If you’ve got a dog, you’ve definitely tried feeding them wet dog food at least once. But for one reason or the other, most of us just don’t stick to it. We always go back to our old feeding regime without even giving it a second chance. You see, this is exactly what I did as well. Turns out I was just feeding wet food to my dog the wrong way. There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind when feeding your dog wet food. Here are some wet food dog feeding tips and tricks that every pet parent needs to know:
PORTION SIZE
This wet food dog feeding tip is one that no one really follows as much as they should. Even though your dog will probably love it, you can’t just feed them the entire can of wet food. That’s not the best for their stomach and you’ll definitely struggle with picking up their stinky poop afterward. I once fostered a dog that would literally snatch the entire can of wet dog food from me when I didn’t pour the entire thing. This stuff can get super addictive if not given in the right portions. It’s pretty great that most wet foods come with feeding instructions in the back that tell you how much to feed according to weight.
PREVENT TOOTH DECAY
Preventing tooth decay is probably the most important wet food dog feeding tip we can give you. Wet food is usually associated with causing tooth decay since it’spretty soft and doesn’t have the ability to scrape off plaque from teeth. I didn’t know this back with my first dog and he ended up getting gingivitis and had to be on meds for quite a bit for his gums to heal. This is why it’s super important to always follow up wet food with a hard treat like a bone as this can help prevent tooth decay.
MIX WITH DRY FOOD
If your dog is anything like some of the ones I foster, chances are they’re spoilt and won’t accept anything less than a three-course meal. If I put just wet food or just dry food on their plates, they go ballistic. I’ve got one of those dog bowls that have dividers and I put a portion of wet food, dog food, and raw chicken in each of them. This is the only way they like their meals and there’s not much to do about it. Mixing with dry food is also a great wet food dog feeding trick as it prevents your dog from getting fed up with eating the same type of meals every day.
HYDRATE YOUR DOG
There are so many dog parents out there who wouldn’t refill their dogs’ bowls simply because they think they don’t need to because their dog is getting water from their wet food. While it is true that dogs do get water from wet food, it is still not enough water to completely cut off their main water supply. You should always have a fresh bowl of water ready for your dog after their meals, no matter if it’s dry food or wet food. This wet food dog feeding tip is one that is crucial for your dog’s hydration.
STORE PROPERLY
Let’s be real, it’s really annoying to have to store wet food. Not only does it stink, but it goes back really quickly. This is also why you shouldn’t fill your dog’s bowl completely as they could just end up leaving it out for long which can stink up the entire place. Awet food dog tip I can give you is to store it in a zip lock bag and then freeze it until it’s ready to be used. This prevents it from going bad and smelling bad.