How much wet food should I feed my senior dog? Essential Tips

What Are The Most Popular Brands Of Canned Foods For Dogs?

As our furry companions age, their nutritional needs change. That’s why it’s important to choose a food that is tailored for seniors, like Hills Science Diet Senior. This food provides everything an older dog needs to stay healthy and active.

Hills Science Diet Senior is just one of many canned dog food brands available on the market today. Other popular brands include Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior, Merrick Classic Grain-Free Senior formula, Nutro MAX Senior, and Wellness Complete HealthSenior Formula.

When choosing a canned food for your senior dog, it’s important to consider his or her individual needs. For example, some dogs may need a diet that is high in fiber to help with digestion problems common in older animals. Others may need extra protein to maintain muscle mass as they age. And all seniors should have plenty of antioxidants in their diet to keep their immune system strong.

The best way to determine which type of food is right for your senior dog is to talk with your veterinarian about his or her specific dietary needs

How Much Wet Canned Food to Feed a Dog When It’s a Topper or Mixer

If you’re not wanting to switch from kibble entirely, you can also feed wet food as a topper. To do this, pair it with your pet’s favorite kibble and simply put some of the moist food on top. You’ll notice in the feeding guidelines above for K95 Turkey, there are also instructions for feeding it with dry product so just follow those instructions when using wet food as a topper.

One main advantage to using wet food as a topper is the increased palatability it adds to your pet’s food. If you have a picky pup who sometimes just doesn’t feel like eating, it’s worth a try to incorporate wet dog food into their meals every once in a while to get them excited about dinner time.

Using moist food as a mixer is very similar to the idea of using it as a topper, but in this case, you actually mix the wet dog food into the kibble. If your picky pet still isn’t eating all of their food with a topper, mixing it together may help your dog eat more of it.

How much wet food should I feed my senior dog?

How Much Wet Food to Feed a Dog Per Day?

One of the first things you need to know when determining how much wet food to feed your dog is how much your dog weighs. You don’t have to go to the vet to figure out how much your doggo weighs. All you have to do is:

  • Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale. Note your weight
  • Then, get down and pick up your dog (if it’s safe to do so).
  • Step back onto the scale.
  • Subtract your weight from the total weight shown on the scale.
  • For bigger dogs, put two bathroom scales together and instruct your dog to “sit” on the scales.

  • Calculate the correct portion size for your dog

  • Your dog’s food will have feeding instructions. However, these can be a bit vague, as most manufacturers will make suggestions based on a weight scale. For example, they may recommend feeding 150 grams for a dog that weighs 15 to 20 kilograms.

    However, if your dog weighs at the top end of the scale, 20 kilograms, you may want to feed them a smidge more if they’re more active and have a low body condition score.

    If you feed your dog twice per day, you will want to divide their portion in half.

  • Determine If You Want to Feed Your Dog a Mix of Wet and Dry Food

  • If you feed your dog a mix of wet and dry food, you will need to calculate how much wet versus how much dry food to feed your doggo. This is a bit more tricky than just feeding straight wet food, but the benefits of mixing the two often make the math worth it.

  • Read the feeding instructions on the dry food. Run the calculator in Step 2.
  • Review the feeding portion you calculated for your wet food.
  • Decide on what ratio of wet to dry food you want your dog to have. Most owners choose a ¼-wet to ¾-dry food mix or half-and-half.
  • For a 50-50 mix of wet and dry food, divide each number in Step 1 and 2 in half.
  • For a 25-wet/75-dry mix, divide your wet food portion by 4 and the dry food portion by 4 then multiply is by 3.

  • Divide your results in Step 4 by the number of portions you feed your dog daily.
  • Even though wet dog food has a higher moisture content than kibble, you still want to be sure your dog has enough water to drink. This will ensure they can make the most of the nutrition you provide them and help them stay healthy. Dogs need 4.5 ounces of water for every 4.5 kilograms of their weight every day [1].

    One of the best ways to encourage your dog to drink more water is to place a water bowl by their food dish or add some water to their food.

    Dogs that are more active need even more water. Active dogs need about 5.5 ounces of water for every 4.5 kilograms.

    My Dog Eats Wet Food Only? | Is that OK?

    When it comes to feeding your dog, there’s a fine balance between overfeeding, underfeeding, and reaching the perfect balance. If you feed your dog too much, they will wind up gaining weight. However, underfeeding your dog also has detrimental effects over time. If you’ve been wondering, “How much wet food should I feed my dog?” We have the answers you’re looking for.