As a dog lover, you want to provide your pet with the best diet to keep them healthy and thriving. With so many types of dog foods on the market, it can be challenging to determine the differences between the brands 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 packed with all the nutrients your dog needs.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about kibble and why it is popular.
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 describe the same food. 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 small and rounded.
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, and it is available in different sizes, so you can pick one that suits the breed you have.
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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. It 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 formulas 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 with a high moisture content of 60%–78%. It 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 ingredients soaked in moisture to keep them 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 various flavors and can range in color and texture.
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Where Is It Used?
Kibble is affordable and easily accessible, with an endless range of options. Most dog owners feed it to their dogs because it is the easiest 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.
Some dog owners find that kibble helps stop their dogs from being picky eaters because all the nutrients are uniformly packed into each piece.
Advantages of Kibble Dog Food
Kibble is a highly digestible carbohydrate that contains a mixture of omnivorous foods. The high carb and protein content in kibble can be used for energy.
Kibble is thoroughly cooked, which enhances its digestibility and kills any potentially harmful microorganisms. Cooking kibble also helps enhance the absorption of carbohydrates.
Kibble is typically cheaper than wet dog food, and you can purchase a larger amount in bulk.
Kibble has a hard, rough texture that can help prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar on your dog’s teeth, aiding in better dental hygiene.
There are many types of dry dog food, including grain-free formulas with different flavors, so you can pick one that suits your dog’s health condition or taste preferences. The kibble comes in various sizes to accommodate adults and puppies.
Dry 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 has a low moisture content, so your dog does not get a lot of water from eating it. Therefore, it is important to ensure that your dog is drinking plenty of fresh water every day to stay hydrated.
Since most kibble contains many fillers, dogs with allergies may develop skin issues, such as rashes, redness, or hair loss.
Senior dogs with dental problems struggle to eat dry dog food, so it is important to speak to your veterinarian about soaking the kibble before feeding it to your dog or switching it to wet dog food.
Overfeeding your dog with kibble can cause bloating issues as the kibble pieces expand in their stomach. You can test how much the pellet expands by placing one in water and watching as it becomes softer and expands. It is important to ensure your dog gets the right portion of dry dog food.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Dry Dog Food Better Than Wet Dog Food?
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 requiring a special diet. If you want to feed your dog food with a lower moisture content that is high in carbohydrates and affordable, kibble is a good option.
Wet food since it has a higher moisture content and more flavor. You should always consult a veterinarian or canine nutritionist when deciding on the right dog food for your dog’s breed and medical conditions, as both wet and dry dog food have pros and cons.
What Should You Look For When Choosing the Right Kibble for Your Dog?
Choosing the kibble according to your dog’s life stage (puppy, adult, or senior) and medical conditions is crucial. When it comes to finding the formula for your dog, you should choose a brand that produces a 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 dry dog food that is available in pet stores, grocery stores, and online. It’s suitable for puppies and adults, is an affordable, high-calorie dog food, and there are many brands and formulas available, depending on your dog’s 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.
Nicole is the proud mom of 3 rescue fur babies, Baby, a Burmese cat; Rosa, a New Zealand Huntaway; and Mac, a Lab/Mastiff. A Canadian expat, Nicole now lives on a lush forest property with her Kiwi husband and new baby daughter in New Zealand. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe.
