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Is it normal for dogs to refuse dry food after eating wet food?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 22 days old

Is it healthy to alternate between dry and wet food daily ? I’ve been given Willis wet food in the morning and dry in the evening however lately he has been refusing to eat the dry food, is this normal ?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on September 27th, 2017

It is very normal for a dog to refuse dry food, as the wet food has more flavor. My advise would be to mix both wet and dry food together for each meal. This way Willis will get the benefits of each, and should eat them both well. There are only three pet food brands which are approved by veterinarians. These are science diet, royal canin and purina pro plan. Only these three Have undergone research to ensure they provide an adequate and nutritious diet for pets. This research is approved by veterinarians. Any other food brands may not be regulated or researched as thoroughly. For this reason I would only advise feeding one of those three.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi and thanks for your post. As long as it is the same brand and type of food, giving wet in the AM and dry in the PM should be OK. If not, switching types and brands of wet/dry foods can cause stomach upset. Refusing to eat the dry may not be a good thing as dry food is better for the teeth, but at 4 months of age, Willis is likely teething and may be in a little discomfort making the wet food a little easier to eat. What you may want to try doing is feed wet for the next couple of months but switch the dry food entirely when the adult teeth begin to become prominent around 6 months of age. Keeping on dry food will help reduce the build up of dental calculus. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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