Raw, wet or dry? Picking the right food for your dog

As a professional dog trainer, I frequently assist owners with doggy lifestyle and health questions as well. One very common one is “What should I feed my dog?” Unfortunately, picking the right food is not always a straight-forward and easy decision. There are many factors to consider, ranging from budget over your dog’s breed, age and health to ease of use of a particular food. Today we want to look at the different types of dog food and see which one is best for which dog!

Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash

Dry food – “kibble”

Dry food is the most commonly used type of dog food. It is conveniently available in any pet store or supermarket, can be stored over long periods of time and comes in many different flavors. It also is the most affordable type of food on the market. This makes it a great choice for most adult, healthy dogs. Especially owners of large or giant breeds such as a Great Pyrenees or King Shepherd will be able to save a lot of money by picking kibble over wet or raw food.

Dry food however is – obviously – dry and hard and therefore not suitable for older dogs or dogs with teeth problems. Your dog needs to be able to chew very well if you feed kibble. This can also be a problem for young puppies whose little teeth cannot yet crack big pieces of kibble.Wet food works best for

• Medium and large breeds
• Adult and healthy dogs with strong teeth
• Owners with multiple dogs who have to watch their monthly food expenses

Raw food

Once upon a time all dogs were more or less raw-fed (200 years ago nobody was buying kibble for their dogs – it did not exist! Dogs would get table scraps and raw pieces of game).

In the last it has become popular again to feed dogs raw food. The reasoning behind it is that this is the most natural way for dogs to eat and a foundation of good health.

If raw feeding is done well it can indeed contribute to a dog’s overall wellbeing. Especially highly athletic dogs benefit from raw food as it gives them an extra boost of energy. And – of course the dog will love the taste of raw meat.

A big danger however lies in not being able to balance all necessary ingredients well. Dogs cannot simply eat raw chicken – they require organ meat, muscle meat, bones … and all of these need to be fed in the right nutritional balance. Neglecting to research the different amounts of meat your dog needs can quickly result in malnutrition and do more harm than good.

If you want to explore raw-feeding for your dog, be prepared for a steep learning curve.

An alternative is to purchase premade raw food. Pet food companies sell this in pet stores or large supermarket chains. This food is already nutritionally balanced and contains all necessary ingredients. It is however rather pricey – if you have a medium or large breed dog, it could easily cost upwards of $300/month to feed your dog with premade raw food.

Raw food can be especially good for:

• Working dogs such as police K9s or military dogs
• Dogs that participate in dogs sports and need a lot of energy – such as agility or dock diving dogs
• Dogs that go on long hikes or backpacking trips with their humans

Wet food

Canned wet food is a popular food option – easy to store and often the only food a senior dog or dog with tooth problems will accept. It comes in a variety of flavors and sizes.

On the downside, wet food is more expensive than kibble and can be difficult to afford, especially with a large breed dog or a growing puppy who eats a lot!

Wet food is easy to chew and often comes with “gravy” which is especially popular with picky or sick dogs.

While you can spoil your pooch with feeding wet food as a main food, it is not necessary for most adult and healthy dogs.

Don’t worry if you cannot afford an all-wet-food diet. A good alternative is to also mix two tablespoons of wet food with your dog’s kibble. That way he will still enjoy the taste of wet food, but one can will last a lot longer!

Wet food is especially good for:

• Aging dogs
• Dogs with teeth issues, or dogs that have had teeth removed
• Young puppies
• Many small-breed dogs who tend to not chew very well, such as Chihuahuas or Chinese Cresteds
• Dogs that recently had surgery or injuries

Transitioning foods

If you want to switch from one food to another, do not rapidly change your dog’s diet. This could upset his stomach and cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Instead, gradually replace the current food. If you for example are planning to go from wet food to kibble, mix some kibble in your dog’s wet food for a few days. Gradually you increase the amount of kibble and decrease the amount of wet food. The more sensitive your dog’s stomach is, the longer this process will take. Some dogs need several weeks to completely switch from one food to another.
 
 

The Bottom Line

Which food works best for your dog will depend on his breed, age, health and also your food budget. Many dogs eat different foods at different points in their life. They might start out on wet food as a puppy, switch to kibble as a young adult; be raw-fed during an especially active period and switch back to wet food as a senior.

You can always consult your veterinarian for additional information and help with choosing the correct food for your dog. If you are planning on switching foods, make sure to gradually introduce the new food over a period of days or weeks – otherwise your pup’s stomach could get upset!

Author’s Bio:

Steffi Trott is the owner and founder of SpiritDog Training. Originally training dogs in-person, she added online training in 2018 to her business. Steffi strives to provide game-based, positive training solutions for owners and their dogs.

When she is not training other owners’ dogs she competes in dog agility or hikes in the New Mexico and Colorado wilderness with her own 4 dogs.