How to Mix Wet and Dry Dog Food Without Overfeeding
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The usual way a dog gains weight on mixed feeding is not the wet food itself. It is the dry portion staying exactly where it was while a spoonful or two of wet goes on top. Each addition looks small, and over a few weeks the daily total quietly rises. The fix is a method: decide the dog's total for the day, then split it.
This guide uses two Forthglade products as worked examples, because their listings say the foods can be combined. The principle applies to any pair of complete foods.
Before you start
You need the feeding guide on your dry food, a set of kitchen scales, and ideally the calorie figure for each food. The Amazon.co.uk listings for the two examples we use do not state calories per 100g, so look at the pack or the manufacturer's site. Without that, you can still work in weights, but the result is rougher.
The Forthglade Cold Pressed Dry (Chicken & Vegetables) listing says it is complete for dogs from two months, and can be served alone or mixed with a good quality wet food, adjusting amounts accordingly. The Forthglade Complete Natural Wet Variety Pack is described as a complete meal that can be fed alone, as a complementary food or as a topper. Both listings tell you to adjust amounts when mixing and neither gives the arithmetic, which is what the steps below are for.
The steps
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Set the daily total. Find your dog's weight on the dry food's feeding guide and note the daily amount. Treat it as the whole day's food, including everything else your dog eats. Guides are rough, so many vets suggest adjusting from there based on body condition.
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Choose a role for the wet food. A topper is a small portion added for flavour. A mixer replaces a real share of the dry food. A full swap for some meals is a third option. Decide before you tip anything into the bowl.
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Subtract before you add. Reduce the dry portion first. If you have calorie figures, replace dry calories with wet calories one for one: work out the calories in your intended wet portion, convert that to grams of dry food using the dry food's kcal per 100g, and deduct that weight. Without calorie figures, many owners start by cutting the dry portion by roughly the share the wet food will take, then adjust.
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Weigh it. Use scales for the first week or two rather than scoops, which vary from person to person. A 395g tray is a large portion for a small dog, so you will probably feed part of a tray and need a plan for the rest.
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Count the treats. Chews, training rewards, dental sticks and scraps all add calories. A common rule of thumb is to keep treats to a small share of the day's food, and to take them off the meals on days when you use many.
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Check the dog, not just the bowl. Every two to four weeks, feel along the ribs and look from above. If you can no longer feel the ribs easily, trim the daily total slightly. If the ribs are very prominent, increase it. Weigh the dog if you have access to scales or ask your vet practice, which often offers free weigh-ins.
Example day
Imagine a dog whose dry guide says a certain number of grams a day. At breakfast, give the usual dry portion, minus the amount you are replacing. At dinner, serve about half of a tray, mixed with the remaining dry portion, and cover and refrigerate the other half. Keep a note on the fridge door of how much the dog has had, especially if more than one person feeds the dog.
The numbers will differ for every dog. Please treat this as a pattern, not a prescription.
Introducing the combination
If one of the foods is new, change gradually. The cold pressed listing recommends two weeks, starting with a 50/50 mix of the new food and the old, increasing the ratio slowly. If the wet food is new but the dry stays the same, start with a small portion over several days and watch the stools. Most dogs adjust within a few days, though sensitive dogs can take longer. Our guide to switching your dog's food sets out a schedule.
Problems to watch for
- Weight creep. The most common problem. Check body condition regularly.
- Fussy eating. Dogs that get a tasty topper may start to leave the dry portion. Keep the wet portion modest and consistent.
- Loose stools. A change in the ratio can cause this. Go back a step and slow down.
- Wet food left out. Cover leftovers, chill them promptly, and follow the storage guidance on the tray.
- Running out mid-transition. The cold pressed listing is for a 2kg bag, which a large dog will finish quickly, so work out how long it will last before you start.
For what it is worth, the cold pressed listing shows 4.4 out of 5 from 958 ratings at the time of writing, and the variety pack of 12 trays shows 4.4 out of 5 from 4,745. Ratings say how buyers felt, not what suits your particular dog.
When to stop and get help
If your dog is losing weight without trying, gaining it despite careful measuring, or has diarrhoea that lasts more than a day or two, speak to your vet rather than adjusting the food further. A dog with ongoing digestive symptoms may need a different approach altogether.
For a wider look at the choice itself, our practical wet versus dry guide explains what each format offers.
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