Dog Foods Overview
The food specially made and produced for the consumption of dogs and other related species. Because dogs are oftentimes considered to be carnivores and omnivores. Because they possess teeth that are sharp and pointed. They possess the gastrointestinal tract that is made for the consumption of meats rather than vegetables.
Dogs also possess 10 genes responsible for the digestion of glucose and starch. They could also produce an enzyme whose functions include to break down the carbohydrates into simpler sugars. This is a quality that the carnivores lack.
Alongside humans in agricultural societies, dogs learned to live along with scrapping leftovers from them.
Dogs managed to live on thousand of years by eating meat and non-meat foods from the waste of human beings. Dogs have learned to thrive in a variety of environment, on different foods. And various studies have shown that the ability of dogs to digest carbohydrates may be one of the most crucial differences between them and wolves.
Functions
Components
The majority of the dog food that is manufactured commercially is made with grade ingredients of animal feed. It is usually produced wet in cans and dry bags. Canned food contains 60-90% of moisture whereas dry food contains 6-10% of it in volume.
The semi-moist products are 25-35%. In the Brazilian market, analysis of isotopic of dog food has been discovered that they are made mostly of poultry or maize.
Dry Foods
The dry dog food oftentimes consists of kibble that is bagged. And the water retention in it is about 3-11%. This kind of dog food is not expensive and is convenient as well. In the pet food industry, the processing of dry food is popular. Because most people consider it a very effective way of supplying products in a variety of ways. Being cost-effective, and energy-efficient, dry foods allow a large number of food products to be used.
A process is done, which is called extrusion. An extruder that is commonly used contains, screws, a tool to shape and cut the food and a barrel. At room temperature, the feed ingredients are solid, hence for these ingredients to go through the extrusion process, the ingredients must have a temperature of about 100 Celcius.
And that is obtained through the use of hot water, steam and other sources that produce heat. Because they melt or soften the mixture of products, thus allowing the fluidity to flow through the barrel. The pressure allows the mixture to enter the die during the process of extrusion, before exiting the extruder all together. And then by the rotating life, it is cut in the size most desired/
During the extrusion process, some of the most important elements are lost in the food.
In dogs, the deficiency of taurine was found. Taurine is not an essential nutrient for dogs, but it is still added in large amounts in the dog food of whole meats, be it cooked or raw.
Wet Foods
The dog food packed in soft-sided or solid containers is called as wet dog foods. This kind of food contains water retention by 60-70%. That means, its moisture is higher than that in semi-moist and dry foods. Canned food is cooked during canning.
The process of acknowledging steam sterilization at 121 degrees Celsius is called sterilization. It has been suggested to feed a large number of canned foods to the dog, to meet his needs of energy. Proteins such as grain gluten are used in the manufacturing of wet dog food to create meaty chunks that are artificial but look a lot like real meat.
Pros
- Wet foods are easier to chew
- Dry foods are easy to feed and store
- Dry foods are cost-effective and energy-dense
- Wet foods are high in fat and protein
Cons
- Wet food causes weight gain
- Dry foods contain preservatives
- Wet foods are expensive
- Dry foods have low palatability as compares to the wet foods
Conclusion
Whatever your pet dogs may eat, it is necessary to look after their diet and make a list of all the things they enjoy eating. Some dogs like wet food, while other savors dry food.