Tip 1: Start by talking with your vet or retailer
A lot of dog foods are now specifically formulated for different life stages or for particular health conditions. Before you begin combining a wet and dry diet, it's worth having a conversation with your vet to make sure that you're giving your dog the right amount of the right food for their age stage and health profile.
Tip 2: Maintain portion control
Super Premium dog foods have specific portion sizes for particular sizes and bodyweights of dogs. These differ between wet and dry diets. Wet food contains less calories per gram than dry food. When you substitute some of one type of diet as you transition to mixed feeding, it isn't as simple as swapping half a cup of dry for half a cup of wet. Super Premium packets should include some guidelines on portion control, but if you are uncertain ask the retailer or pet food company for feeding guidelines that will maintain your pet at a healthy body weight.
Tip 3: Make the change gradual
Dogs might seem like they can eat anything, but sometimes their stomachs can be quite sensitive. This is why it is recommended that any change in their diet is handled gradually over a number of days. That way their digestion has time to adjust. A good rule of thumb to follow is to mix in a very small amount of the new food on day one and gradually alter the balance of new to old over seven days until you're serving the final balance of mixed food on day seven.
Tip 4: It doesn't have to be all-in-one
There is no need to mix the dry food and the wet food in the one bowl when you feed your dog. In fact, you don't even need to serve them at the same time. One of the benefits of dry food is it doesn't spoil easily or leave a strong smell, which makes it perfect to leave out during the day if your dog likes to snack rather than gobble their food down. Then you can serve them their wet food in the evenings.
Tip 5: Don't forget the water
Of course, there are plenty of benefits in giving your dog a mixture of wet and dry food. One of these is that wet food helps to keep them hydrated. However, it only does part of the job. That's why you should always make sure that there is a constant supply of cool, fresh water on hand. Keep it out of the sun so it doesn't get hot, have more than one bucket or bowl so there's a backup if one gets tipped over while you're not there and keep an eye on how clean it is. Some dogs are notorious for dipping their dirty paws into the water.