Mix Other Meal With It
A lot of times dogs get bored of eating the same food again and again. You can mix the dry food with other dog food such as canned food. Feeding such a blend will help the dog in getting all the essential nutrients from such a meal. While selecting the food to mix the dry food make sure that the quality is the same and the ingredients are suitable to blend together. Read the instructions carefully given on the package of the dry food to avoid any issues.
How To Choose A Dog Food
Choosing an appropriate diet;for your dog is a complicated process. The sheer number of dog food options available is overwhelming. Unfortunately, there is no one diet that is best for every dog. Just like humans, dogs are individuals and their dietary needs vary depending on factors such as age, health, and personal preferences.
To make the process even more complicated, there are also a lot of;myths about dog food;on the internet. Many people fall victim to advertising campaigns or scare tactics warning them away from commercial dog foods. Fortunately, the;World Small Animal Veterinary Association;has published a guide entitled The Savvy Dog Owners Guide: Nutrition on the Internet to help pet owners decipher fact from fiction when doing their own research about dog food.
Learning;how to read a pet food label;can also help demystify the process of choosing a dog food. The information on a pet food label is guided by the;Association of American Feed Control Officials . AAFCO is responsible for establishing definitions for many of the terms you will find on a bag of dog food. Understanding these;labeling requirements;can make it easier to identify which products are best for your dog. Look for the words complete and balanced diet on the label.
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient
This exciting food from Natural Balance is a prime choice and perfect for our list of dry dog food with soft pieces.
Whats so special about it?
Its great for canines and its easy to chew and very soft.
One example of this food is the Sweet Potato and Fish Formula. This choice is great because it has a plethora of amino acids, which is healthy for building muscles and keeping them strong. And its also jampacked with healthy carbohydrates, which means your dog is always going to have lots of energy no matter how old he or she gets.
And it has fish in the ingredients, which so many dogs love because it has such a great taste. Other flavors include duck and bison.
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient food for dogs is the right choice for adult dogs of every breed. Its a great option because it helps provide a healthy coat and skin and it even aids with easy digestion.
After looking over the ingredients, youll see how this food promotes health and well-being. Youll sleep good at night knowing that youre giving your pooch great tasting food and good health all at the same time.
So please give this premium brand a try. Check out Natural Balance Limited Ingredient dog food right away.
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Why Do You Want To Soften Dog Food
Why do you want to soften the dog food for your dog? There might be many different reasons why this is something that you want to consider.
Maybe you just want to give something different to the dog. Or, the dog doesnt like eating dry food, and you want to make it easier for him to eat.
Puppies that are still new to eating find heating dry food really hard. The same goes for older dogs that might not have all their teeth anymore.
Or, your dog might have a mouth or teeth problem that is preventing him from eating hard food. These are all some of the reasons why you might want to consider softening the dog food.;
Things Not To Do While Softening Dry Dog Food
Do not mix so many food brands for the dog without consulting your local veterinary. This helps to ensure that the dog get to eat healthy and well balanced meals. The reason for consulting the vet is because:
Many dog foods are formulated for a specific stage of life.Other dog foods are formulated for a specific lifestyle.Some dog foods are formulated for health reasons.
Failure by the dog owners to observe the above will impact your dog negatively, including: Causing unwanted weight gain, which is not healthy for your dog.Overexposure and or underexposure to certain vitamins and minerals present in dog meals. Therapeutic foods should also not mixed with the dry dog food without consulting the local veterinarian. This is because it may have the adverse effect of diluting the precise formulation of the diet. Perhaps even it may counteract the intended benefits for your dog. Do not mix stale food with fresh food. This consequently affects the health and lifespan of your dog. Consult your vet.
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How To Transform Dry Dog Food Into Canned
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 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.
Simply take the regular amount of food your dog eats in a normal meal and put it in the bowl. Make sure theres plenty of room in the bowl. Then add roughly the same amount of water youll be surprised how much water the kibble can absorb. If you add warm water, the process will complete much faster. I use room temperature water, and let it sit for for hours. Same end result.
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.
The kibble has nearly doubled in size in 2 hours.
After soaking about 4-5 hours, the expanded kibble can be easily mashed.
How To Change Your Dogs Food
Switching your dogs food abruptly can cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhea, and a decreased appetite. Any time you decide to change your dogs food, you should transition to the new diet gradually in order to give your dogs system time to adjust to the change. Ideally, these transitions should happen over 5-7 days. During this transition, you will gradually incorporate more and more of the new food by mixing it with your dogs current diet. For most dogs, a good diet transition will look like this:
- Day 1: 25% new diet and 75% old diet.
- Day 3: 50% new diet and 50% old diet.
- Day 5: 75% new diet and 25% old diet.
- Day 7: 100% new diet.
Some dogs with sensitive stomachs, food allergies, or other gastrointestinal diseases may need an even longer transition period. The key to a good diet transition is monitoring your dogs individual response. If, at any point during the diet transition, your dog displays concerning signs such as changes in appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should proceed more slowly. And if you have transitioned gradually and your dog is still experiencing stomach upset, it is best to consult with your veterinarian. In some cases, it may be necessary to choose a different diet.
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Fish Oil Or Tuna Juice
This option may not be the first on your list because some people dislike the raw fishy smell, but to your dog, the flavor and aroma are delicious indeed. Instead of submerging all the kibble in fish oil or tuna juice, they should be drizzled in slowly. Again, consult your veterinarian on how much to soak the dry dog food with to be safe.
Benefits
Both fish oil and tuna juice are excellent sources of healthy fats such as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. These fatty acids are also commonly found in regular dry dog food to aid in skin and coat health. Besides that, they also help with heart problems and cognitive issues.
Top With Canned Dog Food
A particularly picky dog might change his mind if you add a small amount of;canned wet dog food;on top of the dry food. This method is still more affordable than an all-canned food diet, plus the kibble will stay crunchy and retain its dental benefits. Mixing the two foods is also an excellent way to transition a dog between a wet and dry diet.
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Is It Right To Soften Dry Dog Food
This is a very critical question that many dog owners should be aware of. In many instances, it is right and recommended that the dry dog food should be soften. This improves consumption and digestion. This in turn leads to a happy, healthy dog. On the other hand, we find that there are dogs that are very playful. Dogs indeed love to play with their food. This is because of the many diverse reasons. In some instances, dry dog food should be consumed dry. This enables the dog to learn to fend for itself.
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.
Adding Liquids To Make Dry Dog Food More Appealing
Add Water To Dry Food
Start with adding a few tablespoons of warm water to the dry dog food and let it soften on its own. If you dont like the thickness, you can add a few more tablespoons of water.
Some people prefer getting more flavors out by using stock of such foods as beef, low-sodium chicken, and tuna juice in softening their dry dog food.
It all depends on what you want to what you plan to achieve. Do you want to add a strong aroma to entice your pet to eat, or do you simply want to break it down, so its a lot easier to chew?
Mixing Canned Food With Kibble
As for the last option in this list, you may mix canned food with high moisture content to make a soft and delicious kibble meal for your dog. Having this option, you might want to consult your veterinarian first since you need to know whether the two dog foods complement each other. To make things healthy, you might need to have some adjustments since canned food or other pre-moisten food contains lesser nutrients. Your vet can give you more insight regarding the best food that goes well together.
Benefits Of Dry Dog Food
Lets take a look at the benefits of dry food first. Dry food has a very low water content, which means on the one hand that you will have to check that your dog is drinking enough water. On the other hand, your dog needs less food in order to ingest the same amount of energy. In other words, it is particularly suitable for dogs with weight problems. Another advantage is that the intestine is not too tight.
In addition, dry food strengthens the dogs jaw and is good for his teeth. The plaque is removed by chewing the kibble, which causes fewer dental problems in dogs that are fed dry foods.
Not only the dog itself, but you as the owner, will also benefit from dry food. It is easier to store and can be purchased in large quantities, which produces less waste than canned food and is therefore easy to ration.
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.
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Reasons To Add Water To Your Pet’s 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 they’re fed primarily a kibble-based diet, the benefits of adding a little H2O to their bowl are too great to ignore.
What Else Can You Mix With Dry Dog Food
If you have no idea of what to mix with dry dog food, then here you have some excellent examples
In addition, avoid mixing dog food brands, because you can create deficiencies and excesses of certain nutrients and disrupt the mineral composition and balance of the food. Being that, stick to only one brand and one kind of dry food.
Get The Latest Recipes Right In Your Inbox:
Keep your dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe its cheaper than store-bought and chockfull of fresh veggies!
I never thought I would be one of those dog owners who made homemade human food for their pups. Not in a million years.
But when Butters recently fell sick with an upset stomach, our vet advised us to feed him a bland diet chicken and rice without any kind of seasoning. So thats what we did we poached a chicken, shredded it in a food processor, and mixed in some white rice and fed him this bland diet for 3 days.
Thats when I started to do some research on homemade dog food, and I have been so amazed as to how many different kinds of vegetables dogs can have. And with the help of Balance IT, you can create so many different recipes for your pup!
Now;the best part about making homemade dog food just like making anything at home is that you know;exactly what is going into the dog bowl, and not any of that questionable gelatinous gunk from the canned food.
But its important to note that dogs have different nutrient requirements than humans for their proportional body size, such as:
Now this recipe here has a balance of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains, but the ratios can easily be adjusted to suit your pups breed and/or needs.