Diet Types: BARF, Homemade, Mixed
Mixed Feeding: Combining Kibble with Cooked or Wet Food
Discover the benefits of mixed feeding for your dog. Combining kibble with cooked or wet food can offer better nutrition, hydration, and variety than either alone.
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Enter weight and activity level — 10 seconds and you get the daily portion.
Mixed Feeding
The best compromise between control, convenience, and palatability.
Why It Works
- Kibble provides the base (balanced)
- Fresh component adds variety, hydration, and flavor
- Cost-effective
- Convenient
- Picky eaters love it
Typical Ratios
- Stable, Long-term: 70% dry + 30% homemade/wet
- Sensitive Stomach: 60% dry + 40% wet (more hydration)
- Senior: 50/50 (easier to chew)
- Active Working Dog: 80% performance dry + 20% wet
How to Calculate Calories
Common mistake: adding more food → weight gain.
Correctly:
- Calculate daily caloric needs
- Divide according to ratios
- SUBTRACT appropriate kibble for the fresh portion
Example: 22 lb (10 kg) dog, 500 kcal daily.
- 70% kibble = 350 kcal → ~3.4 oz (95 g)
- 30% fresh = 150 kcal → ~5.3 oz (150 g) cooked chicken + vegetables
Basic Combinations
A: Kibble + cooked chicken + vegetables — simplest B: Kibble + wet food — convenient C: Kibble in the morning, fresh in the evening — varied D: Seasonal fresh — more hydrating in summer
What to Watch Out For
1. Gradual Transition — 7-10 days. 2. Nutrient Balance — above 30% fresh, add calcium (egg shell powder to the fresh portion). 3. Hygiene — fresh daily, fridge max 2 days, freezer max 1 month. 4. DO NOT pre-mix for the day — portion per meal.
Wet Food Ratio
70-80% dry + 20-30% wet is a healthy ratio.
When It Works Best
✅ Healthy adult dogs, owners who like control, picky eaters, senior dogs
When NOT to Use It
⚠️ Allergic dogs during elimination diet: only limited ingredient + same protein in fresh portion ⚠️ Acute digestive episodes: mono-diet ⚠️ Diabetic, kidney disease, pancreatitis: veterinary consultation required
Fresh Component Ideas
- Cooked chicken breast + carrots
- Turkey breast + sweet potato
- White fish + pumpkin
- Butternut squash + chicken liver + peas
- Canned sardines in water 1-2x weekly
Daily Cost Comparison (44 lb / 20 kg dog, 700 kcal/day)
- Premium dry only: most affordable
- 70/30 mixed: ~30-40% more than dry only
- Homemade only: ~2x the cost of dry only
- Commercial BARF: ~3-4x the cost of dry only
Free tool — no sign-up
Enter weight and activity level — 10 seconds and you get the daily portion.
References
- 1.WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee — WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines. World Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2021. https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/global-nutrition-guidelines/ (accessed: 2026-09-10)
- 2.FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation) — Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs. FEDIAF, 2024. https://europeanpetfood.org/self-regulation/nutritional-guidelines/ (accessed: 2026-09-10)
- 3.National Research Council (US), Committee on Animal Nutrition — Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. National Academies Press, Washington DC, 2006. https://doi.org/10.17226/10668 (accessed: 2026-09-10)
This is general information and does not replace a veterinary diagnosis.
This guide was compiled based on the expert input of Reka Fazekas-Birizdo canine nutritionist.
Certified Canine Nutritionist