Soften dog food container of water and warming up in a microwave

How to soak dry food for puppies?

Transferring dogs to dry food for container storage has advantages for both hosts and pets. No need to waste time cooking, you can quickly feed your pet, while he receives all the necessary vitamins and trace elements for his body. But it should be noted that transferring to dry food for container storage should be gradual, and if we are talking about puppies, then this issue must be approached more scrupulously. The first time for kids you need to soak food. It is important for dog breeders to know how to do it correctly.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods

From birth, puppies feed on mother’s milk, but as they grow older, they begin to be interested in other food. First of all, they get acquainted with what their mother eats, and even try food to taste. But if it feeds on specialized dry food for dogs, then puppies are unlikely to be able to develop such a treat, because the teeth of the kids are still not strong enough.

They begin to introduce complementary foods in the second month of the life of puppies. Some breeders prefer to feed their pets with natural food, so they use meat broth, boiled stuffing, dairy best storage containers and milk as complementary foods.

A rather large percentage of breeders believes that industrial food for dogs is an excellent choice, because together with it the animals receive all the necessary nutrients.

Industrial feed is divided into several classes:

• Holistic;
• Economy;
• Premium;
• Super-premium.

The last option will be a good choice for pets. Its rich composition replaces a full-fledged diet, therefore, eating such food, animals grow and develop according to norms. As a rule, for feed puppies are produced in the form of pastes, pastes and canned foods, consisting of small pieces of soft delicacy with sauce or jelly.

There are also dry feed for babies, but it is recommended to give them only after 4 months. The appearance of such food differs from the delicacies for adult dogs the size and density of granules. The food also has a shiny surface due to the high fat and calorie content.

Do I need to soak food?

Despite the recommendations of manufacturers, the breeders argue that it is necessary to soak dry food for puppies, and there are several reasons for it:

• Firm granules can damage the delicate gum of the baby;
• The milk teeth are not so strong as to gnaw such firm food;
• There are no necessary enzymes in the stomach of a small pet to digest dry granules, which can cause a violation of the digestive tract;
• The consumption of dry food at the stage of teething can lead to their curvature.

Among the owners of dogs there is an opinion that the defeat of dry food helps to strengthen and cleanse the teeth, but this is a delusion. To remove the dental plaque, it is necessary to resort to conventional brushing with a brush, and to strengthen it is recommended to give the puppy special toys. It should also be borne in mind that as a result of damage to the gums with solid granules, the baby will experience discomfort at each meal, which is why it will not be able to eat a portion or it will completely refuse to eat.

Sooned food can be given to puppies whose age exceeds 1 month. It can be either a separate dish, and an addition to soup, porridge and other food. It is recommended to feed dogs with soaked granules until they have a milk teeth. In each breed, this period lasts differently, as a rule, making up no more than six months. Therefore, at the 7th month of life, dry granules can be added to the pet’s food, but their number should not exceed 25% of the portion.

Gradually, the ratio of solid and soaked food increases, around the age of 1 year the dog will be completely transferred to dry food for container storage.

Rules for smearing feed

There are several ways to soak feed in which different liquids are used. The main condition is that the liquid should be warm or at least room temperature. Quite often, boiled water is used with a temperature of 40-50 degrees, which allows you to quickly steam the food. At the same time, its smell intensifies, becoming more attractive to the puppy.

To soak the feed, it is recommended to use a metal bowl, because the temperature is better held in it. The granules flooded with warm liquid are covered with a lid or plate, and left for about 20-30 minutes. After the food increases in volume and becomes soft, you need to drain the excess fluid and knead with a fork, turning into a gruel. But you can also feed the baby with softened food without additional grinding.

Soften dog food container of water and warming up in a microwave

In addition to water, a warm chicken or beef broth can be used to steam dry food.

In this case, you can not remove the remnants of the liquid after softening the granules, the puppy will enjoy it with pleasure. It is important to remember that the broth should be low-fat, because the stomach of the crumbs will not be able to learn it, which is why indigestion will arise. To soften dry dog food, they often use milk, but it is important to note that it should not be cow. Breeders recommend the following options:

• Dry milk – especially if the puppy has poor appetite;
• Industrial substitute for bitch milk, the composition of which is as close as possible to natural;
• Diluted goat milk in a ratio of 1: 1.

To soften dry granules in milk will take more time. The prepared amount of food should be enough for one technique, because the feed soaked with milk cannot be stored, each time you need to prepare a new portion. In rare cases, kefir is used to soak feed, because it is not suitable for all dogs. When choosing this option, it is important to consider some features of cooking for the baby:

• Only natural kefir with a low percentage of fat content can be used;
• The temperature of kefir should not exceed 38 degrees, so it is better to heat it in a water bath;
• To completely soften the granules, it will take at least 20 minutes;
• The prepared treat is not subject to storage.

Smooting of dry food in kefir is well suited for babies with dysbiosis. As a rule, this violation of digestion is observed in puppies that lived on the street or in rural areas. But it should be remembered that dysbiosis can begin as a result of stress associated with a change in place of residence.

If the puppy came to your house, and you noticed a digestive disorder from him, then it is recommended to feed him with kefir for some time, but in a small amount.

Easy Way to Turn Kibble into Soft Food

Bannies and recommendations

In order not to harm the growing body of a puppy, it is necessary to adhere to several recommendations.

1. Starting to introduce dog food into the diet, the first time to smear only water should be used. After 1-2 months, you can try to soften the food in low-fat broth and milk, but if the baby has indigestion, it is better to refuse this venture.
2. You can use exclusively warm water, the temperature of which does not exceed 40 degrees. When the dry granules are steamed in boiling water, some beneficial substances are simply destroyed, therefore, the food will be less useful and nutritious.
3. After feeding the puppy, the remaining foods must be cleaned in the refrigerator, but they can be stored for no more than 12 hours. Before the next feeding, the food needs to be a little warm. It should be noted that such manipulations can only be carried out with food soaked in water, and in other cases the remains must be thrown away.
4. To steal the feed, it is necessary to use purified water, and it is also important not to forget to wash the bowl before cooking and after that.

Dog owners should remember that water should always be freely available for a pet, because due to a lack of liquid, the digestive process of the pet may be disturbed.

Contents

• How to soak dry food for puppies?
• Rules for the introduction of complementary foods
• Do I need to soak food?
• Rules for smearing feed
  • Easy Way to Turn Kibble into Soft Food
• Bannies and recommendations