Kibble is truly the fast food of the pet food world. It was created for convenience. With few exceptions, dry food is manufactured using very high heat. This destroys many of the nutrients found in the raw ingredients. Some estimate that 50% of the amino acids are destroyed, as well as nearly all of the vitamins and minerals. That is the main reason synthetic vitamins and minerals are added. Like people, cats and dogs do not assimilate synthetics very well. In addition, the once healthy omega 3 fatty acids become rancid during the cooking process.
The heat also eliminates most of the moisture content. On average, dry food contains around 12% moisture. Compare that with the 75 – 80% liquid content in natural prey, raw, homemade, and canned foods. Pets drinking copious amounts of water can consume around 50% of what is available in the aforementioned food forms. This is a far cry from what they actually need.
What does this all mean? Many pets on an all-dry diet often become chronically dehydrated. This is especially true for cats, as they naturally have a very low thirst drive and will often not even drink water until they are already dehydrated.
A dry food only diet has been linked to obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome/disease, constipation, kidney disease, urinary tract issues, such as crystals and stones, liver disease, joint problems, skin issues, impacted anal sacs and more.
Dry Food And The Clean Teeth Myth
Simply put, dry food does not keep teeth clean. That’s like telling you to eat granola or crackers and not brush your teeth! Starches from dry food (even grain-free dry foods contain starch, that's what holds the food together) adhere to teeth and become the breeding ground for bacteria (plaque). The best way to keep the teeth clean is to brush them or use oral care products made especially for pets.
Why Pets Love Dry Food
In order to attract pets to their food, pet food manufactures add flavor enhancers. This is a spray of fats, artificial colorings and 'natural' flavorings that is added as the food cools. Not only does this help the food become more visually appealing to YOU (trust me, your pet does not care what color his/her food is), the flavor enhancers actually cause your pet to become addicted to the food!
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