When you’re walking down the aisles at the pet store or grocery store kibble is always stocked! There’s so many options from the brand all the way to the ingredients used. It seems to be the most convenient option but have you thoroughly looked at how it’s made or the effects it could have on your beloved pet?
The first type of dog food ever produced was kibble. Kibble or dry food, contains necessary nutrients that are grinded up, formed into pellets and cooked at high temperatures. While kibble was the most popular choice in the early 90’s, over time we have learned about the pros and cons of kibble, and how it affects our dogs’ overall health.
How is it Made?
There are a few new ways companies have begun making kibble due to the most mainstream methods altering the compositions of particular nutrients. Since kibble is cooked at such a high temperature it changes the nutritional value, weakening the overall value of each fatty acid, amino acid and enzyme. There are three current methods for making kibble:
| Extruded Kibble | Baked Kibble | Coated Kibble | |
| Method | -Grinding and mixing ingredients into a dough then formed into pellets before cooking. -Pellets are cooked at high temperatures then coated in fat/vitamins/preservatives. | -Baked at a lower temperature which results in a more nutrient dense and flavorful kibble. | -Freeze-dried meat coating on baked.extruded kibble. -No change in cooking but additives after the cooking process add more nutrients. |
| Pro/Con | -Due to the high heat cooking method, nutrients are lost from the food, leading to additional vitamins and minerals added after the cook. -The added vitamins and minerals coating the kibble can go bad over time if not sealed. | -More expensive and not as available as extruded kibble -Improves digestion and has a softer texture. -Pellets are more porous and less compressed. | -Adds flavor, more vitamins, minerals. |
Types of Kibble Diet
Due to the popularity and ease of kibble diets there are many specific targeted diets now made in kibble form. One targeted diet is grain free or grain inclusive kibble. Typically grain is substituted with starchy carbs such as legumes, peas or lentils. Due to blood-glucose levels, feeding this particular diet can cause spikes in the metabolic system increasing the risk for diabetes and obesity. Other specific kibble diets, known as prescription diets, are for particular health conditions such as urinary care, GI, skin/coat, kidney or weight management. These have specific contents focused to help support these health conditions.
Benefits
Although there are many different ways of making kibble, something they hold in common are preservatives. These are the key ingredients that allow kibble to maintain their nutritional contents for long periods of time. The correct way to store kibble is in a sealed bag. Not a plastic container due to potential BPA (an industrial chemical found in plastics) contamination. Once opened it is good for up to six weeks, giving it one of the longest shelf lives of dog food; If unopened its shelf life is between 12 and 18 months. A dramatic difference compared to canned food, which lasts about a week after opening.
On top of shelf life, kibble is the easiest of convenience for owners – the food is already made and only needs to be transferred to the bowl. The hard texture of kibble supports dental health by scraping tartar and plaque from the teeth helping to avoid bacteria and gum infections. Lastly, it is the least expensive, or most affordable option when it comes to dog food.
Drawbacks
Now comes the flip side of this convenient product. Unfortunately, the way it’s produced is not biochemically optimal. Because it is first cooked, a large level of nutrients degrade via exposure to various high temperature settings. To combat this, additives coat the kibble containing synthetic vitamins, minerals and nutrients. On top of the synthetic additives many times artificial color, preservatives and chemicals are added. Synthetics are engineered in a lab, not natural. They are thought to be associated with a wide variety of health problems.
Additionally, there are contents in dog food that can be genetically engineered. This includes corn, wheat, rice or potato which are harder to digest than their natural counterparts. It also lacks moisture. Since kibble is a hard structured pellet it does not properly hydrate the pup. When dogs do not have moisture in their food, as it is being digested it steals moisture from the body to break down the food. This can lead to dehydration. In many cases adding a small bit of moisture to kibble can help however there are also risks. Dogs do not fully chew their food. Once within the stomach, due high starch contents, the kibble will expand in the presence of too much moisture. This can lead to health risks such as bloat which is potentially fatal and not uncommon in large dogs with deep chests.
Now that you know the different types of kibble including their pros and cons, we hope we helped you make an educated decision for your pup!
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I do think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but typically folks dont discuss these issues. To the next! All the best!!