Moisture content implications on dog food
Understanding the information provided by food labels is not always easy, and basic knowledge should be had to know how to interpret them. In the case of dog food, exactly the same happens, and one of the most questions the consumer is the moisture content. Although it is not a fact that is mandatory in the European Union, the main brands choose to include information about the percentage of food moisture on the informative label, so it is important to know its meaning to give our pet the food that deserves.
What exactly does the moisture content in dog food mean?
The moisture percentage of a food will mean a big difference for our pet, but that a food has more or less humidity does not mean that it is better or worse, but will provide a series of different benefits that can fit better with The state of health, age or caloric necessity of our pet.
The general classification that is followed in our country and in the rest of Europe to determine the amount of water present in the food is as follows:
- Dry food: is dog food that has less than 14 % moisture. This type of feed has as its main benefit that it is very easy to store and conserve, in addition to being a perfect dental brush for the dog and it is very difficult to accumulate tartar if its diet is mostly based on this type of food.
- SEMI-SECO FOOD: It is the one that contains between 14 and 34 % moisture. It is the least common, but it gives the animal the best of the two worlds, since it ensures a balanced diet, it is not as prone as the wet in the appearance of tartar and they have a very good acceptance by our pets.
- Wet food: it contains more than 34 % moisture in its composition, and is the typical one that is bought in canned in supermarkets and that, once open, must be consumed in about three days. The greatest advantage of this type of food is that dogs love it, in addition to being very easy to ingest because you just have to chew it.
As a general rule, dry feed usually contains about 10 % moisture, while wet can exceed 80 %, but this may vary according to the manufacturer. In any case, we must choose a quality feed for our pet, since these pass very rigorous controls and will contribute greater benefits to their health.
The three types are made by specialists in canine nutrition, so they fulfill everything necessary so that our dog has a balanced diet and remains strong and healthy, but you have to have a series of precautions with each of them, and what It is better to insert them. For example, dry food hydrates the animal less and, although there is a specific type of feed for almost all races, it is not always like our pet and, in that case, it will eat the right thing so as not to go hungry. Another detail that must be monitored is the denture of dogs that feed on wet food, since they are much more likely to accumulate tartar, with the problems that this involves.
The use of dog cleansing sticks is usually a good idea in any case, but even more so if their diet is mostly damp. In addition, it will avoid bad breath and serve as a snack between hours. If you have doubts, the ideal humidity content that the feed of your pet must have, a consultation with the veterinarian will be very helpful to succeed with the choice, since this can vary depending on the dog status.
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