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Cat and dog eating from bowls
Ever since the innovation of dry, extruded kibble in the late nineteenth century, people have become accustomed to feeding pets in a way that is convenient for our busy lives. What we feed our pets has recently become a hot topic with pet owners.
All the information about the negatives of corn, wheat, and soy along with the drawbacks to grains has people wondering if these ingredients are truly necessary in their pets’ diets. Is the same dry kibble diet with a side of water day in and day out really what will help our pets thrive?
Dogs and cats are prey driven carnivores. When left on their own to feed, they will hunt a variety of prey such as squirrels, mice, and rabbits. This natural diet consists of about seventy percent water. The kibble fed today is approximately ten percent moisture or less.
In the digestion process, food is broken down into smaller particles throughout the GI tract. Water is a vital part in this process - it ensures that the nutrients can be absorbed properly and efficiently. When our companions are fed a meal without that moisture, their stomachs send signals to the brain to pull water from other sources including other organs and tissues in the body, causing dehydration. Dehydration is a slow process, but can be the culprit of many types of illness, so it is important to stay on top of hydration.
Water consumed after a meal does not stop the dehydration effects over time. Your pet may appear to be getting enough water (it feels like you take them outside every hour!), but in reality, filling up with water after a meal can actually lead to bloating and increased urination.
Luckily, there are many simple ways to add moisture to any type of diet! You can add half a cup up to a whole cup of water to every cup of kibble fed, and let the kibble soak up the moisture for about five to ten minutes before serving. Adding bone broth, goat's milk, or fermented stock to any meal is another great way to get missing nutrients along with much needed moisture. Even simply adding fresh food, like pesticide free fruits (cantaloupe, blueberries, seedless apple slices and seedless watermelon), is a great way to get hydration and living enzymes into your pet’s diet. Rotating the food you offer your pet with less processed diets like canned or raw will add even more bioavailable nutrients to help your pet thrive.
Content sponsored by Bark n’ Scratch Outpost. Locally owned since 2006, Carrie, Michael and staff are dedicated to educating pet owners about the importance of their pet’s diet. Bark n’ Scratch is located at 5835 W. Bluemound Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53213
