Much like humans, pets get their daily nutrients from daily consumption. A good diet can provide the necessary nutrients the dog needs. The right diet and provide the right amount of energy your dog needs in everyday living.
A bag of dog edibles is specifically designed for your pet to get the necessary nutrients your pet needs on a daily basis. Pet diet manufacturers have worked hard to determine which ingredients are needed for your pet’s general health.
Which begs the question: What should I be feeding my dog?
Both dry and wet dog treats have the sufficient nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that your furry friend needs. Both types have advantages and disadvantages which only stems from convenience, opportunities and requirements. One huge difference is the water content in the feeds, which drastically affects the furry friend’s shelf life.
Listed below are the benefits of both dry dog treats and wet dog meat so you’ll be able to determine which one is more suited for your furry friend.
Dry Dog Food
Dry dog treats is composed of a lot of ingredients. Namely, processed meat by-products such as livestock, seafood, horses and other dead animals that are healthy for animal consumption. It also contains cereals and grains, corn gluten feed, dried and/or powdered fruits and vegetables, preservatives, stabilizers, gelling agents, vitamins and minerals, and also palatability enhancers such as yeast, fat, sugar, and concentrated flavors.
Pros:
- The cheaper option: Dry dog edibles have high energy content. Owners only need to feed their dogs with small quantities of dry dog edibles to meet their pets’ nutritional needs and to make sure that they are full. Moreover, dry dog edibles have a longer shelf life, and depending on the brand, dry dog edibles is usually significantly cheaper in price.
- Convenience: Dry dog comestibles is much more convenient to portion and does not require any refrigeration whatsoever. Some dog breeds can also be grazers, which means these animals tend to leave out their diet to eat later, and with dry pet grub on their bowls, the food would not spoil even if it is left out all day. It’s also odorless and much easier to clean that wet grub.
- Dental Health: Dry dog food requires animals to chew their food. By doing so, this aids in preventing tartar buildup and secondary periodontal disease.
- Environment Friendly: Since dry pet chow is much easier to store and smaller portions are needed to be consumed, manufacturers tend to use less packaging compared to wet meat that are in packs or cans.
Cons:
- Loosely Regulated: Food Regulation Companies such as Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not regulate dry pet chow as much as other diet brands. Which leads to brands such as Kibble to contain questionable ingredients such as unwanted chemicals, additives, and processing agents.
- Profit over Nutrition: Billions of dollars are spent by companies to study and compromise the nutritional value of dry pet edibles. As previously stated, since the industry is loosely regulated, budget and profit are usually the main driving force of these companies instead of nutrition. Dry pet edibles may be cheap, but with several brands that do not have honest packaging and advertisements, unsuspecting buyers may buy a product that compromises the animal’s health. There are also some products that have had frequent recalls due to manufacturing errors and contamination. Make sure to do research in which brands would be beneficial and healthy to consume.
Wet Dog Food
Wet dog meat is composed of mixing and grinding protein sources such as meat from livestock, seafood, horses and other dead animals that are healthy for pet consumption. In contrast to dry pet edibles, gravy is also added as well as vitamins, minerals and grains. Unlike the other option, this substinence is cooked and sterilized in order to later be canned for it to hit the shelves.
Pros:
- Palatability: Canned wet pet chow usually is more aromatic and flavorful. Since wet meat is more intense in smell and taste, your furry friend would definitely pick wet edibles over dry treats any time of the day. Wet meat is perfect for animals with a decreased appetite, and might even entice sick or older pets to eat.
- Hydration: Wet meat is a better option for pets who don’t drink as much water as they should be. Your furry friend requires proper hydration to be healthy. Animals can develop urinary or kidney diseases from lack of hydration and wet meat is a great option to prevent that from happening.
- Fullness: Dogs love eating and there are some that have a high tendency of becoming overweight due to overeating. Wet meat tends to create a much longer-lasting feeling of satiety or the feeling of being “full”. Increased satiety is very useful in weight management.
- More Chewable: Some animals tend to develop dental disease or oral abnormalities with age. Wet meat can be much more suitable for animals with these kinds of struggles.
Cons:
- More Fat Content: Some pets are sensitive to fatty diet, especially those that are predisposed to pancreatitis. So always make sure that the right amount of wet food is fed to pets to prevent diseases.
- Possible Tartar Build-Up: Because of moisture of wet pet chow, tartar is much faster to build-up on an animal’s teeth in comparison to dry treats. While dry treats can prevent tartar, wet emat can sometimes even cause it.
Both wet and dry treats offer different advantages and conveniences. Since there are no wrong options between the two, the best way to go about this is to feed your pet with a combination of the two. However, make sure to not mix the two types of edibles due to the different energy contents. Taking your furry friend on a vacation would be very beneficial for health as well, you can check out some pet-friendly Luxury Cabins here on Slingo. There is no wrong or right answer, and it all boils down to the situation and the necessary nutrients your furry friend needs on a daily basis. If your cute furry friend is happy and healthy, that’s what’s important.