpful for fussy eaters who don't like to eat the same thing every day
- Promotes dental health - dry food has a crunchy texture which helps remove tartar, and is therefore much better for your dog's teeth than wet or fresh food alone
- Customisable nutrition tailored to individual needs - this is useful if your dog has multiple health conditions you'd like to address (for instance, dental disease and arthritis)
Examples of mixed feeding approaches
Combining both wet and dry food can offer a balanced diet while providing variety and addressing different nutritional needs, but it might not always be clear how to mix feed without misbalancing the nutrients. Some examples of how to mix feed include:
- Mix a combination of food types together in one bowl, given for all meals. You may wish to look at the recommended daily feeding amount for one particular wet or fresh food and one particular dry food and then halve each.
- Feed wet or fresh food in the morning, and dry food in the evening (or vice versa). Again, you may wish to halve the recommended daily feeding amount of each diet to make up one complete meal.
- Give dry food for all meals, and give wet or fresh food as a 'special treat' every few days. You may wish to have a couple of different dry food bags on hand - perhaps utilising different meat proteins or pet food brands - and alternate between them, to provide your dog with some variety of flavours.
Practical Considerations
When feeding a mix of both wet, fresh and dry food, there are a number of considerations to take into account.
Budget considerations and cost-effectiveness
Striking the right balance between wet, fresh and dry food based on the dog's individual needs and the owner's budget is crucial. Dry dog food is generally more affordable and has the advantage of longer shelf life, making it a budget-friendly option. Some owners choose to incorporate wet and/or fresh food as a supplement or a treat, using it sparingly to enhance palatability without significantly increasing costs.
Proper storage and handling of wet food
Storing and handling wet and fresh dog food with care is crucial to maintain its quality and ensure the health and safety of your pet. Unlike dry food, wet and fresh dog food is more susceptible to bacterial growth and spoilage due to its higher moisture content. Proper storage involves refrigeration or freezing for fresh foods, and storage of wet food once opened in the fridge, as the cold environment inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. It's essential to seal containers tightly and use them within the recommended timeframe to prevent contamination and maintain freshness. Additionally, practicing good hygiene while handling raw dog food particularly, such as washing hands and utensils thoroughly, reduces the risk of cross-contamination.
Monitor food consumption to prevent spoiling
Monitoring your dog's food intake is essential to reduce spoilage and ensure the freshness and safety of the food in their bowl. Many dogs, especially those with specific dietary needs or health issues, may not consume their entire meal in one sitting. Leaving uneaten wet or fresh food in the bowl for extended periods can lead to bacterial growth and spoilage, posing a risk to the dog's health.
For more information, you might like to read through:
FAQs
Incorporating a combination of wet, fresh and dry dog food into your pet's diet offers a range of benefits - from enhanced palatability to dental health and hydration. Providing a balanced and nutritious diet is paramount for your dog's overall wellbeing, contributing to optimal growth, immune function, and longevity. This approach not only ensures a diverse and enjoyable dining experience for your dog but also allows owners to strike a balance between nutritional excellence and individual preferences, ultimately fostering a healthier and happier canine companion.
Further Reading
Want to read more? Check out our other articles:
Raw Diets for Pets: A Complete Review of the Pros and Cons
History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Wed 21 Feb 2024
Written by Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Carla graduated from the University of Queensland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and worked for a number of years in small animal clinics across South East Queensland. While Carla enjoys most facets of clinical veterinary work, she holds a special passion for feline medicine, pocket pets, and nutrition.
