Can puppies eat wet food every day
When to start feeding puppies wet food: A vet weighs in on how to wean
When to start feeding puppies wet food is asked by many first-time dog owners. Getting a new puppy for the first time is an extremely exciting experience and a time when you and your pup will experience a lot of firsts together - one being moving your puppy onto wet food.
Up until 3-4 weeks old most puppies should still be getting all the necessary nutrients from their mothers milk or a milk replacement. Once a pup comes off the milk, theyll move onto a solid food diet but as their teeth are still growing this might look like a gruel (a mixture of dry puppy food and water to soften it). The reason they dont graduate straight onto the best wet dog food from milk is that wet food doesnt have the right amount of calories that a puppy needs to develop and thrive during this stage of growth.
If youre in need of a full run-down on weaning your puppy from the very early stages right through to starting them on wet food, carry on reading. Vet Elizabeth Racine has included everything you should know below
Small animal general practice veterinarian, Dr. Elizabeth Racine, is a specialist in pet health and wellness. She covers everything from veterinary behavior, internal medicine and nutrition. Away from her surgery, Dr. Racine writes for major companies in the industry from the American Kennel Club to Elanco and CareCredit to Bayer PetBasics.
How to wean a puppy
Weaning puppies begins around 3 weeks of age. Weaning should always be a gradual process and puppies should never be abruptly taken away from the mother. Instead puppies should be offered a semi-solid food.
Feeding wet food to puppies at this stage is not recommended, because wet food does not contain enough calories to support a young puppys rapid rate of growth. Wet food is also very rich and may cause stomach upset in young puppies during weaning.
Create a mush
During the weaning stage, puppies should be fed mush. This can be made by mixing an appropriate dry puppy food with water and allowing it to sit overnight in the refrigerator, forming a soft mush. This mush can then be heated in a microwave (mix thoroughly and check carefully for hot spots!) and offered to the puppies.
Most puppies will start eating the mush right away, but some may need a day or two to get used to the idea. Its also important to let the puppies see mom eating solid food during this time, because puppies will often mimic their mothers behavior.
Provide fresh water
Be sure to also provide a shallow tray of fresh water for the puppies to drink from and possibly play in! Once the puppies are eating the mush well, you can gradually decrease the water content to make the mush more solid. During this time, the mother should be naturally weaning the puppies by decreasing their access to her milk supply. This, combined with their newfound interest in solid foods, will naturally wean the puppies off of milk and onto puppy food.
When to start feeding puppies wet food
When the puppies are eating solid dry food consistently and are no longer nursing from their mother, wet food can be introduced into their diet. For most puppies, wet food can safely be introduced at around 6-8 weeks of age. Wet food may be too rich for some puppies, so introduce only small amounts at first and ensure there is no gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, or bloating before you increase the amount of wet food you are offering to the puppies.
Because wet food has a high moisture content, you may notice that the puppies drink slightly less water than they did when they were eating a solely dry food diet. This is normal and is not cause for alarm as long as the puppies remain well-hydrated.
Is wet or dry food better for puppies?
For neonatal puppies, dry food soften with water is better than wet food. This is because wet food has a very high moisture content and a lower calorie content, so the puppies feel full before theyre able to consume enough calories to meet their bodies needs.
Because dry food has a higher calorie content than wet food, it is a better choice for puppies during the weaning process. Once the puppies have been weaned and are eating solid food consistently, the choice to feed wet food or dry food is just a matter of preference. As long as the diet you choose is complete and balanced and age-appropriate for your puppy, theres no significant difference in health benefits between wet food and dry food.
Choosing a wet food for your puppy
If you do decide to feed your puppy wet food, it is important to make sure you choose a product that is healthy and balanced to support your puppys growth and development. Check the back of the can for the AAFCO Statement (US) or the Statutory Statement (UK) which should say something like formulated for growth or for growing puppies. If your puppy is a large or giant breed, choose a wet food specifically formulated for large breed puppies. The statement on the back of the can should say for the growth of large breed puppies or similar.
Youll also want to ensure that the wet food you choose is from a reputable company, which you can do by utilizing the World Small Animal Veterinary Associations guidelines on selecting pet food or by asking your veterinarian for a product recommendation.
For more information on how to select a pet food, you can learn how to read a pet food label or check out the recommendations from board certified veterinary nutritionists
How much to feed your puppy
Pet parents always ask How much should I feed my puppy? This is a difficult question to answer, because the right amount to feed your puppy depends on many individual factors such as your puppys age, breed, current weight, and body condition, as well as the calorie content of the food you are currently feeding and the number of meals per day your puppy gets.
As you can see, with so many factors involved theres no answer that works for all puppies! Instead, your veterinarian is your best resource to help you determine how much to feed your puppy to ensure he or she is getting the right amount of calories to support healthy growth and development.
As long as your puppy is fully weaned and eating solid food, its okay to introduce some wet food into his or her diet. Just start out with small amounts and watch out for any digestive upset, which can occur with diet changes. If your puppy enjoys wet food and tolerates it well, its okay to make this type of food part or all of his or her meal wet food is just as healthy for dogs and dry food!
Got more questions? Puppy not eating? Noticing puppy aggression? We've got all the answers here for you.
Is It Alright If My Dog Only Eats Wet Food? Vet Approved Facts & FAQ
We all want to ensure that we are feeding our dogs a well-balanced diet that meets all their nutritional needs. Not only are there an overwhelming number of choices for dog food brands and food varieties, but there is a lot of confusion on what exactly is good and what is bad in terms of dog food.
So, when it comes to wet food, you can most definitely feed your dog wet food alone, if thats what you and they prefer. The wet pet food market is growing and is expected to continue that growth as more and more owners educate themselves on all things dog food. Well take an in-depth look into this below to help you decide if feeding only wet food is suitable for you and your pup.
How Does Wet Food Stand Up to Dry Food?
Wet or canned dog food does not differ in terms of nutritional value or digestibility when compared to dry kibble. Wet foods are formulated to meet a dogs dietary needs; you just must ensure you are feeding the correct amount of food based on your dogs age, size, and activity level. This information will be located on the foods label, just as it is with dry food varieties.
There are plenty of wet food options on the market, with brands falling under Mars Petcare as the leader in sales for the industry. As with dry food, its important to choose high-quality wet food. Make sure to read the label, check the list of ingredients, and see if the food has been created to meet the AAFCO guidelines for pet nutrition.
Benefits of Wet Food
There are quite a few reasons why wet food is beneficial as a food choice for dogs. Whether you choose to feed exclusively wet food or use it as a topper, here are the benefits of opting for wet food:
Palatability
Theres no way around it, wet dog food is much more appetizing to dogs than dry food is. Canned wet foods come complete with enticing aromas that can convince even the pickiest of eaters to enjoy a hearty meal. Wet food also comes in a variety of different textures, such as pate, solid, cuts, cubes, and shreds, giving some versatility so that you can find the perfect texture for your pup.
Its Easier to Chew
While there are some downsides to wet food being so easy to chew, it can also be very beneficial, especially for senior dogs and those that suffer from dental issues or deformities. So, in addition to being aromatic and tasty, its very soft and easy for any dog to consume.
Higher Water Content
Wet dog food is much higher in moisture than dry kibble, typically running between 75 and 80 percent moisture. The high-water content helps your dog stay well-hydrated. Dehydration puts serious stress on the kidney, which can lead to some serious health problems over time. The moisture also helps keep the stomach full and discourages overeating.
Fewer Carbohydrates
Wet food contains more meat and fewer carbohydrates than dry dog food. This means there is a higher fat and protein content, and their overall carbohydrate intake will be much less with canned food varieties. Diets high in carbohydrates can lead to obesity, which can cause a slew of other serious health concerns. Overall, wet food can prevent weight gain and even help with weight loss goals for those that need to shed a few pounds.
Long Shelf Life
Most wet foods will have a shelf life that ranges from 2 to 5 years unopened. Opened cans of dog food generally last anywhere from 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator once opened.
The Downside of Wet Food
Theres no way around it. Lets talk about some of the downsides to wet food:
More Expensive
One of the main reasons dog owners opt to steer clear of feeding wet food exclusively is due to the expense. With wet food, you need to buy much more than you would with dry kibble choices. For owners of large dogs, the expense of a wet food-only diet will be quite expensive to keep up with the amount larger dogs need to get their fill.
Less Convenient
Feeding wet food can get quite messy and be a bit more time-consuming than scooping out and measuring kibble. Its a good idea to opt for a food mat under the dog bowl to prevent extra mess and lessen your clean-up. The smell that entices your dog so much may not be too appealing to you, either.
Spoils Quickly If Left Out
When you feed kibble, you can simply leave it out for your dog to graze or put away what wasnt eaten. You cant do the same with wet food varieties. Wet food will spoil within 2 to 4 hours if left out in the bowl. The good news is that if you get it into the refrigerator in time, it can last up to a week. Be sure to check the specific can label for more accurate information on shelf life.
Creates More Trash
Theres no doubt that when compared to dog food, canned food will create much more trash than your bag of kibble. Exclusive wet food feeders will go through cans like crazy. Thankfully, these cans are typically recyclable but its easy to get overwhelmed with the number of cans youll be separating for trash day. Its an idea to rinse out the cans when youve used it all, as the food stuck to the lining of the can will still hold that aroma and may encourage your dog to go diving face-first into the trash to get some more.
Risk of Tartar Buildup
We discussed in the last section how wet food is beneficial for being easy to chew, but the downside to that is that it can eventually lead to tartar buildup. Dry dog food will make dogs chew harder and the texture of the kibble can help prevent excess tartar buildup and stave off dental issues.
Higher Fat Content
Of course, the fewer carbohydrates are a great benefit to wet food, but the higher fat content may not be suitable for all dogs. Dogs that have sensitivity to high-fat food or are predisposed to pancreatitis may not fare well on a wet food-only diet. This is something to discuss directly with your veterinarian since they are familiar with your dogs overall health condition.
Using Wet Food as a Topper
As you can see, wet food has its good points and bad points. This leads many owners to choose to use wet food as a topper to dry kibble to reap the benefits but not have to foot the expense and other inconveniences of feeding a full wet food diet.
You can either add the wet food right into the dry food and mix it in thoroughly, or you can choose to place it on top. For picky eaters, its recommended to mix it all in or you may have a dog that is just eating the wet right off the top and leaving the rest.
Adding the wet food into the mix not only makes the meal more aromatic and appetizing but also adds some beneficial moisture. There are packets of toppers available, but you can easily use your typical can of food and use a lid for storage in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
You can most certainly choose to feed your dog a wet food-only diet if you ensure you are feeding high-quality wet food in the correct quantity. Because wet food-only diets can get quite expensive, especially for larger dogs and multiple-dog households, a lot of owners choose to use wet food as a topper to mix in with dry food. This allows your dog to obtain the benefits of both food types and is more budget-friendly and convenient for you overall.
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Featured Image Credit: Irina Kozorog, Shutterstock
