Wet food or dry food? Which should you choose for your dog? The answer is both! Feeding your dog a mixture of both wet and dry food gives them a variety of tastes, textures and smells. Mixing two good quality wet and dry foods will give your pooch a nutritionally complete and balanced diet, meaning they’ll both provide your dog with all the nutrients they need to live a happy and healthy life. Adding wet food to your dog’s dry food diet increases your dog’s enjoyment of their food by adding the variety, flavours and textures they love!

1. Extra enjoyment

You might look at a tin of wet food and wonder if that would even touch the sides of your big dog’s appetite. But while that little tray of wet food might not be a full meal for some dogs, if you mix it with a high quality dry food for a meal they’ll truly enjoy. It might look like a dog’s breakfast but most dogs are massive foodies, and the flavour, texture and aroma in a messy bowl of mixed dry and wet food is the perfect way to satisfy their appetite.

2. It's a treat

Dogs often love wet food so much, so you can give it to them as a treat to reward good behaviour, or just to share some love.

3. To tempt picky eaters

Dogs have a strong sense of smell, and the delicious aroma of wet food will often tempt the pickiest of eaters to finish their meal. An older dog whose sense of smell has started to diminish might be more tempted by wet food than dry food, which can help them keep their appetite up.

4. It's easier to chew

If your puppy is teething, they may have some pain when eating dry food alone. For example, if you add MY DOG Puppy food to their IAMS Puppy Food you'll find it can make the food softer and easier to chew. Likewise, if older dogs have lost some teeth or have sensitive gums, they might find it easier to chew IAMS Mature dog food if it’s been mixed with wet food first.

5. Added hydration

If your dog doesn’t get enough water during the day, wet food can help keep them hydrated. The extra water content of wet food can also help with weight management as it helps your dog feel fuller sooner.

As you add wet food into your dog’s diet, don’t forget to reduce their usual amount of dry food to avoid overfeeding. And when introducing new foods, do so gradually to avoid digestive troubles.

This does not replace the advice of your pet health professional.

If you need advice on choosing the best quality wet and dry food to mix, feel free to contact the Pet Direct's Customer Service Experts on 0800 200 240.