Is wet or dry dog food better?

Wet food comes in a can, tray or pouch. Dry food is kibble in a bag. People argue a lot about which is best. The rules and the research give a calmer answer. It depends on the dog, and on the label.

Is wet or dry food better for dogs?

Neither one wins for every dog. Both can meet the same food rules. A food that says “complete and balanced” is meant to be the only thing your dog eats. It can be wet or dry. So the words on the label tell you more than the form of the food does. For health needs, your vet knows your dog best.

The FDA says a complete and balanced food must meet a set of nutrient goals or pass a feeding test. Those goals come from AAFCO, the group that writes model pet food rules. There is one set for adult dogs and one for pups and moms. Wet or dry, a food has to clear the same bar. The pillar guide on complete and balanced food explains this label line in full.

So the choice often comes down to what your dog likes and what fits your life. Some dogs like the taste of wet food. Dry food is easy to store and to leave out. Both are fine ways to feed a dog.

How much water is in wet and dry dog food?

Wet food is mostly water. Dry food has very little. The FDA says canned pet food is often 75 to 78 percent water, while dry food is often 10 to 12 percent. That one gap shapes cost, calories and how the labels read.

Water has no calories. So a can holds fewer calories than the same weight of kibble. That is not good or bad. It just means your dog eats more of it by weight.

What about how much your dog drinks? One small study fed dogs kibble or a moist fresh food. The dogs on kibble drank more from the bowl. But the dogs on the moist food took in more water in all, from food plus bowl. That test did not use canned food. In a second test, the same study found no clear gap between the fresh food and a canned food. The paper also notes that some past studies found no gap in total water between canned and dry food. So the research is mixed. A pet food maker paid for the study. If your dog has a health reason to need more water, ask your vet.

How do you compare a wet food label to a dry one?

Take the water out first. The numbers on the bag or can count the water in. That makes wet food look low in protein and fat, even when it is not. The fix is to work out the numbers on a “dry matter” basis. That means the food with all the water taken out.

The label box you need is the guaranteed analysis, the list of protein, fat, fiber and water numbers. The FDA says those numbers are “as fed,” which means water is left in. The AAFCO goals are set with the water taken out. The AAFCO paper says the more water a food has, the bigger this gap gets.

Here is the math the FDA gives:

• First, subtract the water number from 100 (FDA). That is the dry part.
• Then divide the protein number by the dry part, and times it by 100 (FDA).

Try it. Say a can lists 8 percent protein and 78 percent water (FDA method). The dry part is 22, so the protein is about 36 percent with the water out (FDA method). Now say a bag lists 26 percent protein and 10 percent water (FDA method). The dry part is 90, so the protein is about 29 percent (FDA method). The can looked lower at first. With the water out, it is higher. The guide on how to read a dog food label walks through the rest of the label.

Why is wet dog food more expensive?

You pay for the water. A pound of wet food is mostly water, so it holds less food than a pound of kibble. That is one reason wet food can cost more for the same amount of food. The fair way to compare price is cost per calorie, not cost per can or bag.

The label helps here. AAFCO model rules call for calories to be shown per can or per cup. Divide the price by the calories in the whole pack. Do the same for the other food. Now you are comparing like with like.

Is it OK to mix wet and dry dog food?

Many owners mix the two. The key is to check each label. If both say complete and balanced, each can stand alone. If one does not, it may be meant as a treat or topper. Your vet can help you work out how much of each to feed.

The FDA notes that treats and snacks are often not complete and balanced. So read the fine print on each pack. Also add up the calories from both foods, not just one. If you are weighing other forms too, see fresh dog food vs kibble.

Whichever you pick, the label is what counts, and you can check it in seconds with Altie.