Unless you really know what you're doing, choosing a dog food can be a real minefield. You not only have to consider the best brand, but wet or dry kibble? Which of the thousand types of meat and vegetables should it contain? Our guide will help.
Whether you decide on wet or dry, it's important to consult with your vet for their opinion. This article will discuss the main differences between wet and dry food options.
Dogs need a healthy diet, but what kind should you get? Read this article to find out the difference between wet and dry dog food.
There are two types of dog food: dry and wet. They both can provide nutritionally balanced diets, but the important difference is in how they are processed.
Here's how wet food is processed.
Pets need proper nutrition, just like humans. To meet the dietary needs of your pet, you'll need to prepare his food yourself, or buy it pre-made from a store. There are many steps in wet dog food processing, and we'll cover them here.
Wet food starts with grinding protein sources, such as meat. This is then mixed with a gravy that contains nutrients, vitamins, and grains. Next, everything is cooked and sterilized to create the canned product that you see in the grocery store.
Wet food is 50% water and dry food is 10%. On the label, you can see the level of maximum moisture under the Guaranteed Analysis. A wet food may have 78% moisture while a dry food may only have 10%.
Here is a guide about how dry food is processed.
While wet food is typically dominated by carbohydrates, dry food often includes. The meat mixture is ground up in order to create a dough that can be cooked.
Once bread dough is cooked, it's extruded through a nozzle and then shaped by perforations to form kibble. The dough is dried out, sprayed with fats, oils, vitamins and minerals, and packaged so they don't spoil before they get to you.
Dry dog food diets that include live probiotics provide your pup with the digestive and immune-boosting help they need.
Both foods can meet your pets needs as long as you know what they are.
This brings us to the next point... Wet and dry foods can be mixed. Mixing can be a way to have the best of both worlds but pet owners must still make sure they are meeting the nutritional needs of their pets.
First have your vet calculate your furry friend’s daily calorie requirements for a healthy life. With that information pet owners should be able to mix their food based on their calorie intake requirements. It is important to remember to factor in treats as well when counting calories.