Why is wet dog food so expensive

The number of dog food products on the market can make it very confusing for you to choose a diet that is appropriate for your pet. Not only are there tons of different brands and ingredients, but even the most basic choice of wet versus dry dog food can be overwhelming.

It’s important to always consult your veterinarian for more specific recommendations that best fit your dog’s lifestyle, but this article will go over the main differences between dry and wet dog food.

What's the Difference Between Wet and Dry Dog Food?

Both dry dog food and wet dog food can provide nutritionally balanced diets, but the major difference is in the way they are processed.

How Is Wet Dog Food Processed?

Wet food starts with grinding the protein sources, or meat ingredients. Then a gravy that contains vitamins, minerals, and grains is added. Once those are mixed, the food is cooked and sterilized to produce the canned product.

As a result, wet food has a much higher moisture content than dry food. You can see the percentage of maximum moisture on the label, under the Guaranteed Analysis section. A dry food might have around 10% moisture (max.) while a wet food might have something like 78% moisture (max.).

How Is Dry Dog Food Processed?

Dry food contains very similar ingredients, but instead of adding gravy and canning the product, the meat mixture is pulverized in order to create a consistent dough that can be cooked.

Once cooked, the dough is extruded through specifically shaped holes to form kibble. The kibble undergoes a drying process, and then is sprayed with fats, oils, vitamins, and minerals and packaged before the fats and oils can spoil.

Some dry dog food diets also add live probiotics to aid in digestive and immune health.

Is Wet or Dry Food Better for Dogs? Or Both?

Both types of dog food are good choices, but each has their own benefits and drawbacks depending on the nutritional needs of your pet.

Benefits of Wet Dog Food Compared to Dry Dog Food

Wet dog food, or “canned food,” sometimes provides benefits that dry food doesn’t offer, such as:

• Higher moisture content: Wet food may be a good choice if your dog doesn’t drink as much as they should, or if they have a medical condition that could benefit from proper hydration. One example would be a dog with a history of urinary or kidney disease.

• Palatability: Canned dog food is often more aromatic and flavorful when compared to dry food. This may entice sick or older dogs to eat if their appetite is decreased.

• Satiety: Wet dog food tends to create a longer-lasting feeling of being “full.” Increased satiety is useful in weight management, especially in dogs that seem to have a never-ending appetite.

• Easier to chew: Dogs that have dental disease or other oral abnormalities may find wet food easier to chew than dry food.

Benefits of Dry Dog Food Compared to Wet Dog Food

Dry dog food, or “kibble,” often offers certain benefits that wet food doesn’t provide, such as:

• Dental health benefits: Dry food encourages dogs to chew their food, which aids in preventing tartar buildup and secondary periodontal disease.

• Convenience: Compared to wet food, dry diets are much easier to pre-portion, and they won’t spoil if left out all day. This can be beneficial for dogs that are grazers.

• Financially feasible: Depending on the brand of food, dry diets may be less expensive to purchase and store long-term.

• Food enrichment: Kibble is easier to integrate into food puzzles and slow feeders that may improve a dog’s quality of life through cognitive stimulation.

What Wet Dog Food Do Veterinarians Recommend?

When choosing any type of dog food, it is always helpful to have your pet’s needs in mind, and to learn how to effectively read a pet food label.

The most commonly recommended dog food brands, by veterinarians, include: Royal Canin, Science Diet, and Purina Pro Plan. Here are a few wet dog food options for puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs:

What Dry Dog Food Do Veterinarians Recommend?

The most commonly recommended dry dog food brands, by veterinarians, are the same as for wet food: Royal Canin, Science Diet, and Purina Pro Plan. Here are a few dry dog food options for puppy, adult, and senior life stages:

Guide to Mixing Wet and Dry Dog Food

Mixing wet and dry dog food is another option that may provide the best of both worlds. However, it is very important to ensure you are still providing the proper daily feeding amount to prevent overfeeding.

The best way to do this is to have your local vet calculate your furry friend’s daily calorie requirements for maintenance. Then you can calculate how much dry and wet food your dog should have each day to reach that number of calories—and don’t forget to factor in any calories from treats.

Featured image: iStock.com/NickyLloyd

Here's a VERY interesting piece from Consumer Reports on pet food. There were two money-saving ideas packed into this evaluation of pet foods and I wanted to highlight them both. Let's start with this one:

"There's no scientific evidence that any food is better than the next," says Joseph Wakshlag, D.V.M., Ph.D., an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Pets can thrive on inexpensive food or become ill from pricey food. If your animal is active and healthy, the food is doing its job. A higher price could mean better ingredients and better quality control during and after manufacturing. But you might also be paying for pretty packaging, marketing, or a fancy name.

So you can stop buying that high-priced food for your pet because it's "better" for him. Turns out it isn't (unless your pet has a special need -- they cover this later in the piece.)

I also found this one to be interesting:

Do wet and dry [food] differ nutritionally? No, but there's a cost difference: Wet foods contain about 75 percent water, so you need more to get the same calories. The experts we spoke to said that the decision usually comes down to price, convenience, the pet's preference, and any health issues. Cats with kidney or urinary problems might benefit from the moisture in wet food, for example, and animals with dental issues might benefit from dry food.

In the absence of any pet health issues, looks like dry food is the way to go. It's the same nutritionally and a better value.

Now go out and buy Fido a nice doggie sweater with the money you just saved on these two tips. :-)

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) reports that pet owners now spend more on their pets than ever before. Roughly $42 billion was spent on pet food and treats in 2020, which is a 9.7% increase year-over-year.

Based on this data, it’s obvious that pet parents are feeding their animal companions the best food they can afford, but how can an average family budget for top-tier pet food during unstable economic times?

To help you wade through the abundance of online food alternatives and specialty brands, we’ve created an informal price comparison guide of popular dog and cat foods, which should help you start your cost-cutting journey without ignoring your pet’s health.

Current Annual Estimates for Dog and Cat Food

The Spruce Pets estimates dog food costs at $250 to $700 a year ($20 to $60 monthly). Specialty, premium, and prescription dog foods may cost as much as $100 a month.

Cat food costs a bit less, averaging $180 to $264 a year ($15 to $22 monthly).

Where You Shop Matters When It Comes to Cost and Convenience

In 2021, there are more options than ever for buying pet food: online marketplaces, pet stores, big-box discounters, grocery stores, and warehouse clubs. According to Checkbook.org, an independent, non-profit consumer advocacy organization, membership warehouse clubs, such as BJ’s, Sam’s Club, and Costco, typically charge less for pet food. However, keep in mind that Costco only sells its own brand of dog food, so variety may be more limited even if it is cheaper.

Research from Zulily notes that younger pet owners shop online more often than at brick-and-mortar pet stores. These shoppers have made pet food the most common pet-related item purchased online, and make most of their purchases at popular vendors like Amazon and Chewy.

How We Chose the Brands and Varieties for Our Price Comparison

PetPlace cannot ensure that a food is right for your pet, and any changes to your pet’s diet should be discussed with a veterinarian.

The brands and varieties of foods listed here were chosen solely to be a representative sample of commonly available, popular pet foods. We selected one adult dry dog and dry cat kibble, one “premium” dog and cat kibble, a canned dog and cat food, and puppy and kitten-specific dry food for our comparison.

The pet food market is divided into many different categories. Your pet’s unique needs may be the deciding factor for where or what type of food you buy. We did not compare prices for the following categories of pet food:

• Breed-Specific (large-breed vs. small-breed)
• Life Stage (except for including puppy and kitten varieties)
• Health Condition-Specific (prescription foods)
• Limited-Ingredient Foods (gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, raw, organic, or preservative-free foods).
• Freeze-Dried, Raw, or Home-Cooked Formulations (except for canned vs. dry kibble).

After private label, Pedigree is the leading brand for dry dog food, according to Statista, so we included this brand in our price comparison chart.

To allow for accurate price comparisons, we standardized the cost in dollars per pound or ounces. In addition, individual retailers may offer savings for buying larger bags or subscribing to regular shipments.

Dog Food Comparison Chart*

Cat Food Comparison Chart*

*Prices may vary

**Member-only price

Is Pet Food Getting More Expensive?

The short answer is yes.

There are several reasons you might experience sticker shock when buying pet food:

1. Increase in pet owners since the start of the pandemic.
2. Increase in millennial pet owners. Younger pet owners are willing to spend more on their pets than previous generations, which has resulted in an increase in prices.
3. “Premiumization.” This is the pet food manufacturers’ response to millennial-driven demand for “premium” foods.
4. Supply chain disruption related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of the pandemic and global industrial shutdowns, manufacturers now pay more for raw ingredients, manufacturing, shipping, and freight – and pass increased costs on to consumers.

Cat lovers may remember this past spring’s canned food shortage. Pet food producers Nestlé Purina and J.M. Smucker could not meet customer demand due to an aluminum packaging shortage, further driving costs up and limiting options for finicky felines.

As long as the pandemic continues, there will be disruptions in the pet food supply chain.

Ways to Save Money on Pet Food

Wanna save money on pet food?

Here are some great ways to save:

• Compare prices between vendors. Checkbook.com found that the most expensive prices were a whopping 40% higher than the lowest prices, meaning that there are bargains to be had.
• Buy in bulk if you don’t have a picky eater.
• Join loyalty and subscription programs.
• Remember, online shopping is not always cheaper than in-store shopping.
• If you do shop online, buy enough to qualify for free shipping.
• Invest in the highest-quality pet food you can afford, since it will help you avoid expensive vet bills down the road.

Don’t Be Fooled by the Price Tag

We know that consumers believe that a product is of a higher quality if it costs more. This cognitive bias invites pet food manufacturers and creative marketing departments to develop all kinds of premium foods with “luxury ingredients,” as well as charge a higher price. Unfortunately, when it comes to pet food, you don’t always get what you pay for.

There are no official standards for labeling a food or ingredient as premium or natural, so stick with the WSAVA, AKC, and your vet’s guidelines for which ingredients matter most. Take your vet’s advice, study ingredient lists carefully, and price shop to find the best combination of nutrition and value.

Pet insurance can be a safety net for you and your pet, helping your pet care budget go further.

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