Is Soaked Kibble Actually Healthy For Dogs
When it comes down to it, kibble alone isnt the best diet for your dog. Even though most kibble is complete and balanced with all of the nutrients your dog needs, its processed in a way thats not easy for dogs to digest, and the high carbohydrate content has been contributing to an epidemic of both obesity and dental disease in dogs.
In an ideal world, we could all feed a cooked or raw diet, but if thats not possible, you can add fresh foods like meat, eggs, and fish to your dogs kibble.
Freeze dried or dehydrated dog foods are a great alternative to kibble that are just as easy to prepare, yet much closer to fresh foods.
Add Broth Or Stock To The Dry Food
For making the dry food softer, you can also add homemade broth to it. Make sure that the broth is low in sodium content. Adding broth will add a lot of taste into the food and also its aroma will make the food appealing. You can easily make a chicken broth or stock at home and store it to use for softening the kibble. Add some spoons of broth only to the food. If the serving size of the dry food is 1 cup, then add almost 1/8th cup of broth or steak to it. It should be seen to it that you do not add more than required broth to the dry food.
Will A Picky Dog Starve
Pet owners are no strangers to a picky eater. However, that doesnt decrease the worry and stress a loving fur parent has. So the big question is whether a picky dog will end up starving. The answer is no. When a dog gets hungry enough, he will eat his food. The problem is if you are willing to wait it out or if you think adding a flavor enhancer is a quicker solution.
We Think Youll Like: 7 Facts You Never Knew About Pet Food
Don’t Miss: Is Natural Balance Dog Food Made In China
How Much Food Should I Feed My Puppy
The amount your puppy needs to eat each meal depends on how much growing they need to do and how many meals a day they are eating. Typically, recommended daily amounts on commercial puppy food packaging are based on the expected adult weight of your puppy. James Wellbeloved provide puppy feeding guidelines on all our puppy food to help you judge how much to feed your new pet. If you know what size your puppys parents are, then your puppys expected weight will be easier to predict. Once you have determined the daily amount appropriate for your puppy, you should divide that food evenly over the number of meals they have per day.
For a puppy food chart, visit the product page for detailed guidelines according to your puppys age and weight.
You can find more information on when to feed your puppy here.
Add A Boost Of Flavor With Broth Or Milk
Want to enhance the flavor of the food while softening it? Use milk or broth instead of water. A nice low-sodium broth is great for kicking the food up a notch.
Make sure to read the ingredients before you start moistening the food. Avoid broths with any harmful ingredients or unnecessary additives. All-natural chicken or beef broth is best.
To soften the food, just warm up the broth and add it to the kibble. Give the food some time to absorb the liquid and cool down before feeding it to your pup.
Milk is also a great option. Many dogs love milk just as much as cats do. Milk-softened kibble is actually a popular food option for breeders looking to feed newborn pups, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting your dog to eat it.
Milk adds plenty of flavor and has the added benefit of vitamins and calcium.
Read Also: Darwin Dog Food Review
For Extra Nutrients: Adding Wet Food As Well
If your dog is ill, and you are looking for some added nutrients, then you can always add some wet food with the dry dog food as well.
Especially, if the dry dog food is already softening. This will enhance the nutrients that the dog is getting, and will make the taste of the food a lot better. Ensuring that the dog enjoys every bite.
This can become expensive over time, so you dont need to add too much of this wet dog food. Just a small amount to change the taste and smell of the food.
Add Chicken Or Beef Broth
If the food is still not enticing to your dog, then you might want to consider adding a little more flavor. Adding chicken or beef broth will provide that little extra flavor kick that your dog needs. Remember to ensure the broth is warm, not hot, before adding to their food and choose a low-sodium broth to ensure you are not giving your dog too much salt. Follow the same process as you would when adding water to their food.
If you dont have access to chicken or beef broth, then canned tuna juice can be used as another tasty alternative. Before using the juice from canned tuna, check how the tuna has been prepared. If it is in brine, then do not use it as it will have a very high salt content. It is also worth remembering that using tuna juices will add to the calorie content of your dogs food. It is a good idea to use a combination of tuna juice and water, especially if your dog needs to watch their weight.
Another alternative is to add milk to their food. However, this should be considered a treat and not something you do every day as milk is high in fat and natural sugars. You can use either cows milk or goats milk to soften your dogs food. If you find that your dog has loose stools after using milk in their food, then stop and find an alternative way to soften their food. Dogs like humans can suffer from lactose intolerance. This can cause loose stool, vomiting, and diarrhea as well as intestinal discomfort.
Don’t Miss: Can Chickens Eat Dog Food
Why Would I Soften Dry Cat Food
Both wet cat food and dry cat food are sold in stores. In fact, some brands have wet and dry versions of their foods. Making your own wet food may not seem like a necessary step, but there are cases where it is a good option, such as when there is a shortage of wet food or if your cat has dental issues.
What To Add To Dog Food To Make Them Eat
You can add a variety of ingredients to dog food to make your dog eat. The most common method is to add water to the bowl. Water is safe for all dogs and is an essential resource for your dogs health and well-being. other ingredients include broth, fish oil, and dairy products. We suggest asking a professional such as your trusted veterinarian before adding anything new to your dogs dry food. Another method is to consider adding food toppers. Pet food manufacturers also make kibble toppers in the form of freeze-dried ingredients.
Recommended Reading: Where To Buy Darwin’s Dog Food
Reasons To Add Water To Your Pets Food
We know how important it is for us to drink plenty of water throughout the day, and the same goes for our pets. Adding water to our pets food is a simple, virtually cost-free step we can take to ensure our pets stay healthy. Especially when theyre fed primarily a kibble-based diet, the benefits of adding a little H2O to their bowl are too great to ignore.
What To Feed Puppies As They Grow Bigger
As your puppy grows bigger, so will their appetite. To give them the extra energy they need to support fast bursts of growth and build up muscle mass, youll have to increase the amount you feed your puppy
Depending on their breed, a six-month-old puppy can require up to twice the daily calorie intake of a two-month-old! As a general rule of thumb, increase portion sizes gradually over the first 12 months, after which most puppies can be moved on to adult food. You should always check with your vet before increasing or decreasing meal sizes as puppies will differ in their caloric needs based on their size, with larger breeds moving onto adult food later, at about 18 to 24 months.
You May Like: Can You Buy Dog Food With Food Stamps
For More Flavor: Using Broth Or Milk
If your dog is struggling to enjoy the flavor of the dry or the wet dog food with the water, then there is still one or two things that you can try before you are giving up. You can add more flavor, or adding another flavor to the food.
You are doing this by making use of broth or milk. The broth can be basically any broth that you can find. The less salt it has, the better for the dog.
With milk, low-fat milk is the better option. So many people are saying that milk isnt recommended for dogs, but they love milk just as much as cats.
The milk and broth will change the flavor and it will make it easier for the dog to enjoy. You can still leave it as is, or you can smash it to a pulp or paste before giving it to the dog.
It is just recommended that you are heating the broth and milk before adding it to the dry dog food.
How To Make Dry Dog Food Seem Like Canned At Home
If a dog or cat has teeth pulled during a dental, the owners are often instructed to feed soft food for 2 weeks. Many people go buy canned food, and sometimes the tummy can get a little upset from the change.
Heres a trick to use your dogs regular dry food, but transform it into the same consistency as canned. No diet change. No gas. No loose stool. Everyone wins! This trick works not just for after dental procedures. If your dog has very bad teeth, and you cannot afford a dental cleaning and extractions, this at least offers a way for your dog to eat with less pain. Same for dogs with very few teeth, tumors in their mouths, or even broken jaws. This works particularly well for large dogs feeding 2-3 cans of food per meal gets expensive very fast! This way is much more affordable, and more environmentally conscious than feeding 5-6 cans a day.
This works great for dogs, but mediocre for cats. Why? Cats are very bothered by changes in shape or texture, so they might be appalled by your cleverness. You can try it, but canned food might be the option your cat wants.
Heres how to soften your dogs food.
Heres the food with the water. Be generous with the water!
Look how much water is absorbed just one hour after! This is using neutral, not hot water.
Also Check: Is Iams Dog Food Any Good
Question 5question 5 Of : Do Dogs Feel Better After A Bath
The Look And Smell Of Dog Kibble Soaked In Water Seems Disgusting To Us But Our Dogs See No Problem With It At All There Are A Couple Of Good Reasons To Add Water To Dry Dog Food Here’s When You Should
Sometimes, I soak my dogs dry food in warm water for 15 or 20 minutes before I feed them.
I do this for a couple of reasons. My older dog has had a few dental extractions, and doesnt chew up his food as well as he used to not that any dog grinds up much of the kibble he or she eats unlike ours, canine teeth are not much for grinding. Mostly, a few of the kibbles get crunched, and more likely get swallowed intact. My younger dog is prone to eating way too fast just bolting down all his food whole in less than a minute and I am guessing that it will put less of a strain on his digestive system if the food arrives even slightly pre-moistened.
And I know that feeding both of them soaked food makes them feel more full. Dry foods are so nutrient-dense, that the volume of the amount of food that is calorically appropriate for their weight might not come close to filling up their tummies. If their meal is full of water, it definitely increases satiety that sensation of fullness. They quit walking around the kitchen looking unsatisfied after their meals when their food is soaked.
Neither of my dogs are reluctant or picky eaters, but adding water can definitely increase the palatability of dry food for some dogs.
However, one shouldnt moisten food and leave it sitting out at room temperature for very long I would start being concerned about bacterial growth in moistened food that had been left out at room temperature for more than an hour.
Read Also: Is Crave Dog Food Good
To Disguise The Taste Of Something
If you need tosupplement your pet with vitamins or treat it with a medicine, the easiest wayto administer it is by mixing it with food. Nonetheless, some dogs will refuseto eat it due to the taste.
The best way todisguise it is to add water to dry dog food, to moisten it and allow the flavorand aroma of kibble to expand and mask it totally.
For example, its a great way to hide the flavor of supplements like hemp CBD oil, which has proven to reduce arthritic pain and boost activity in dogs. Its helpful but its flavor can repel many dogs, and if it were your case, then youd only need to add some water.
However, what to mix with dry dog food if water were not enough? Stock will do the trick. You can use bones or meat. Either way, you will provide your dog with superior nutrition.
Don’t Mix Therapeutic Pet Foods With Other Foods Without First Consulting Your Veterinarian
The science behind pet foods continues to evolve and one huge benefit for our pets is therapeutic diets. Therapeutic diets are created specifically to prevent or delay the onset of many health conditions. However, it’s important that you not add anything to a therapeutic diet without first consulting your vet. It may have the adverse effect of diluting the precise formulation and perhaps even counteracting the intended benefits for your pet.
You May Like: Who Makes Dr Pol Dog Food
How To Soften Dry Cat Food Into Wet Cat Food
When it comes to feeding your cat, there are two basic food options: dry food and wet food. Which one you serve your cat is most likely up to your cat, since they are picky eaters and will choose the one that they want. There are plenty of reasons why you may need your cat to eat dry food. Fortunately, it is possible to make wet food out of your cats dry food if the need arises.
To do this, there are several methods that you can use that all include adding one part water to three or four parts food and letting the food soak in it. You may need to add more water as it is absorbed to reach the right consistency for your cat, depending on what they like.
To make the process go faster, you can use a food processor to blend the water with the food. Heads up! This will make a smoother mixture which your cat may not want . Most wet foods have a thicker consistency and chunks of solids in them. Using a blender or food processor will break them down and make the entire mixture smooth.
How Much To Feed A Puppy
Getting a new puppy is exciting, but it is no simple task either, especially if you are a first-time owner. There is a lot to know before bringing your new puppy home to ensure you are suitably prepared and that he or she will be comfortable. Some of the biggest conundrums are to do with the best puppy food for your dog, and how to properly feed puppies after all, you cant trust your puppy to tell you they are likely to eat whatever is put under their nose!
Perhaps you already own a puppy or have had one in the past, but want to see if you can learn something new? Whatever your circumstances, this puppy feeding guide tackles the most common and pressing questions new puppy owners ask when it comes to nourishing their dog.
Also Check: Iams Veterinary Formula Renal Plus
Identify When He’s Not Ready
Your dog may not seem to tolerate the new food, no matter how slowly you go, and that’s OK too. Slowly shift him back to the old food and start again with something else after giving his tummy a break. It could be that the new dog food contains ingredients to which your dog has an intolerance or allergy. If you continue to have trouble changing dog food, or if his stools contain blood or an unusual color, you should consult a veterinarian.