Wet to dry food conversion
By Josh · Reviewed and updated: 2026-09-17
Wet food and dry food cannot be swapped gram for gram, or cup for can. A can of wet food is mostly water, so it carries roughly a quarter of the calories that the same weight of dry food does. The only quantity that transfers between the two is calories. This page converts between them, and works out a mixed feeding split if you feed both.
Convert your own food
The short answer
Wet food delivers roughly 70 to 130 kcal per 100 g. Dry food is far more concentrated: commonly 350 to 400 kcal per 100 g for an adult maintenance diet, and anywhere from about 280 to 480 across the full range of dry products. So the conversion factor between them is typically around four to five — you need four to five times as much wet food, by weight, to feed the same calories.
That factor is not a constant, though. Across commonly sold adult foods — dry at 350 to 400 kcal per 100 g against wet at 70 to 130 — it can sit anywhere from about 2.5 to nearly 6. Which is the argument for reading both labels and using the converter, rather than applying a remembered multiple.
Energy-density ranges from the Royal Canin Veterinary Academy guide to calculating pet food energy content: wet food 70–130 kcal per 100 g, dry food 280–480 kcal per 100 g. Individual products sit outside these ranges, so the calorie statement on the pack remains the authority.
| Dry food | Calories | Equal calories in wet food | 80 g cans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 g | 76 kcal | 89 g | 1.1 |
| 30 g | 114 kcal | 134 g | 1.7 |
| 40 g | 152 kcal | 179 g | 2.2 |
| 50 g | 190 kcal | 224 g | 2.8 |
| 60 g | 228 kcal | 268 g | 3.4 |
| 70 g | 266 kcal | 313 g | 3.9 |
| 80 g | 304 kcal | 358 g | 4.5 |
| 100 g | 380 kcal | 447 g | 5.6 |
Dry food at 380 kcal per 100 g, wet food at 85 kcal per 100 g. Both are mid-range values rather than the only values, and every brand differs, so use the converter above with your own numbers.
Converting a label that only gives kcal per can
Wet food almost never prints a per-100 g figure. It prints kcal per can, or per pouch, alongside the net weight. Getting from one to the other takes two steps:
For an 80 g can containing 70 kcal, that is 70 ÷ 80 × 100 = 87.5 kcal per 100 g. The calculator above does this for you when the wet food unit is set to kcal per can — enter the can weight in the field below it.
Watch the units when you compare cans. A 156 g can with 120 kcal works out at 77 kcal per 100 g, and an 80 g can with 70 kcal works out at 87.5. The bigger can is the lighter food per gram, so comparing kcal per can across different can sizes tells you nothing.
Mixed feeding: splitting the day between wet and dry
Most owners who feed both do it by routine — dry in the morning, wet at night — rather than by calories. That works until it does not, because the split drifts: a slightly larger pouch, a slightly fuller scoop, and the day is 15% over without either change being noticeable on its own.
Splitting by calories instead is more robust. Set the wet share above to the proportion you want, and both amounts come out already balanced. A 50% split on a 228 kcal day is 114 kcal of wet food (134 g at 85 kcal per 100 g) and 114 kcal of dry (30 g at 380 kcal per 100 g).
| Wet share | Wet food per day | Dry food per day | Why you might choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | 268 g | 0 g | Maximum water intake. Worth discussing with your vet if your cat has had urinary or kidney issues. |
| 75% | 201 g | 15 g | A high-moisture diet that still leaves a little dry food for grazing or a puzzle feeder. |
| 50% | 134 g | 30 g | The usual compromise, and the largest change most pets accept without complaint. |
| 25% | 67 g | 45 g | Wet food as a flavour topper rather than a meal. Useful for a fussy eater. |
| 0% | 0 g | 60 g | All dry, as now. |
Calculated on a 228 kcal day — the 60 g dry-food example used throughout this page.
Switching slowly, and what to watch for
Change the mix over seven to ten days rather than overnight, shifting about 10% of the calories at a time. A sudden switch is the usual cause of an upset stomach, and a pet that refuses the new food is a bigger problem than the one you were trying to fix.
If your pet is a cat, this is not a matter of preference. A cat that stops eating can develop hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) within 48 to 72 hours, and it is frequently fatal. Never wait out a cat that refuses a new food — keep feeding the old food and change the mix more slowly, or speak to your vet. Contact your vet if a cat has eaten nothing for 24 hours, and treat it as urgent at 48 hours, or at 24 hours with vomiting, lethargy or jaundice.
Watch the litter tray and the bowl as well as the scale during a switch: a change in stool, a change in how much water is drunk, or a cat that goes off its food are all reasons to slow down.
Do you need to change the amount at all?
No — only the form. This is worth stating plainly because it is the part that gets overthought. Converting between wet and dry is not a diet, and it does not by itself change your pet's calorie target. If your pet is at the right weight and holding steady, the conversion should leave the total calories exactly where they were, which is what the converter above does.
Two things do change, though. Wet food has a much higher water content, so the volume in the bowl is far greater and the pet may act as if it is eating more. And wet food cannot be left down for hours, so free-feeding generally ends when you introduce it. If the current feeding amount came from the calculator, get the new split from that same daily calorie figure rather than recalculating from weight, or the target will drift.
Frequently asked questions
How much wet food equals 60 g of dry food?
About 268 g of wet food, assuming dry food at 380 kcal per 100 g and wet food at 85 kcal per 100 g. Both carry roughly 228 kcal. That is around three and a half 80 g cans. Every brand differs, so use the converter above with your own labels.
Can I just feed half wet and half dry by weight?
You can, but it will not be half the calories. Because wet food has about a quarter of the calories per gram, equal weights give roughly 80% of the energy from the dry half and 20% from the wet half. Split by calories instead — set the wet share in the converter and both amounts come out balanced.
Is wet food better than dry food?
They differ mainly in water content and cost, not in whether they can meet a pet's needs. Wet food provides more water, which some cats and some conditions benefit from. Dry food is more calorie-dense and can be left down. Both can be complete and balanced, so the choice is usually about the individual pet, convenience and budget rather than one being better in general.
My cat refuses wet food. Should I keep trying?
Yes, but slowly, and never by withholding food. A cat that goes without food can develop hepatic lipidosis within 48 to 72 hours. Offer a small amount alongside the usual meal, mix a spoonful into the dry food, and increase only when it is being eaten. If your cat stops eating altogether for 24 hours, contact your vet.
Does the conversion work for dogs too?
Yes — the arithmetic is the same for both species, because it only concerns the energy density of the two foods. What is not the same is the daily calorie target, which differs by species and is worked out on the calculator. The health warning about refusing food is specific to cats.
Calculate your pet's daily calories →
How much dry food does a cat need? →
Where to find the calorie figure on the label →
Work out the treat allowance →