Our furry friends love canned food. Fortunately, today there are high-quality wet foods that can provide numerous benefits for our pets. If you’re still not familiar with the advantages of canned feeding, in today’s article we’ll tell you about the 10 benefits of wet food for dogs.
Index:
- What are the benefits of wet food for dogs?
- It has more animal protein
- It includes fewer carbohydrates
- It requires fewer preservatives
- It is fresher
- It offers greater palatability
- It contains better ingredients
- It is easier to digest
- It helps control weight
- It reduces stomach bloating
- It prevents kidney disease
The best option: mixing kibble and wet food
What are the benefits of wet food for dogs?
Dry food, because of its price and convenience, continues to be the most popular option for feeding our four-legged friends. However, including a percentage of canned food in their daily diet can offer many benefits for our pets. Below we explain all the advantages of wet food for dogs.
1. It has more animal protein
Dogs are carnivorous animals. That’s why animal protein must be the main ingredient in their diet. Generally, wet food contains more meat than kibble. However, sometimes dry food labels can be misleading and suggest they contain more protein than they really do.
This is because dry food has much less moisture than canned food. Therefore, protein percentages appear higher in kibble since they are calculated based on dehydrated ingredients.
2. It includes fewer carbohydrates
Dry kibble needs to include more carbohydrates than wet food in order to have a firm and compact texture. This is because carbohydrates act as binders and are necessary to keep kibble together. Specifically, the gluten present in wheat and other cereals makes kibble more compact and prevents it from falling apart in the bag.
3. It requires fewer preservatives
Unlike dry food, wet food is naturally preserved through the canning process. In addition, wet food is fresher because the container is consumed in a very short period of time. Once opened, kibble bags need to stay in good condition for weeks. That’s why dry food requires more preservatives than canned food.
4. It is fresher
Have you noticed how interested your furry friend becomes when you open a new bag of food? This is because, being fresher, it tastes and smells much better. Wet food can offer us that freshness almost daily. While a bag of dry food remains open for weeks, a can of dog food is consumed immediately or within a few days. This makes every bite much fresher and tastier.
5. It offers greater palatability
Wet food tastes better because it is fresher and more natural than dry food. The high palatability of canned food is due to its high content of animal protein and the freshness of its ingredients. Since canned food is made with more meat and fewer carbohydrates, it doesn’t need to include artificial flavors or aromas, unlike many dry dog foods.
6. It contains better ingredients
In addition to containing more meat and fewer carbohydrates than dry kibble, wet dog food is formulated with fresher and higher-quality ingredients. That’s why canned foods are usually more expensive than dry foods. Fresh ingredients not only make food taste better, but they are also more beneficial for our furry friends’ health, as they contain more natural nutrients.
7. It is easier to digest
Canned food for dogs is easier to chew and digest than dry kibble. Its soft texture and high water content make wet food an ideal option for dogs with digestive problems, sensitive stomachs, or those recovering from illness.
8. It helps control weight
The moisture content of canned food helps dogs feel full. In addition, wet food has more protein than dry food. Since proteins take longer to digest than carbohydrates, our pets will feel satisfied for longer after eating wet food. Therefore, wet food is a great ally in weight-control diets.
9. It reduces stomach bloating
Wet food does not absorb as much liquid in the stomach as kibble, so dogs that include canned food in their diet are less prone to stomach bloating. Furthermore, because of its texture and consistency, canned food is more digestible than dry food.
10. It prevents kidney disease
Many dogs don’t like to drink water. Lack of hydration is a problem that can cause irreversible damage to vital organs. Feeding wet food, due to its high moisture content, helps increase water intake quickly and easily. That’s why diabetic dogs, which often suffer from kidney issues, will have a better quality of life with a diet rich in wet food.
The best option: mixing kibble and wet food
Now that you know the benefits of wet food for dogs, you’ll understand that the best option for feeding your pet is mixing kibble and wet food. A mixed diet gives you the advantages of both feeding options.
It’s also a great solution for dogs with dental problems and for those who need an extra incentive at mealtime.
