Kibble, wet food or fresh meat which is good for your pet?

What does your dog or cat eat?

So many dogs and cats, so many different types and brands of food. The bulk of all cat food and dog food can be divided into kibble, processed (cooked) meat in cans, portion packs or tubs and fresh meat. Fresh meat is also called BARF, CDV or frozen meat.

What do most dogs and cats eat?

The vast majority of dogs and cats eat baked kibble, whether or not combined with wet food such as canned food, portion packs or tubs. This type of food is widely available and easy to feed. Daily weigh out the amount of kibble and if you combine it with wet food then reduce the amount of daily kibble to prevent obesity. As all kibbles and wet food are composed differently in terms of energy level, amount of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, how much you should give them per day is different for each kind and type of food. The average amount per day is usually given in a table on the bag. This is a guideline for the daily amount per day calculated, for an average dog or cat with an average amount of exercise. Therefore, your pet may well need less. For example, spayed animals really need less food than very active working dogs. It could be that the dog or cat seems to get fatter after a few weeks, in which case you obviously give too much, the other way around is less common as many pets turn out to be overweight rather than underweight. When in doubt, it is wise to consult your vet.

Nat food is it similar to fresh meat?

Fresh meat, as the name suggests, is not processed by boiling or frying. It is generally frozen though so that it keeps longer after purchase. Fresh meat is more variable in composition because one chicken is not like another, while tinned meat always has the same complete composition of its contents. In addition, it is very important to keep a close eye on the total composition of the fresh meat meal. It appears that with the increase of feeding fresh meat, shortages or excesses of certain nutrients, such as calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and D, are observed in pets. So when feeding fresh meat, the overall composition of the menu is very important. If you are looking for a safe and completely formulated fresh meat diet food for dogs, which is formulated by veterinarians, you will end up with Raw Veterinary Diets, for example. When choosing ready-made wet food in tins, portion packs or tubs, these can be fed without other additives and have a longer shelf life without freezing.

Chunks

The ideal thing about almost all foods consisting of kibble is that they are ready to feed. In addition, the food is formulated so that they can be fed for life without risk of shortages. Normally, a cat or dog can be fed just kibble and no other nutritional supplements are needed. If your pet eats the food well and there are no physical complaints, there is no need to change the food until a new phase of life arrives. Pups, Kittens, adult cats and dogs or just older dogs and cats; the so-called seniors, are best given kibble that suits the respective life stage.

Fresh pressed or crispy kibble?

If you choose to be kibble, you have a choice of two different made kibbles. There are crunchy (baked) kibbles, which are the most commonly made and sold dog and cat kibbles. There are also freshly pressed kibble in which the temperature does not exceed 75 degrees during manufacture. The difference between pressed and crispy kibble is only in the preparation process, which makes the structure different but the quality of the ingredients is not different. Because of the difference in preparation, it is not advisable to feed pressed and korkante kibble mixed together as the pressed kibble is digested a bit differently in the stomach than the baked kibble. Also, when you want to switch from one type of kibble to another, do it in 1x and not like this normally. When changing food, normally a little more of the new food compared to the old food is given each time in order to crowd out the old food until only new food is given in about five days.

How are crispy baked kibbles made and what is the benefit?

The crispy baked kibble is made by baking it at a high temperature. This process is called extruding which is why this type of kibble is also called extruded kibble. They are often given a greasy coating to make the kibble more palatable and to replenish the fats lost during baking. Frying has made the kibble firm and the animals have to chew on it to bite through it, which helps prevent plaque. Plaque is rubbed off the tooth, so to speak, by the friction between the tooth and the kibble, this is called mechanical cleaning.

Pressed kibble disintegrates faster in the stomach.

Pressed dog chunks are compact and concentrated. All the nutrients are pressed together without air entering the kibble. There are two types of pressed kibble. The cold pressed kibble, in which the temperature during manufacturing does not exceed 38 degrees Celsius and the normal pressed kibble which is heated to a maximum of 75 degrees during manufacturing. Not frying the kibble ensures, that the kibble takes up less space both in the packaging and in the stomach. The dog and cat therefore need smaller portions to meet their needs. As pressed kibble is thus not baked, it disintegrates faster and therefore contributes less to mechanical cleaning of the teeth. It is said that pressed kibbles are the easiest to combine with meat food, as the way of digestion is similar to that of meat food, however this has not been scientifically studied.

What should you feed your dog or cat? So this depends on several factors, including your owner's preference, which is obviously very decisive. Do you want convenient ready-to-eat kibble or do you prefer fresh meat combined with cold pressed kibble? There is plenty of choice, but is the food you choose also the most suitable for your dog or cat? A food is only suitable for your pet if it likes to eat it, gives her a shiny coat, fresh breath, little flatulence and not too much faeces. Of course, the food should not cause nutrient deficiencies such as vitamins and minerals or other complaints in your pet. If, after gathering all the information, you don't know what to choose, your vet is an excellent advisor.

-This is an automated translation-