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A comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about dry food for dogs and cats.

Post by admin admin

Jul 06 2019

The word most often said by pet owners is dry food, and here people are divided into two types:

1- Some people tell you that dry food is good and beneficial!

2- People tell you what dray food is, but it is harmful and wastes money on the ground!

In this article, you will learn what dry food is? What are its alternatives? Why is dry food the best? At the end of the article, you will learn scientifically how to choose the best dry food for your dog or cat? We will also recommend some types that you can buy.

Article content:

What is dry food?
Is dry food harmful or beneficial for dogs and cats?
Is dry food better or fresh food?
How to feed dry food to dogs and cats
Best dry food for dogs
Best dry food for cats

What is dry food?

Dry food is food intended for dogs and cats, made in specific quantities and proportions that cover the pet’s need for protein, energy, vitamins and minerals!

It varies depending on the type of pet, its age, and the stage it is going through, whether pregnancy, breastfeeding, training, or guarding.

Is dry food harmful or beneficial for dogs and cats?

Dry food is like any other food in the world, it has good and bad parts!

Let's first see what its benefits and harms are, and then we will know how to differentiate between the beneficial and the harmful.

Benefits of dry food for cats and dogs

A complete meal that contains the proportions of all the nutrients your dog or cat needs.
It helps remove tartar buildup on teeth.
It strengthens bones and helps in growth.
It helps in muscle and tissue growth because it contains protein.
It maintains the animal's hair because it contains fatty acids.
It does not spoil quickly and can be stored for a long time.

In short, dry food as a type of food has no harmful or side effects in itself, but the issue is exactly like our food...

For example, when you are tired, you eat boiled food. If you eat cooked food, it might make you more tired, and so on…

The idea is that if you give your pet food that is not suitable for him or for the stage he is in, then harm could occur!

Damages that may arise from choosing the wrong dry food

Allergy to some ingredients
Stone formation due to colored food and excess salts
Obesity is caused by using a larger amount of dry food than the pet needs.
Vomiting and diarrhea due to the use of poor quality or spoiled dry food

Is dry food better or fresh food (home-cooked food)?

Dry food is an alternative and competitor to fresh food, which is made at home, such as boiled chicken, boiled vegetables, or any food prepared at home specifically for pets!

Fresh food is of course one of the best types of food you can give your pet, but you must provide him with all the vitamins, minerals and daily energy he needs...

Since this is difficult to achieve, and through experience, most of the dogs we saw eating fresh food in Egypt had hair problems and a lack of physical structure!

That's why we always recommend using dry food!

But only clean types!

How do you know the good type of dry food from the bad type?

We will answer this question, but first let's differentiate between dry and wet!

Dry Food vs Wet Food?

Wet food is very similar to dry food, but the amount of water in it can reach 80%!

There are good quality and bad quality wet food!

It is difficult to rely on wet food as a source of nutrition because it is expensive compared to dry food and is used as a side source. It is also used in medical cases because it is easier to digest than dry food!

Dry food ingredients

The basic ingredients of dry food are usually a source of protein in beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and fats, and it can also be grains such as corn, wheat, and starch, in addition to a group of vitamins and minerals!

The proteins used can be meat cuts, meat scraps, or meat processing scraps!

As for grains, they are used to reduce the cost of the protein used.

Focus now because I will tell you how to know when you hold a bag of dry food if it is good or not...

If you find the word “Meat” on the product packaging, it means that real meat was used, whether from the body, heart, diaphragm, esophagus, or in general any meat suitable for human consumption!

If “Meat by-product” is mentioned, it means anything other than meat, such as lungs, kidneys, brains, blood, and bones!

This is based on the instructions of the American Feed Control Organization (AAFCO), and these instructions also state that these ingredients should not contain hair, horns, teeth, or hooves!

If Meat Meal is mentioned on dry food, this indicates that the product is made from animal tissue, meaning it could be any part of the animal, but we don’t know exactly what it is!

That's why the best dry food for dogs or cats is the type that initially has a specific protein source, and the more unspecified it is, the lower the quality and the less we recommend dry food.

How is dry food made?

Dry food manufacturing and processing

Simply put, dry food is processed using heat and pressure to form granules that are then packaged!

But of course, a large part of the important vitamins is lost during this process, which is why vitamins and minerals are added during the processing of dry food!

So that the final product has all the appropriate and necessary requirements for the pet.

Now you know how dry food is manufactured and how to know the best dry food for your dog or cat...

Now that you have really come to dry food, how can you make your dog or cat love it?

How to give dry food to dogs or cats

It is placed in a plate as a complete meal, and a little warm water or soup can be added, or it can be mixed with weight food!

The appropriate quantity for the animal's age and weight must be taken into consideration. It is written on the dry food package and is divided equally over the number of meals per day!

Number of dry food meals for dogs and cats per day in the first 6 months

The prescribed amount of dry food is divided into 3 meals equally from 6 months to a year!

And it is divided into two meals a day after a year!

Note: It is preferable not to play after eating to avoid any stomach problems!

How to get dogs or cats used to dry food?

We often get asked: How do I get my cat used to dry food?

If the dog or cat is used to eating fresh food, it will be difficult to switch to dry food at once, so it should be done gradually over four days!

The first day, use ¾ of the meal fresh and ¼ dry food.
Day 2 ½ fresh and ½ dry food
Day 3 ¼ fresh and ¾ dry food
The fourth day, the entire meal is dry food.

Note: You must know what kind of food your pet likes because dry food is made from ingredients such as fish, chicken and meat, so choose the type whose main ingredient your pet likes.

Some companies have made products specifically for picky dogs and cats...

They are the ones who refuse to eat anything, and through experimentation, these types have shown results!

How do you choose the most suitable and best dry food for your dog or cat?

1- Make sure of the source of protein in dry food.

The first thing you need to look at is the source of protein, and the most important of them are the first 3 sources written on the package, and of course they should be named like beef, poultry, chicken, or fish…

If it says meat by-products, this means that the protein is of low quality.

If it is written that the meat by-products are liver, for example, then that is also excellent. However, if the source of the protein is unknown or not written at all, then avoid it.

Also, if the first 3 ingredients are plant protein and not animal protein, then this is a low-quality protein and not suitable!

This is because dogs and cats are carnivores and a large proportion of dogs and cats are allergic to plant protein.

There are certain products on the market that you will find written on them that they are | Grain Free or Gluten Free, and this is of course better, but it is more expensive in price and by a big difference.

Warning: If your dog or cat eats food that contains grains, you must follow up if he or she develops an allergy to it and develops symptoms of illness related to the food, such as skin problems, diarrhea, vomiting, or weight loss.

2- Fats in dry food

The best quality dry food is the one that states the source of the fats. However, the one that does not state the source will naturally have a lower rating!

3- Pay attention to the appropriate age group for your dog or cat.

You must know very well whether this dry food is suitable for the age of your dog or cat or not... because, for example, puppies and kittens need higher protein and energy than adults to build their muscles and provide them with the appropriate energy for their bodies, and therefore they have a special food.

You will find the age information written on the dry food packages.

4- Physical and reproductive activity

Not all adult dogs are the same in terms of activity, and not even cats are the same!

For example, pregnant and lactating women need high energy and more protein, just like children!

Also, dogs during training or any strenuous work should not eat the same food as a dog sitting at home.

Based on this, you need to know what stage your dog or cat is going through or the nature of its activity so that you can ask when you buy the most appropriate dry food and choose the food that will benefit your pet in the stage it is going through!

5- The faction

For dogs, some dogs have long hair and need Omega 3, Omega 6, and Biotin as essential vitamins for hair.

Certain breeds, such as the German Shepherd, are prone to pathological joint dislocation, so it is preferable to have vitamins that strengthen the joints, such as Glucose Amino Glycan ...

Therefore, for example, the best dry food for German Shepherd dogs is different from the best dry food for other dogs.

The best dry food for puppies is not the best dry food for adults!

Large breed dogs have a completely different need for energy and protein. For example, if they eat food that contains high protein and energy at an early stage, their body may become heavier and cause problems in the bones and joints.

That's why it's very important to make sure that the dry food is suitable for your dog's breed.

For cats, long-haired cats are more prone to developing hairballs in their stomachs, so it is best to include Silica Gel in dry food to help break down these balls.

6- Pay attention to the brand of dry food you buy.

Some companies write on the package all the healthy ingredients, but they are unknown and not widespread, and the reactions to them are not strong!

Unlike other companies known for their interest in quality, dogs and cats also love their food, so we advise you to choose a well-known brand that is widespread in the market.

Like Royal Canin dry food, Josera dry food, Mira dry food, Belcando dry food , Leonardo dry food, etc.