Our pets are everything when it comes to taking care of them. It’s our job as owners to make they are groomed, have the proper shots and are being fed good decent food. A lot pet owners are very strict on what their dog may eat. Often times, the pet might lose interest in a particular type of food you’ve been feeding them for months. That said, there are some way you can rejuvenate your pet’s eating needs by possibly mixing their foods, especially for dogs.

If you are currently feeding your dog wet of dry food, there are certainly benefits for doing this. Dry food is normally the best option for most pet owners because it’s just cheaper and easier. It really helps their oral health when they are chewing. They experience a brushing effect that is removing tarter and plaque buildup, loosening bacteria and getting rid of nasty bad breath.

Wet Food often is not the best for some owners. However, if you find that your pet is not finishing his or her plate, the wet food may be the solution. Many dogs gravitate to its smell and texture. Wet food is good for keeping your dog hydrated. Depending on your fussy dog’s diet, you may want to consider mixing both wet and dry dog food.

Why Would You Want To?

First of all, when you do a mix feeding for your dog, you are giving him or her a balanced meal. It gives them a chance to enjoy both textures and to get the benefits of both food types. When they see they have a choice of both dry and wet, this may encourage them to lick that bowl clean. With a fussy dog, the smells of the mixed plate can draw their attention to at least trying it. Mixing wet and dry dog food can be very nutritional for your pet. If you want more clarity, it doesn’t hurt to reach out to your local veterinarian for advice.

Is it a good idea?

As mentioned, there are strong benefits of mixing wet and dry food for your dog. It gives a nutritional value to their meals. The aroma alone will get a picky pet to try it at least once. However, when you mix your dog’s food you are only helping their health, hurting it. So it is a good idea to consider mixing food if they tend to shy away from one or the other. Dry food is good but they will drink way more water to get hydrated. They can also lose their food satisfaction because a hard biscuit just isn’t cutting it. Wet food keeps their hydration intact and has the allure. So it’s smart to take advantage of the health benefits in both type of foods.

The Do’s & Don’ts Of Mixing Dog Food

DO’s:

Consider mixing food that has different textures, aromas and shapes. These are some of the most important attributes that will jump start your dog’s appetite. It’s best to try to change thing up a bit by creating a mix of these characteristics.

Try adding some water to your dog’s kibble. It can be hard to break some pets from their beloved kibble, but if their interest starts to drift off, add some water. You can try about 1/4 cup of water to the top for moistening purposes. It will certainly increase the flavor.

Mix canned and dry food to help with moisture. In the end, this will ease up on the costs for you at the store. When selecting your canned food, make sure it matches with your dog’s diet.

DON’Ts

Before you launch into mixing anything, it’s best to call your local veterinarian for advice. This helps because you want to consider your pets current health condition and diet before you begin mixing foods that may cause a negative effect. Your dog may react adversely to specific vitamins or minerals embedded in some foods. So instead of guessing, consult your vet to avoid any issues or health problems with your pet.

It’s also best not mix therapeutic foods with other types of foods as well. Connect with your vet on this to get some good sound advice. For pets on therapeutic diets, which are designed hinder health problems, it’s best you don’t add any other food to this kind of diet. It’s possible you may harm your pet or through their system out of whack.

Tips for Mixing Foods Well

Maintain Portion Control

Many super premium foods will have a specific portion size to give to your pet based on their body weight. It can be very different when dealing with wet or dry foods. There are fewer calories per each gram in wet food. When you are changing from one diet to mixed feeding, its not just half a cup of this or a half a cup of that – ask the retailer or your vet. You want to make sure portions fit with your dog’s weight for their health.

Gradual Change

We often believe our dog will eat anything and everything you might feed them. However, this mostly is not true as some pet’s stomachs are sensitive.  This is why you want to gradually disrupt their diet to mixing food over a few days. It allows their digestion to adjust to the new food. A great tip is to mix a small portion on the first day and then go from new to old over a seven-day period until everything is thoroughly mixed on the final day.

Overall, mixing wet and dry food doesn’t have to difficult. The best thing you can do is make sure you have a good balance, understand your portions versus your dog’s body weight, don’t rush into the process, remember to consider your dog’s tastes and stomach sensitivity and don’t start mixing anything until you have consulted with your local veterinarian.

Most dogs will down anything edible — and sometimes things that aren’t — before they even hit the floor. So when a dog with a healthy appetite suddenly becomes picky, it’s a cause for concern.

Occasionally, a dog may not eat because of illness or stress, but some dogs, like people, are particular about their food. If your best friend is turning his nose up at his kibble, consider these tips to get things back on track.

1. If your dog is new to your household or you’ve moved to a new home, stress may be dampening his appetite. It can take several days for a dog to become comfortable in a new environment and a few missed meals is no cause for concern in these circumstances if there are no other signs of illness. Don’t change foods too quickly or try to entice him to eat with human food. Being patient and sticking to a feeding routine is the best way to help him acclimate.

2. A dog with big appetite that stops eating suddenly may be ill. Common causes include viruses, kidney disease, pancreatitis, parasitic infections and gastrointestinal distress due to eating inappropriate food or even non-food items. If your dog doesn’t eat for more than 48 hours and nothing has changed in his routine, it’s worth a visit to the veterinarian.

3. Physical problems can masquerade as finicky behavior. Check inside your dog’s mouth for irritation, lost teeth, foreign bodies and stiff objects such as sticks or rawhide chews that can lodge between the teeth on the roof of their mouth. An older dog with missing teeth may be less picky eating canned food while one with arthritis in their neck or spine may just need a raised feeder to avoid the discomfort of bending their head toward a bowl on the floor.

4. Has the feeding environment changed? Dogs thrive on routine and changing the location of the food dish may cause them not to eat. If a feeding area must be relocated, start from scratch and move the bowl a few feet at a time over several days until it’s transitioned to a new location. Avoid feeding your dog in areas where other pets or outside noises may cause stress or distraction.

5. Check the food. Be suspicious of any label that says “new and improved.” Some dogs like variety in their diet, but many don’t and may be picky about food that tastes different. If a new diet is a must, mix the new food in slowly with the old over a week to ten days. Always make sure the food is fresh and free from mold or pests. Avoid keeping dry food in direct sunlight — it may lose both flavor and nutrition.

6. Verify with family and neighbors that the dog isn’t being fed — or helping himself — outside of mealtime. A dog full of cat food, table scraps or the neighbor’s garbage isn’t likely to jump at a fresh bowl of chow.

7. Well-meaning owners can unwittingly create a picky eater by feeding treats the dog likes more than his balanced diet. Treats should be reserved for after mealtime and limited for at least a few hours prior. Avoid human food.

8. Variety may be the spice of life for people, but most dogs experience less gastrointestinal sensitivity with a consistent diet. Commercial food is marketed more for its appeal to people and their flavor preferences than it is to dogs. With less than a quarter of a human’s taste buds, a dog’s sense of flavor is weaker. If you want to give your dog a pleasurable variety that won’t cause a stomach ache, mix a small amount of canned food in with dry kibble. The moisture enhances the smell, appealing to the dog’s strong olfactory sense.

9. Ill puppies with runny noses and older dogs may lose some of their keen sense of smell. Using canned food instead of dry kibble may increase the dog’s interest in food and heating it slightly can help.

10. Try another brand of dog food. Dogs are not as selective as people, but they do have preferences. Changing food may irritate your dog’s stomach and cause loose stool for a few days after the change, but feeding the new food in small amounts initially can help. If nothing has changed after two brands, stick to your choice and don’t give in. Offer the same food twice daily until hunger takes over and he decides to give it a try.

If your dog isn’t eating, it’s natural to worry, but most picky eating behaviors that are not caused by illness can be changed. As with all dog training, the key to overcoming your dog’s finicky behavior is patience and consistency.