Making the Transition to Dry Dog Food

If you’re feeding your dog a high-quality, nutritionally complete pet food, whether wet or dry, Jeanette, she shouldn’t have any nutritional problems from eating just one or the other. However, if you’re concerned about her eating habits, you may consider a trip to the veterinarian to have her mouth examined—dental problems can often cause a pet to choose soft rather than hard food. Some pets also simply prefer one consistency of food over another, so it’s possible she enjoys the “feel” of wet food best.

If you do continue to encourage your dog to eat dry rather than wet food, we would recommend making the transition slowly, over a period of five to seven days. Start by adding 25% dry food to your pet's 75% wet food. Gradually increase to 50% dry and 50% wet, slowly going up to 75% dry, 25% wet, and eventually transitioning to 100% dry food. Going slowly will give your dog time to adjust to her new food and will also decrease the chances of causing digestive upset with the change.