Sometimes, I soak my dogs’ dry food in warm water for 15 or 20 minutes before I feed them. I do this for a couple of reasons. My older dog has had a few dental extractions, and doesn’t chew up his food as well as he used to – not that any dog grinds up much of the kibble he or she eats; unlike ours, canine teeth are not much for grinding. Mostly, a few of the kibbles get crunched, and more likely get swallowed intact. My younger dog is prone to eating way too fast – just bolting down all his food whole in less than a minute (unless I put it in a slow feeder or snuffle mat) – and I am guessing that it will put less of a strain on his digestive system if the food arrives even slightly pre-moistened.
And I know that feeding both of them soaked food makes them feel more full. Dry foods are so nutrient-dense, that the volume of the amount of food that is calorically appropriate for their weight might not come close to filling up their tummies. If their meal is full of water, it definitely increases satiety – that sensation of fullness. They quit walking around the kitchen looking unsatisfied after their meals when their food is soaked.
If you’ve ever soaked your dog’s food, you’re aware of how much dry dog food expands when immersed in water. It’s a little horrifying, actually, to realize how much more space a certain amount of food will require in a dog’s stomach and gut once the dog’s digestive juices hydrate the individual kibbles. It nearly doubles in volume. The kibbles are like little sponges – some more than others. I’ve noticed when soaking food for various foster puppies that some kibble is more resistant to soaking than others.
Neither of my dogs are reluctant or picky eaters, but adding water can definitely increase the palatability of dry food for some dogs.
However, one shouldn’t moisten food and leave it sitting out at room temperature for very long – I would start being concerned about bacterial growth in moistened food that had been left out at room temperature for more than an hour.
Many people believe that feeding soaked food will help prevent bloat. I’m not sure there’s ever been a study that looked at just that, but it would make sense to me. I’m super cautious about exercise for a couple of hours after feeding, too, for the same reason.
Out of curiosity: How many of you moisten or soak your dog’s dry food?
I have 3 German Shepherds and a shitzu. I had all their teeth cleaned and needed to feed soften food. When fully soaked in water the amount is huge. If I give one dog 2 cups dry food per meal should I give them 2 cups soften food or the two cups dried, softened? I haven’t been able to find a feeding guide for softened dry food. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Dry food encourages dogs to chew their food, which aids in preventing tartar buildup and secondary periodontal disease. Convenience: Compared to wet food, dry diets are much easier to pre-portion, and they won’t spoil if left out all day. This can be beneficial for dogs that are grazers.
Great blog post.Helpful and informative tips. I like it thanks for sharing this information with us
Starting to add warm water to my 5 month puppy kibble for the past three days. She has been a slow eater and I think may be like my other dogs that prefer grazing when hungry. My vet said this was fine for my previous Westie and my 6 year Goldendoodle. My mini bernedoodle pup is teething with sore bloody gums.so I started adding water 1/4 cup to 1 cup kibble twice a day. The problem is frequently waking at night with loose stools for two of the three nights I’ve wet the kibble. She eats it all within 10 minutes. This is more food than she was eating but less than recommended on the bag. I know the threat of bacteria so definitely throw away any uneaten within 15 minutes. She is healthy, energetic and happy. I read teething pups could get upset tummies but now wondering if I’m wrong to wet this kibble?
Can you moisten the kibble then freeze it?
I raised 8 German Shepherd I did socialization with them for 16 months. Then they would go back to the school for the Blind where the trainers finish the training. Us puppies raisers called this going to college and then they would just place another adorable puppy in our arms for another 16 mo. Our feeding instructions were no water for one hour before they eat, soak food (Kibble) for 20 minutes, and no playing after meal for one hour. We all worry about the Bloat in our dogs. This is a precaution. I am doing this also with my 50 pound Rescue Lab/Mix dog. Going to purchase the dog dish for my dog to slow him down. Had a few of my shepherds that I couldn’t slow them down so I used the divided dish (do not remember the actual name of this dog dish but boy they do work.
My father’s gun dogs never ate meat. Dried meal was soaked with boiled water. It cooled pretty quickly and they wolfed it down. There was nothing missing from the meal. Without exception, all of our dogs were muscular, fit and active, with gorgeous coats and healthy teeth and gums. The dogs did get the occasional bone as a treat. Think Provincial England where you walk down to the local butcher and buy a large beef bone for the dog. We did have a greedy terrier who got into the feed bag once and spent twelve hours lying on his side with a bulging tummy and glassy eyes. He survived and would have done it all over again if he could.