Understanding the Different Forms of Pet Food
Commercialized pet food as we know it today has only been in the market for about 50 years. Unless owned by the wealthy-in which case the owner would have specially prepared meals for his pet-dogs and cats had a pretty rough culinary life. Dogs were left to fend for themselves among a mess of table scraps, raw milk or eggs until a pet-loving electrician from Ohio named James Spratt created the first rudimentary dog food in the late 1800s. Cats finally got their gastronomical due when canned cat food was introduced in the 1930s.
Today, your pet is fortunate enough to have the luxury of many different forms of high-quality pet food, from dry kibble to canned food to dog food rolls. But knowing how each form stacks up against the other will help you compare their individual nutritional values and costs so you can make the most informed decision on what to feed your pet.
Dry food is the most common type of pet food on the market, and for good reason. With the highest concentration of nutrients and least amount of water, it boasts the best nutrition-to-value ratio of any form of pet food. Because canned food is mostly water, your pet will have to eat more wet food to get the same nutrition from dry kibble. Dry food also provides an added benefit in that it helps keep your pet's teeth clean overtime versus only feeding your pet wet food.
Wet food is usually packaged in either cans or pouches. Although wet food has the lowest concentration of nutrients and the most amount of weight from water (approximately 80%), it does have distinct advantages to dry food. For starters, your pet will find canned food more palatable than dry food because it is usually cooked in a gravy of water, fat and flavored gums or starches. Canned food also has the longest shelf life of any form of pet food and more flavors and varieties than dry food.
Dog food rolls are somewhat of a new phenomenon and look vaguely like a pepperoni stick you might find at a supermarket deli. Dog food rolls are more nutrient-dense than wet food and have more water content (about 40%) than dry food. The roll can be cut up or shredded and fed to your dog as a treat or stand-alone meal. Because they are made from the most high-quality, natural formulas, dog food rolls also tend to be the most expensive form of pet food. Your cat might become a little bit jealous, however, since the pet food industry has yet to introduce a similar product for our feline friends.
How you feed your pet is entirely dependent on your preference for one of these forms of pet food. A good idea is to experiment with each form of food or combine the different types of food. Ultimately your pet will let you know which form he enjoys the most.