How much to feed
Do wet and dry food have the same calories per gram?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
No, wet food is much less calorie dense than dry food gram for gram, typically providing around 70 to 100 kcal per 100g compared to 350 to 400 kcal per 100g for a typical dry food. This difference exists because wet food contains a large amount of water, so a dog needs a considerably larger gram weight of wet food to match the same calorie total as a smaller weight of dry food.
Why the gap is so large
Dry food has most of its moisture removed during processing, concentrating the calorie content into a smaller weight, while wet food retains a high water content, often 70 to 85 percent, which dilutes the calories per gram considerably.
This means a direct gram for gram comparison between wet and dry food is misleading, and any switch between the two needs to be based on calories, not weight.
What this means for portioning
A dog needing 800 kcal a day might need only around 210g of a typical dry food, but around 800 to 1,100g of a typical wet food to get the same energy, a very different looking portion in the bowl.
If you switch from dry to wet food using the same gram weight as before, you will significantly underfeed your dog unless you recalculate based on calories.
Comparing specific products
Because wet food calorie density varies more between brands and recipes than dry food does, always check the specific calorie content per 100g on the product you are using rather than relying on a general average.
When mixing wet and dry, calculate the calorie contribution from each separately, since even a modest amount of dry food can represent a large share of the day's total calories compared to an equal weight of wet food.
Key takeaways
- Wet food typically has 70 to 100 kcal per 100g, far less than the 350 to 400 kcal per 100g typical of dry food.
- The difference comes from wet food's much higher water content.
- Switching between wet and dry food based on weight alone, without recalculating calories, will change your dog's actual energy intake.
- Always check the specific calorie content of the exact product you use rather than a general average.