How can you tell if dry dog food is bad?
How to tell if your dog food is spoiled
Neither of my dogs are reluctant or picky eaters, but adding water can definitely increase the palatability of dry food for some dogs.
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.
However, one shouldn’t 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.
If you’ve ever soaked your dog’s food, you’re aware of how much dry dog food expands when immersed in water. It’s a little horrifying, actually, to realize how much more space a certain amount of food will require in a dog’s stomach and gut once the dog’s digestive juices hydrate the individual kibbles. It nearly doubles in volume. The kibbles are like little sponges – some more than others. I’ve noticed when soaking food for various foster puppies that some kibble is more resistant to soaking than others.
I do this for a couple of reasons. My older dog has had a few dental extractions, and doesn’t 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 (unless I put it in a slow feeder or snuffle mat) – and I am guessing that it will put less of a strain on his digestive system if the food arrives even slightly pre-moistened.
What is Dry Dog Food?
Dry dog food contains less than 11% water. The majority of dog food is dry and comes in bags that have a long shelf life. Dry kibble may contain pieces of dried meat, but they dont have a high water content like canned or pouched food will have. If you walk down the aisle of a pet store, the bags of dog food stacked on the shelves contain dry dog food.
Dry Vs. Wet Pet Food – What’s The Difference?
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.
Here’s a trick to use your dog’s 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.
Simply take the regular amount of food your dog eats in a normal meal and put it in the bowl. Make sure there’s plenty of room in the bowl. Then add roughly the same amount of water – you’ll 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.
You can use a fork, a potato masher, even a pastry cutter. Don’t be gentle, mash it up thoroughly. You have achieved the consistency of a pate, but using your dog’s normal diet. After a few tries, you’ll get the hang of how much water to add, the temperature, and how long to wait before mashing. What works for me – after each meal, I rinse the bowl, scoop the food for the next meal, add water, and let it sit for the 11 hours or so until the next meal. If it will be 24 hours or so, refrigerating it would be a good idea.
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. This also works 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.