Pet Online Studio : Best everything for your pet.: Commercial dog food

By its water content, commercial dog food can be categorized into following types: dry, semi-moist, and moist.

Dry dog food

The average dry food is the least expensive, per pound, when compared to its canned (wet) or semi-moist counterparts. It is usually 6-10% moisture by volume, as compared to up to 78% in canned food. It can be beneficial in the prevention of tartar buildup, as well as being less likely to spoil quickly than an open can. However, if cans are opened only at the time of feeding, they will tend to keep longer than dry food, as dry food cannot be opened on an as-needed basis, and (unless stored in an airtight container) is by necessity exposed to air for the duration of its use.

Many commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. These may include:

Meat by-products or digests (which is rumored to include euthanized animals, although any verifiable evidence has yet to surface.)
Meat-and-bone-meal
Grain by-products
Horse meat

Less expensive dog foods generally include less meat, and more animal by-products and grain "fillers". Proponents of a more natural diet criticize the use of such ingredients, and point out that regulations allow for packaging that might lead a consumer to believe that they were buying a natural food when, in reality, the food might be comprised mostly of ingredients such as those listed above. However, several pet foods exist which do not contain any of these ingredients. Such brands may include Evanger's and Tripett. Many pet stores stock well-known brands that are free of by-products, and run at around the same price as some grocery store brands. More expensive dogs foods may be made of ingredients suitable for human consumption, organic products, or free-range meats.

Special varieties

There are dog foods specially formulated for dogs allergic to common ingredients such as chicken, wheat or corn. These foods usually contain "novel proteins" and substitute uncommon starches for the usual grains. Meats used in allergy formulas can range from the mundane, such as lamb,beef or whitefish, to the unusual, such as venison or duck. Carbohydrates in allergy formulas are usually a less common grain, such as rice or barley, but such ingredients as potato and quinoa are sometimes used. Allergies are more likely to develop with constant exposure (i.e. prolonged feeding of the same food).

Some foods are designed for dogs with maladies such as urinary tract infections, and some are tailored to the dietary needs of especially young or aging dogs. There are also vegetarian dog foods for owners who do not want their dogs to consume meat products.

The manufacturing process

Pellets of dry dog food, called kibble, are primarily produced by one of two methods: extrusion and baking. During the extrusion process, cut dough or a mixture of raw materials is fed into an expander, while pressurized steam or hot water is added. When removed from the high pressure that results, the pellets puff like popcorn. The resultant kibble is allowed to dry, then sprayed with vitamins, fats and oils, or any other ingredients that are not heat-tolerant.

If extruded kibble is exposed to air for too long or not properly stored, the fats and oils added after cooking can become rancid, and vitamins and minerals in the food may be destroyed by heat during storage or shipping.

Baked kibble is often sought after by pet owners seeking a more natural or more digestible food, although the effect of baking on either of these factors is the subject of much discussion (see below). Because the heating process is slower, kibble being prepared this way is subjected to a lower pressure for a much longer period of time. Because fat can be cooked in rather than sprayed on, baked kibble will tend to have a slightly longer shelf life compared to extruded kibble, especially when exposed to air, or after its package has been opened by the consumer.

Because of the longer shelf life and less efficient cooking methods, baked kibble will tend to have a notably higher price tag, and is generally only available in pet and specialty stores, rather than supermarkets. There is persistent debate within the pet care industry as to which method is better for the dog nutritionally. Some proponents of baked food assert that baking aids in the digestibility of raw proteins, and that extrusion requires the use of harmful preservatives, such as BHT or Ethoxyquin. However, it has been pointed out that the canine digestive system is tailored to eating raw meat in the natural environment, and that many extruded foods use natural preservatives, such as tocopherols.

As with any cooking procedure, the simple act of preparing kibble destroys many nutrients in raw ingredients. It has been suggested that either baking or extrusion is less harmful to the nutrient content of a food, but no conclusive evidence has been presented in either direction, and the argument continues.

Wet dog food

Wet, or canned, dog food is significantly higher in moisture than dry or semi-moist food. Because the food is sterilized after being canned (sometimes it is also cooked in the can), it is often easier to ensure the sterility of wet food. A given wet food will often be higher in protein or fat when compared to a similar kibble on a dry matter basis (a measure which ignores moisture). However, because water accounts for so much of the food, the canned food will generally be lower in protein and fat in terms of actual content.

Fresh dog food

Fresh dog food is a new category of commercially produced dog food founded in Australia a decade ago, and is based on evolutionary principles. It has recently made its way into the American market. Fresh dog food uses the pasteurization instead of the traditional extrusion method used to process pet food. This processing technique makes fresh dog food more vulnerable to bacteria compare to dry and wet dog food. To prevent spoilage, refrigerators are used as storage instead of shelves. Fresh dog foods are highly palatable, contains zero preservative (BHA,BHT,Ethoxyquin), and use only fresh wholesome ingredients. Whilst new to the commercial dog food market, feeding fresh food should not be thought of as a "new" approach to feeding as it closely resembles diets fed prior to the mass establishment of commercial dry food products.

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