Does dry food provide benefits for the dog?
Wet or dry food, feeding leftovers, barfing or cooking yourself? There are many different ways to feed your dog. But not all methods are equally good and ensure a balanced diet for your four-legged friend. Learn here what advantages dry food for dogs can offer.
Among dog lovers, there is disagreement about which diet is best for the animals. Dry food is particularly often criticized in this regard, as inferior products contain too many cheap fillers that your dog cannot utilize, and are mixed with controversial additives such as flavor enhancers or dyes. Good dry dog food, on the other hand, can actually have its benefits.
Advantages of dry dog food
Dry food, unlike wet food, has a lower moisture content, up to ten percent. Wet food comes with a water content of up to 70 percent. The lower moisture content of dry food means that dogs need a smaller amount of it to meet the same energy requirements as with a larger portion of wet food. But beware. These advantages only come into play if your dog drinks enough water – the liquid requirement is greatly increased by the greatly reduced moisture content in the food. If your four-legged friend does not compensate for this, it can lead to kidney problems, bladder stones and constipation in the long term. If he also eats larger portions than is necessary for his energy requirements, the result is obesity.
Experts disagree on whether dry food is good or bad for teeth. Some claim that the hard consistency of the pellets causes plaque to be rubbed off during chewing and stimulates saliva production, and in this way can prevent tartar and periodontitis. The others argue that chewing the dry food creates a sticky mush that sticks to the teeth and even promotes tartar formation. The latter often advise barfing as a tooth-friendly form of nutrition.
It depends probably also here whether it concerns good dry food for dogs or not. A high grain content and, at worst, added sugar (or molasses, sugar beet pulp, glucose syrup and other hidden sweeteners) are bad for teeth. If the food contains a lot of high-quality meat and no unnecessary fillers and additives, it will not harm the teeth. You can find more tips on this in our guide “Dog food: 5 ingredients no dog needs”.
Advantages of dry food for the dog owner
As a dog owner, you can benefit from the fact that dry food is easier to store than wet food. This can be especially advantageous when traveling. In addition, dry food has a longer shelf life due to the lower water content, so you can stock up longer in advance. In addition, dry food is often cheaper than wet food in the long run.
