Should I Add Water To Dry Dog Food?

I am sure that you may have wondered a few times if you can add water to dry dog food. It’s a common thought. You maybe worry if that will change the taste and then your dog won’t like it and food will be wasted.

Today, we will get to know all this plus we will see all pros and cons of adding water. Are there any health benefits of doing this? Is it helpful?

The answer is simple:

YES, you can add water to dry dog food.

Water can’t change the ingredients or the nutrients your dog will get, eventually. Just don’t add boiling hot water and everything will be fine.

Why should I add water to dry dog food?

If you notice a loss of appetite, which is a common sign that your dog got into the stage of senior dogs, then it may be good for you and your dog to add liquidity to the food. As it will get moist.

Another reason why adding water is a good option is if your dog has dental issues like missing teeth or sensitive gums. As the dry kibble will be difficult for chewing and painful in many cases.

If you think that your dog doesn’t get enough water intake during the day and stays dehydrated this is another reason to add water to the kibble, especially in hot summers.

A reason that is good for the dog’s health is that wet food is much easier to digest. It’s a good option for puppies as they still need moisture and also for elder dogs like senior dogs.

If your dog has some problems with its stomach as it is sensitive or it’s in pain, you can add water to help with intestinal motility. Or if your dog tends to get bloated after eating dry food, by adding water the bloating will be less and not often processed.

It’s also a good solution if your dog eats too fast dry food. When you add water on top of the food and it gets moist good it will take a longer time for your dog to eat it. By this, you prevent unchewed kibbles to go directly into the stomach.

It’s a great addition for dogs that need to lose weight but aren’t getting enough full. Wet food is making them feel full sooner but also doesn’t add calories to the meal and whole diet.

If you are an owner of a picky eater, then adding water may be a good thing but at the same time, it can be the opposite. Some dry foods don’t have enough strong smell for dogs and they don’t eat them. Adding water increases the aroma. But you need to remember that dogs are more sensitive to smell, their noses work better. So if you feel a strong aroma in the dry food it’s better to not add water as it will get even stronger.

If your dog is ill, or not enough energetic for dry food, then just add water and it will eat without a problem if it likes wet food.

Why shouldn’t I add water to dry dog food?

As already mention just above for picky eaters this move is risky. But we have tips on how to fix that if you really need to give them the kibble wet.

Tips for picky eaters:

1. Reduce the water amount that you put in the kibble;
2. Don’t wait too much time for the food to stay in the water before serving it to your dog;

Another reason why it’s not a good option is that if your dog doesn’t consume the moistened food immediately as it will create the perfect ground for bacteria.

If your dog loves to eat dry food and you want to change that it may not react well and even it can stop eating or start eating very less.

How to add water to dry dog food?

The most important step is that you need first to put kibble in the bowl. Don’t add the water first.

For a starter, it’s better if you start with a quarter of a regular cup of water. Maybe it will need less water or more, it all depends on your dog and its likings.

Don’t just pour the water on top, you should do it evenly so all food gets wet. Otherwise, there will be wet food and dry food which isn’t the best combination especially for the stomach later.

Let it stay like that for 3-5 minutes, and stir it.

If the kibble still remains dry add a bit more water. Let it soak for another 5 minutes and serve it to your food.

You can add cold, warm, or hot water. But the best option is warm water as the cold water will take lots of time to soak and hot water will take time to cool.

How to know if wet or dry food is better for my dog?

It’s an easy thing to know.

Both ways of feeding your dog give the same amount of nutrients.

You just need to know the needs of your dog.

As I have said for some senior dogs that already have dental issues or sensitive stomachs the better option is wet food like canned one or just adding water to dry dog food.

But for dogs that have dental issues like plaque buildup, it’s better to eat kibble as because of different shapes and sizes it’s a great way to remove the buildup.

A dog can eat both wet and dry food. Both kinds of foods are full of nutrients and both have their benefits.

FAQs

Have you tried adding water to the dry food of your dog? Was it approved? Or it was disliked? Share with us this information and if you have some tips or hacks for us.