Is dog food kibble better than wet

Dry Dog Food vs. Wet Dog Food: Which Is Better?

The number of dog food products on the market can make it very confusing for you to choose a diet that is appropriate for your pet. Not only are there tons of different brands and ingredients, but even the most basic choice of wet versus dry dog food can be overwhelming.

Its important to always consult your veterinarian for more specific recommendations that best fit your dogs lifestyle, but this article will go over the main differences between dry and wet dog food.

What's the Difference Between Wet and Dry Dog Food?

Both dry dog food and wet dog food can provide nutritionally balanced diets, but the major difference is in the way they are processed.

How Is Wet Dog Food Processed?

Wet food starts with grinding the protein sources, or meat ingredients. Then a gravy that contains vitamins, minerals, and grains is added. Once those are mixed, the food is cooked and sterilized to produce the canned product.

As a result, wet food has a much higher moisture content than dry food. You can see the percentage of maximum moisture on the label, under the Guaranteed Analysis section. A dry food might have around 10% moisture (max.) while a wet food might have something like 78% moisture (max.).

How Is Dry Dog Food Processed?

Dry food contains very similar ingredients, but instead of adding gravy and canning the product, the meat mixture is pulverized in order to create a consistent dough that can be cooked.

Once cooked, the dough is extruded through specifically shaped holes to form kibble. The kibble undergoes a drying process, and then is sprayed with fats, oils, vitamins, and minerals and packaged before the fats and oils can spoil.

Some dry dog food diets also add live probiotics to aid in digestive and immune health.

Is Wet or Dry Food Better for Dogs?

Both types of dog food are good choices, but each has their own benefits and drawbacks depending on the nutritional needs of your pet.

Benefits of Wet Dog Food Compared to Dry Dog Food

Wet dog food, or canned food, sometimes provides benefits that dry food doesnt offer, such as:

• Higher moisture content: Wet food may be a good choice if your dog doesnt drink as much as they should, or if they have a medical condition that could benefit from proper hydration. One example would be a dog with a history of urinary or kidney disease.

• Palatability: Canned dog food is often more aromatic and flavorful when compared to dry food. This may entice sick or older dogs to eat if their appetite is decreased.

• Satiety: Wet dog food tends to create a longer-lasting feeling of being full. Increased satiety is useful in weight management, especially in dogs that seem to have a never-ending appetite.

• Easier to chew: Dogs that have dental disease or other oral abnormalities may find wet food easier to chew than dry food.

Benefits of Dry Dog Food Compared to Wet Dog Food

Dry dog food, or kibble, often offers certain benefits that wet food doesnt provide, such as:

• Dental health benefits: Dry food encourages dogs to chew their food, which aids in preventing tartar buildup and secondary periodontal disease.

• Convenience: Compared to wet food, dry diets are much easier to pre-portion, and they wont spoil if left out all day. This can be beneficial for dogs that are grazers.

• Financially feasible: Depending on the brand of food, dry diets may be less expensive to purchase and store long-term.

• Food enrichment: Kibble is easier to integrate into food puzzles and slow feeders that may improve a dogs quality of life through cognitive stimulation.

What Dry Dog Food Do Veterinarians Recommend?

The most commonly recommended dry dog food brands, by veterinarians, are the same as for wet food: Royal Canin, Science Diet, and Purina Pro Plan. Here are a few dry dog food options for puppy, adult, and senior life stages:

Guide to Mixing Wet and Dry Dog Food

Mixing wet and dry dog food is another option that may provide the best of both worlds. However, it is very important to ensure you are still providing the properdaily feeding amountto prevent overfeeding.

The best way to do this is to have your local vet calculate your furry friends daily calorie requirements for maintenance. Then you can calculate how much dry and wet food your dog should have each day to reach that number of caloriesand dont forget to factor in any calories from treats.

Featured image: iStock.com/NickyLloyd

WRITTEN BY

Heather Hoffmann, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Heather Hoffmann is a 2018 graduate from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a certificate in...

Benefits of Fresh Dog Food vs. Raw Food vs. Kibble For Your Dog

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Food glorious food. Food is an important aspect of the daily lives of humans and dogs. However, dogs dont get to choose what they eat. We choose what we think is best for the health, energy level, and enjoyment of our canine companions.

With the growing popularity of freshly prepared food for dogs (like Ollie, who makes human grade fresh dog food,) our options have increased, and choosing what is best can be challenging. The first step is to consult your veterinarian. Here are some points to consider when you choose a food for your dog:

• Health: A balanced, nutritional diet is critical to maintain good health.
• Activity level: Working dogs and service dogs have different caloric requirements than household pets.
• Age and size: Nutritional requirements differ between puppies and adults, large breed and small breed dogs.
• Food allergies: Some dogs are allergic to specific proteins or ingredients such as eggs, corn, wheat, soy, or milk.
• Taste: No matter what you think, dog food has to taste and smell good to your dog.
• Your lifestyle: How much time do you have available to spend cooking and shopping for your dog?

Fresh Food

Feeding dogs a diet made with natural, real ingredients, such as beef, chicken, lamb, peas, spinach, carrots, and blueberries, can do wonders for their overall well-being promoting heart health, increasing energy level, making coats shiny and breath smell better, improving eyesight, and even impacting a dogs stool.

However, cooking for your pet is a process thats demanding on your time, space, and finances. Merck Veterinary Manual warns, Most homemade diets do not undergo the scrutiny and rigorous testing applied to commercial complete and balanced diets. If pet owners wish to feed their pets homemade diets, the diets should be prepared and cooked using recipes formulated by a veterinary nutritionist.

Fresh dog food delivery services, such as Ollie, work with canine nutritionists to develop cooking methods and personalized formulas that include the vitamins and minerals that meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials standards for dog food. They calculate the exact number of calories needed based on weight, breed, age, activity level, and body composition and take any allergies your pup has into account.

Ollies food is made with human-grade ingredients sourced from reputable farms and approved by veterinarians. They never use fillers, by-products, artificial flavors, or preservatives. Each recipe is cooked by hand at low temperatures in small batches in a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA)-regulated kitchen. All the prep work is done for you, and the food is pre-portioned and stored in the freezer. They even offer all-natural, single-ingredient treats that dogs love.

What to Look For in Fresh Food

Most fresh food services are offered by subscription and delivered to your door. The best ones work with veterinary nutritionists to formulate a plan customized for your dog. They offer options in recipe choices, portion size, and frequency of delivery. They also provide easy-to-understand information about ingredients, feeding schedules, and how to keep the food fresh.

Raw Diet

Raw dog food can be homemade, store-bought, freeze-dried, or dehydrated. A raw diet usually includes organ meats, muscle meat, whole or ground bone, raw eggs, dog-safe fresh fruits and vegetables, and a dairy product such as yogurt. Advocates of raw food diets site these benefits: shinier coats, healthier skin, improved dental health, increased energy, and smaller stools.

Some veterinarians warn that raw diets are not appropriate for dogs who share their homes with young children or people with compromised immune systems. Meticulous care is required in the handling, preparation, and sanitation of raw food. Dogs with pancreatitis, cancer, or other diseases may require cooked food. Puppies are also better off having cooked food.

The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes the unregulated feeding of raw foods and discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens, because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs, as well as humans.

What to Look for in Raw Food

Find a veterinarian who knows the health of your dog, is familiar with raw foods, and can help guide you in the proper handling and cleaning required to address possible health concerns.

Kibble

Dry food or kibble has ingredients that vary by brand, but all are required to be balanced and meet the nutritional needs of a dog. Under USDA regulation, all animal foods must be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.

The ingredients in kibble are processed together and cooked. Required ingredients include: protein sources such as beef, poultry, fish, and eggs; grains; cereals; and vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. All dry dog foods need preservatives to prevent the fat from becoming rancid. Some brands are heavy on carbohydrates or have low-quality ingredients and added sugar.

Those who feed their dogs kibble suggest the potential benefits to be: reduced dental plaque, healthier gums, reduced risk of bacteria, easier storage, less risk of spoilage, and cost-effectiveness. On the other hand, some dog owners choose to switch to fresh food like Ollie due to the risks of kibble.

What to Look for in Kibble

Read the label. Look for a food that has a protein as the first ingredient, not a grain. The best kibbles have a single source of protein, such as lamb or chicken. Grain-free diets exist, but carbohydrates are required for energy, and the choice of grain is important since some dogs have sensitivities to wheat, corn, or soybeans.

Help From the Experts

The food we give our dogs makes a huge difference in their health and well-being. So it makes sense to let the experts help us determine what is best.

Ollies veterinary nutritionists use the latest advancements in research to develop the best recipes for your dog recipes that include fresh ingredients to keep your pups brain function healthy, address allergies and gastrointestinal sensitivities, are proportioned for ideal weight, and use Omega-3 fatty acids to help reduce inflammation. All that delivered right to your door, for free.

Ollie has received rave reviews from both customers and industry leaders. Ollies customers have reported better weight management, shinier coats, and more. Ollie has received a 5-star rating from Dog Food Advisor and has named one of the best dog food brands by Forbes, and Readers Digest.

What Is Kibble Dog Food? How Its Made, Pros, Cons & FAQ

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Learn more

As a dog lover, you want to provide your pet with the best diet possible to keep them healthy and thriving. With so many different types of dog foods on the market, though, it can be difficult to determine the differences between available foods and what each type has to offer your dog nutritionally.

Kibble is simply another term used to describe dry dog food, and it consists of solid pieces that are packed with all the nutrients that your dog needs.

This article will tell you everything that you need to know about kibble and why it is such a popular choice of food for dogs among owners.

How Is It Made?

Kibble dog food is popular in Europe, Canada, the United States, and most parts of the developed world. Some people also refer to this type of dog food as pellets, but both terms are used to describe the same thing. Kibble is made of meat, legumes, grains, vegetables, and fruits, along with vitamins and minerals. Everything is cooked and compacted together to form a uniform dry dog food that is typically a small, rounded shape.

The process of making kibble is called extrusion, as all the ingredients are mixed. Kibble dog food can be fed to all breeds that can handle chewing the hard texture of this type of dog food, and the kibble itself is available in different sizes, so you can pick one that suits the type of breed you have.

What Are the Different Types of Dog Foods?

Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food (pellets or kibble) is a dehydrated food that provides dogs with a uniform diet because it has all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need to stay healthy. This type of dog food is typically inexpensive and has a low moisture content of around 3%11%. You will find that dry dog food is the most easily accessible dog food on the market, and there are many different options to choose from when it comes to the brand, flavor, color, shape, and size of the food.

Wet Dog Food

Wet or canned dog food is typically packaged in a solid tin container and has a high moisture content of 60%78% water. Wet dog food is generally more expensive than dry dog food and is not sold in large volumes, as it has a short shelf-life once opened. It does not consist of solid compact pieces, but rather moist chunks of the food components that are soaked in moisture to keep the food from drying out.

This type of dog food usually must be refrigerated once it has been opened, whereas dry dog food can be stored for a long time in an airtight container in a dry area. Wet dog food comes in a variety of flavors and can range in color and texture.

Where Is It Used?

Kibble dog food is primarily used as a dog food because it is affordable and easily accessible and has an endless range of options to choose from. Most dog owners choose to feed this type of food to their dogs because it is the easiest option to store and purchase in bulk.

Kibble also has the benefit of being hard, so your dog must chew the pellets thoroughly, which can help remove tartar and plaque on their teeth, thus improving their dental hygiene. Many different types of kibble dog food are suitable for certain conditions that your dog might be suffering from, such as gluten or grain intolerance, and there is kibble out there that is specifically formulated without these ingredients.

Some dog owners find that kibble helps stop their dogs from being picky eaters because all the nutrients are uniformly packed into each piece, which helps prevent picky eating habits.

Advantages of Kibble Dog Food

• Kibble dog food is a highly digestible carbohydrate that is good for dogs because it contains a mixture of omnivorous foods. Carbs are necessary for a dogs diet because they are omnivores. The high carb and protein content in kibble can be used for energy.
• This type of dog food is thoroughly cooked, which enhances the digestibility of the food and kills off any potentially harmful microorganisms. Since kibble has been cooked, it also helps enhance the absorption of the carbohydrates in this food.
• Kibble dog food is typically cheaper than wet dog food and you can purchase a larger amount in bulk in comparison to wet dog food.
• Kibble has a hard, rough texture that can help prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar on your dogs teeth, aiding in better dental hygiene.
• There are many different types of kibble dog food, including ones that are grain free and have different flavors, so you can pick one that suits your dogs health condition or taste preferences. The kibble shapes themselves come in a variety of different sizes to suit all dog breeds too.
• Kibble dog food lasts a long time, and if it is stored properly and kept in an airtight container free from moisture, it can last for months and does not need to be refrigerated.

Disadvantages of Kibble Dog Food

• Kibble dog food has a low moisture content, so your dog is not getting a lot of water from eating this type of food. This makes it important to ensure that your dog is drinking plenty of fresh water every day to stay hydrated.
• Since most kibble contains a lot of fillers, dogs that have certain allergies may develop skin issues, such as rashes and redness or hair loss.
• Senior dogs that have dental problems like loose or sore teeth will struggle to eat the hard texture of kibble dog food, so it is important to speak to your veterinarian about soaking the kibble before feeding it to your dog or switching them to wet dog food.
• Overfeeding your dog with kibble can cause bloating issues due to the kibble pieces expanding in their stomach. You can test how much the pellet expands by placing one in water and watching as it becomes mushy and increases in size. It is important to ensure that your dog is getting the right portion of dry dog food.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dry Dog Food Better Than Wet Dog Food?

Both wet and dry dog foods can be good for your dog, depending on the quality, the guaranteed nutrient analysis, and whether your dog is suffering from any health conditions that require them to be fed a special diet. If you want to feed your dog a food with a lower moisture content that is high in carbohydrates and affordable, kibble dog food will be a good option.

If you want to feed your dog a food that has higher moisture content and more flavor, wet food will be a good choice. You should always consult a veterinarian or canine nutritionist when deciding on the right dog food for your dogs breed and medical conditions, as both wet and dry dog food have their pros and cons.

What Should You Look For When Choosing the Right Kibble for Your Dog?

It is important to choose the kibble according to your dogs life stage (puppy, adult, or senior) along with their medical conditions. When it comes to finding the right kibble food for your dog, you should choose a brand that produces high-quality kibble that has a decent nutritional content to supply your dog with the proper nutrients, proteins, and calories according to their age, weight, and breed.

There are plenty of kibble dog foods to choose from, so take the time to consider the pros and cons of the different brands and formulas before feeding one to your dog.

• Determine proper dog food and ideal daily intake with our helpful calorie calculator here.

Conclusion

Overall, kibble is a type of dry dog food that can be found online and in many different stores. There is kibble specially made for most dog breeds, this high-calorie dog food is affordable, and there are many different brands and formulas to choose from, depending on your dogs needs. We hope that this article has helped clear up what kibble is and the pros and cons of feeding your dog this type of food.

Featured Image Credit: cottonbro, Unsplash