5 Problems with feeding your dog kibbles
Extruded kibble is made when a mixture of raw ingredients is forced through a die that shapes and cooks the food. The cooking process happens using either hot water or steam to quickly cook the kibble. It is then trimmed with a blade into the bite-sized pieces you see in the bag of dog food. It is one of the most common canine diets in existence. Kibble has been commercially produced and fed to dogs since 1956. But are these kibbles really healthy for dogs? The only benefit we see with kibbles for dog’s health is that kibbles are complete and balanced, but with one benefit comes along lots of negative aspects which are listed below.
Kibbles are extremely processed
Kibble is ultra-processed and cooked at temperatures as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which not only kills any nutrients that could have possibly passed onto this stage, but also strips the natural goodness of the food.
Kibbles lack the moisture
Excessive processing not only strips away the nutrients but also takes away the majority of the moisture. Kibble tends to have a moisture content of between 6 and 10 percent, all of this is done so that kibble can be shelf-stable, and can be present on the shelf for a longer period of time. Low moisture in food does not allow your dog to get any water from the food. Dogs and cats naturally drink less water and feeding dry kibbles lowers the amount of water in their bodies. Think of it like this- you sit down for a meal of a bowl of dry crackers with nothing to drink. The dry food absorbs all the moisture in your throat, stomach, and intestines leaving the dog with a minimal amount of fluid to churn the food into something that moves through the digestive system. When a dog gets dehydrated, they can experience several harmful symptoms:
- Loss of appetite
- Reduced energy levels and/or lethargy
- Panting
- Sunken, dry-looking eyes
- Dry nose and gums
- Loss of skin elasticity
Kibbles can quickly go rancid
As soon as you open a bag of dry kibble, light and air affect the fragile ingredients inside the bag of food. The fats that are sprayed on the food during production start to go rancid. This can be quantified at 1 week and by 6 weeks you have toxic food! Long-term consumption of rancid fats in kibble can destroy vitamins, which can lead to vitamin, protein, and fat deficiencies. Even more
alarming, many other health issues have been attributed to rancid fats including malnutrition, hair loss, diarrhea, kidney and liver disease, reproductive problems, and even cancer and death.
Kibbles are often made with feed-grade ingredients
The regulation that is placed upon feed-grade ingredients meant for dogs only is significantly different from that designed for human food consumption. Pet feeds are allowed to contain what are called “4D” meats. These meats are sourced from dying, diseased, dead, or downed animal material and meat ingredients sourced from non-slaughtered animals - with no disclosure requirement. There are no regulations and standards for feed grade ingredients and these are often
of very low quality and the nutrients from such ingredients are less bioavailable for dogs. Feed grade ingredients are considered unfit for human consumption, and in a simple sense, anything that is unfit for human consumption shouldn’t be fed to our fur kids either.
Presence of colors and dyes in kibbles
Many times kibbles are colored red, green, and yellow to make them attractive to the pet parent. These colors do not play any role in improving the dog’s health, instead, these colors can adversely affect the pet’s health causing illnesses like chronic allergies and even life-threatening diseases like cancer. Many food dyes, referred to by the Center for Science in the Public Interest as the “Rainbow of Risks”, have been banned because of their negative effects on laboratory animals. This report finds that several of the nine approved food dyes could be causing serious health issues, including cancer and hypersensitivity reactions.
We’ve shown that kibble may not be the healthiest choice for your dog. As it stands, the only benefits of kibble are convenience and cost for the pet parent and being “complete & balanced” for the dog’s health. The disadvantages of kibbles outweigh its advantages. The optimal diet for dogs includes fresh, whole foods made from human-grade ingredients. The optimal diet for your dog also includes healthy fats, high moisture (around 60% - 70%), and a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. A great way to feed this type of diet is to feed Fresh and balanced food.
Freshwoof is made with real human-grade ingredients with the goodness of organic ayurvedic ingredients and without any nasties like artificial preservatives, harmful chemicals, by-products, and artificial colors and flavors. Just healthy and complete dog food made with love in an FDA-certified facility. Freshwoof meals are gently cooked, just like you would have cooked at home for your dog, and at the same time complete and balanced (contains all the essential nutrients your dog needs).
