Few topics in the pet owner community generate more passionate debate than what to feed your pet. Raw feeding advocates argue that kibble is processed garbage and that raw food is the only species-appropriate diet. Kibble defenders point to decades of nutritional research and convenient, complete nutrition. Wet food enthusiasts highlight hydration benefits and palatability. And behind all of it, a pet food industry worth tens of billions of dollars is marketing aggressively to all sides.
The truth, as usual, is more nuanced than any single camp admits. Each approach has genuine advantages and real limitations. Here’s an honest, evidence-based breakdown.
Dry Kibble: The Pros and Cons
Dry kibble is by far the most popular pet food format globally, and for understandable reasons. It’s convenient, affordable, has a long shelf life, is available in formulations for every life stage and health condition, and — when formulated by qualified veterinary nutritionists — provides complete and balanced nutrition that meets established standards.
The case for kibble:
Nutritional completeness and consistency: Reputable kibble manufacturers employ board-certified veterinary nutritionists, conduct feeding trials, and rigorously test for nutritional completeness. When you feed a quality complete and balanced kibble, you know your pet is getting appropriate levels of every essential nutrient.
Convenience and affordability: Kibble requires no preparation, stores easily for months, and costs significantly less per serving than wet food or raw diets. For most households, this practicality matters.
Dental benefits: Certain kibble formulations provide mechanical abrasion that reduces plaque buildup. Look for the VOHC seal.
The concerns about kibble:
Processing: Kibble is made through extrusion — high heat and pressure processing that can degrade some nutrients and alter protein structures. Synthetic vitamins and minerals are added back after processing to restore what’s lost.
Ingredient quality varies enormously: The gap between the best and worst kibble on the market is enormous. Many inexpensive brands use low-quality protein sources, excessive filler carbohydrates, and artificial preservatives. Higher-quality brands use named protein sources, whole food ingredients, and more transparent manufacturing practices.
Low moisture: Kibble contains approximately 10% moisture compared to wet food’s 70–80%. For cats especially, this can contribute to chronic mild dehydration and increase the risk of urinary tract disease and kidney disease over time.
Wet and Canned Food: The Pros and Cons
Wet food sits between kibble and raw in terms of processing — it’s cooked at high temperatures, but retains more moisture and often uses less extensive processing than extrusion.
The case for wet food:
High moisture content: This is wet food’s most significant advantage, particularly for cats. Cats evolved as desert animals with a naturally low thirst drive — they’re physiologically designed to meet most of their fluid needs through prey rather than drinking. A cat eating exclusively dry kibble is in a state of chronic mild dehydration compared to one eating wet food. This has real consequences for urinary tract and kidney health over a lifetime.
Palatability: Wet food is generally more palatable than kibble, making it valuable for picky eaters, sick animals with reduced appetite, and senior pets whose sense of smell has diminished.
Lower carbohydrate content: Wet foods typically contain fewer carbohydrates than dry kibble, which is arguably more appropriate for obligate carnivores like cats.
The concerns about wet food:
Cost: Wet food costs significantly more per calorie than kibble.
Dental health: Wet food provides no mechanical abrasion benefit. Pets fed exclusively wet food may need more frequent professional dental cleanings.
Shorter shelf life: Once opened, wet food must be refrigerated and used within 24–48 hours.
Raw Diets: The Pros and Cons
Raw feeding — whether commercially prepared raw diets or home-prepared BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diets — has grown substantially in popularity, driven by the intuitive appeal of feeding pets foods that most closely resemble what their ancestors ate.
The case for raw feeding:
Minimal processing: Raw food is not subjected to the high-heat processing of kibble or canned food, preserving the natural structure of proteins, enzymes, and nutrients.
High digestibility: Many raw-fed pets show improvements in stool quality, coat condition, and energy levels. Whether these improvements reflect genuine nutritional superiority or simply better ingredient quality compared to the low-quality kibble they were eating before is difficult to determine.
Supporter anecdotes: Many committed raw feeders report striking improvements in their pets’ health after switching. These observations are real — but are difficult to separate from other variables and don’t constitute controlled evidence.
The concerns about raw feeding:
Nutritional imbalance: This is the most serious concern. Home-prepared raw diets are almost universally nutritionally incomplete when not formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. Studies have found significant deficiencies — particularly in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, iodine, and vitamin E — in the vast majority of home raw diet recipes. Nutritional deficiencies may not manifest clinically for months or years, making them particularly insidious.
Bacterial contamination: Raw meat contains bacteria — Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter — that pose risks to pets and to the humans handling and living with those pets. Immunocompromised individuals, children, and elderly family members are at particular risk. Multiple studies have found concerning levels of bacterial contamination in commercial raw pet foods.
Parasites: Raw meat, particularly wild game and some fish, can contain parasites that infect pets and sometimes humans.
The official position of major veterinary organizations — including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association — is that raw protein diets are not recommended due to public health and nutritional risks.
If you choose to feed raw, minimize risks by: purchasing commercially prepared complete and balanced raw diets from reputable manufacturers that use high-pressure processing (HPP) to reduce bacterial load, having the diet formulated or reviewed by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, practicing rigorous food safety protocols, and discussing it with your veterinarian.
Freeze-Dried and Dehydrated Foods
These formats offer a middle ground — minimally processed foods with improved bacterial safety compared to raw, and better ingredient quality than many kibbles. Freeze-drying preserves nutrients without high heat and kills many pathogens.
Complete and balanced freeze-dried diets are a legitimate option, though expensive. Many freeze-dried products are intended as toppers or treats rather than complete diets — check the AAFCO statement carefully.
The Honest Bottom Line
There is no single universally best diet for all pets. The best diet for your pet is one that:
Is complete and balanced for your pet’s life stage (verified by an AAFCO statement or formulated by a veterinary nutritionist) Is made from high-quality ingredients by a reputable manufacturer Your pet thrives on — healthy coat, appropriate energy, good digestion, maintaining appropriate weight Fits your budget and lifestyle consistently
A high-quality kibble from a reputable manufacturer is an entirely appropriate diet for most dogs and cats. Adding wet food to a cat’s diet for hydration benefits is a practical improvement many vets recommend. Raw feeding can be done responsibly with appropriate precautions and professional guidance.
What matters most is not the format — it’s the quality of ingredients, nutritional completeness, and whether your individual pet thrives on it.
→ Read Next: Foods That Are Dangerous and Toxic to Dogs and CatsThe Bottom Line
Cut through the marketing noise by focusing on what actually matters: AAFCO complete and balanced status, ingredient quality, manufacturer reputation, and how your individual pet looks and feels on the diet. Consult your veterinarian — they know your pet’s individual health history and can provide guidance tailored to your specific animal rather than generic online advice.
Emma Hartwell is a lifelong animal lover, certified pet nutritionist, and experienced dog trainer with over 8 years of hands-on experience working with animals of all kinds. She founded InnerzNews to give pet owners access to honest, practical, and science-backed advice — because every animal deserves the best possible care. When she’s not writing, Emma is hiking with her two rescue dogs, Milo and Biscuit, or volunteering at her local animal shelter.