Can feeding complete wet food with complete dry food cause health probs?

[Den]

Sounds like a very old school of thought 

Never heard about it being harmful to the kidneys etc by feeding them at the same time. Just that you are altering the nutritional balance so it's pointless feeding two completes. Then again most just add meat as a 'topper' so they won't be feeding enough to alter the balance. I've heard them say its wrong but never because it causes health problems 

The only thing I've heard is dangerous is feeding raw with dry.

[Rosella moggy]

Ahh yes, there are a number of folks think it is wrong to feed complete wet and complete because you are unbalancing things. So if you feed wet it should be with a mixer and not a complete dry.

Yes that's what he was saying Den and he is now feeding his dogs some special type of complete dry only.  Suzanne he was talking about feeding complete wet and complete dry in same meal as being potentially harmful.  It all sounded a bit odd but I like the way he cuts my hair so didn't say that 

[Den]

Lol - I hate food related threads as everyone always thinks their way is the best .... And it is (for their own animals).

I do feed Memphis a combination ... He doesn't eat anywhere near the recommended nutritional amount of wet food so he gets some dry. The dry food is also nowhere near the recommended amount - but together they must be about right as he's very fit, very healthy and very active. And he's soooooooooooooooooooo Incredibly soft 

[Dawn F]

you can't please all the people all the time on this one!

[Den]

Ahh yes, there are a number of folks think it is wrong to feed complete wet and complete because you are unbalancing things. So if you feed wet it should be with a mixer and not a complete dry. But the amount of wet you need to feed to be as a complete meal is huge, so just a bit on top won't do any harm. No different to those who add egg, fish, fresh meat, veg or vitamins/supplements to the food (a lot of people do).

A lot of people in the dog world are also very anti wet food full stop - prefering just a dry food.

I'd tell your hairdresser to take no notice 

[Mark]

I actually think it's better to feed different foods if possible as they all have a slightly different nutritional balance - eg some are higher fat than others, some have higher protein content etc.  so you are more likely to get a balanced diet if feeding a variety.

I agree with that - I always think one company's idea of a balanced diet is different to another's.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I still don't understand whether he is meaning that there is a problem when you feed them together as in at the same time, or just together as in feeding both as part of the diet.  I can understand someone feelign a bit unusure of feeding a balanced diet if lots of different foods are fed but I think that as long as they are complete, it's fine to mix different types and brands.  I can't see that being different for dogs.   I actually think it's better to feed different foods if possible as they all have a slightly different nutritional balance - eg some are higher fat than others, some have higher protein content etc.  so you are more likely to get a balanced diet if feeding a variety.

[Rosella moggy]

Hairdresser was referring to advice he had been given for feeding his sharpee dogs and had been told that feeding complete wet and dry foods together could lead to health probs esp kidney related, something related to being difficult to get nutritional balance right.  He is particularly worried atm as one of his dogs recently had a fit (vet has no idea why) and he has convinced himself that it could be diet related. 

I said I'd never heard of such a problem with cats and most of my mine have thankfully reached a good age (touching wood as I type). 

I would so love to be able to return to the good old days of allowing puds to graze but think Noni, Millie and Ruby would explode     Perhaps one day when they are all a bit older and less food obsessed.

[Leanne]

Jess always gets his urinary biscuits on top of his wet food. He'll drink the water and jelly on the Felix but won't touch the meat until he has his urinary biscuits on it.

Milo gets his seperate, but then he is capable of grazing.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I just dont see the logic in feeding them together, as it seems to defeat the object of dry food to me, and if you have cats like mine that spend all day eating, the dry food is more likely to grow bacteria than if it was on its own.

It makes sense for me and Mosi.  He eats it all in one go so it doesn't hang around to allow bacterial growth.  Mosi has half wet and half dry for economical reasons and because he's a young, healthy cat.  But I like to give him some wet at every meal (if only to make it last longer so that he doesn't bother Jaffa when he's eating) and the dry just turns it into a full size meal for him.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I can't see any problem, as different foods have different nutritional values, so you might get a more even balance. I just dont see the logic in feeding them together, as it seems to defeat the object of dry food to me, and if you have cats like mine that spend all day eating, the dry food is more likely to grow bacteria than if it was on its own.

[Gillian Harvey]

I can't see why feeding them together is any different from giving them wet for one meal, dry for another - like Susanne said, the only potential prob could be digsestive. Mine have tinned in the morning, raw in the evening and dry at bedtime (apart from new girl Sasha, who's not allowed any dry due to previous problems with stones - so she has an extra tinned portion at bedtime  .

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

The thing is, no feeding plan will please all the so called 'experts' cause they all think differently anyway. As long as the cat is healthy and happy I really don't see what the fuss is about. I have often spent hours trawling through nutrition sites and trying out new things with my cats only to find they enjoy Felix a lot more than most foods! I make sure they also have wet food with a high meat content for one of their meals (Hi-Life or Natures menu) and also good quality dry (RC or JWB for example) and I will carry on that way cause it works for them.

[Bazsmum]

As long as it is balanced out I dont see a problem! 

[Mark]

I know Hill's were saying that people should use their wet & dry and basically they were playing with fire if they fed another brand along with their dry 

[Dawn F]

don't forget some people get quite rabid over feeding, it can cause as much trouble as discussing declawing - I know on another forum anyone using any dry food were considered as good as cat killers so it might just have been someone like that trying to scare them

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I don't see how feeding wet and dry together can cause problems different from any that might occur from feeding either separate.  I sprinkle dry on top of Mosi's wet.  The only potential problem I can imagine is digestive problems due to each taking a different length of time to pass through the digestive tract etc.  But unless that's a problem for a particular cat (it's not a problem for Mosi) then I wouldn't worry.  Did the hairdresser say why he thought it might cause problems?  Or was he referring more to feeding dry or wet per se?

[Mark]

I have always fed wet & dry complete food. Any "complementary" food is a treat AFAIAC

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

Mine have wet for dinner and breakfast and then some biccies to graze on in between- can't really see why it would cause a problem to be honest but would be  interested to see people's responses.

[Rosella moggy]

I have a tendency to sprinkle a few dry food bits (say about 10ish) on top of wet food for the puds (not so much with Noni due to her "diet"). 

Was talking to dog owning hairdresser this am and he was told not to feed his dogs (2 sharpees) a mixture of complete wet and complete dry foods as can cause kidney and other health issues.  It wouldn't concern me but I vaguely recall Desley asking me why I do this sometime ago (answer being something I used to do with Tom to get him to eat some wet food).  So anyone have any concerns about this?

I should add perhaps that nothing is ever left down in our house due to Noni, Millie and Ruby eating to excess given the chance so it is all gone in a flash.