As a new pet owner, you may be wondering what you should feed your dog. There are hundreds of options, but every brand is slightly different in both price and what is in the food. You may be wondering what ingredients are best for your dog or why grains are included in any dog diet. However, the biggest question most new pet owners have is around figuring out if their dog should eat wet or dry food.
Pros of Wet Food
Wet food is a great choice if you have an older dog or a dog with dental issues. Many wet foods make it easy to mix in supplements or medicines. You can even look at Nutra Thrive for dogs reviews, as Nutra Thrive is a supplement for dogs and can easily be placed into wet food. Wet food is also great for dogs that have sensitive gums or missing teeth. Sometimes, dry food can be really hard to chew and swallow, but with a wet food your dog won't have to chew much at all. Some puppies should start out eating wet food if they are young and have a hard time swallowing dry food. Wet food is also great for dogs that need strict portion control. Wet food usually comes pre-portioned packages, so you don't have to worry about trying to figure out the correct amount for your dog. The final benefit of wet food is that it does come with a lot of moisture.
Cons of Wet Food
Even though there are many positives to wet food, there are several negatives. If you have a dog that is prone to obesity or eats quickly, you may want to reconsider using wet food. Since wet food is easy to swallow, if not portioned correctly, particularly smaller dogs can become overweight. If your dog eats quickly, it is also possible for your dog to swallow a piece of food and choke on it. That said, wet food is more likely to dislodge itself than dry food, but it is best to know pet CPR, just in case.
Pros of Dry Food
While wet food is good for some dogs, it can be expensive and difficult to store if you purchase in bulk. However, dry food can be bought in large bags and is easy to store. Dry food is also good for dogs because it should help their teeth as they chew it. Dry food is crunchy and some brands claim that their food can help prevent plaque and tooth decay in dogs. If you have a dog that eats quickly, you may want to use dry food and add it to a slow feed tray or ball. This is not something you can really do with wet food because the food gets everywhere and creates a mess. However, dry food can easily slip into smaller areas of slow feed trays that force the dog to slow down and take their time as they eat. Slow feed trays are also beneficial if you have several dogs and there is one that tries to eat everyone else's food. The final benefit of dry food is that it is also very versatile. Although it is dry, if you need to make it moist or softer you can add water or an animal stock.
Cons of Dry Food
The cons of dry food are similar to those of wet food. Since dry food comes in large bags, you have to take care not to overfeed your dog. Overfeeding can lead to obesity and numerous other health concerns. Dry food is also a choking hazard if your dog is a fast eater. While this can be mitigated by using a slow feed tray or bowl, there is still a risk. Dry food also contains no moisture, so if your dog doesn't like to stay hydrated, that can be an issue.
Overall, both wet and dry foods have equal pros and cons. It is best to test each with your pet to see which they prefer and which works best with your budget.