How to soak dry puppy food?

Transferring dogs to dry food has advantages for both owners and pets. There is no need to waste time on cooking, you can quickly feed your pet, while he receives all the vitamins and minerals necessary for his body. But it should be noted that the transfer to dry food should be gradual, and if we are talking about puppies, then this issue needs to be approached more scrupulously. The first time for babies you need to soak the food. It is important for dog breeders to know how to do this correctly.

From birth, puppies feed on breast milk, but as they grow older, they become interested in other foods. First of all, they get acquainted with what their mother eats, and even taste the food. But if she eats specialized dry dog ​​food, then it is unlikely that the puppies will be able to bite through such a delicacy, because the little ones' teeth are not yet strong enough.

Complementary foods begin to be introduced in the second month of puppies' life. Some breeders prefer to feed their pets with natural food, so they use meat broth, boiled minced meat, dairy products and milk as complementary foods.

Industrial feeds are divided into several classes:

• holistic;
• economy;
• premium;
• super premium.

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

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

Despite the manufacturer's recommendations, breeders say dry puppy food should be soaked for several reasons:

• hard granules can damage the baby's delicate gums;
• milk teeth are not strong enough to gnaw such hard food;
• the stomach of a small pet does not have the necessary enzymes to digest dry granules, which can cause disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
• the consumption of dry food during the teething phase can lead to teeth curvature.

There is a common belief among dog owners that chewing dry food helps to strengthen and cleanse the teeth, but this is a misconception. To remove plaque, it is necessary to resort to the usual brushing of the teeth, and for strengthening 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 by hard granules, the baby will experience discomfort at every meal, which is why he will not be able to eat the prescribed portion or will refuse to eat at all.

The soaked food can be fed to puppies over 1 month old. It can be either a separate dish or an addition to soup, porridge and other food. It is recommended to feed the dogs with soaked granules until their baby teeth change. For each breed, this period lasts differently, usually not more than six months. Hence, at the 7th month of life, dry granules can be added to the pet's food, but their amount should not exceed 25% of the serving.

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

It is recommended to use a metal bowl to soak the food as it keeps the temperature better. The granules filled with warm liquid are covered with a lid or plate and left for about 20-30 minutes. After the food has increased in volume and becomes soft, you need to drain the excess liquid and mash with a fork, turning it into a gruel. But you can also feed your baby with softened food without additional chopping.

In this case, you do not need to remove the remaining 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 digest it, which will cause indigestion. Milk is often used to soften dry dog ​​food, but it is important to note that it should not be cow milk. Breeders recommend the following options:

• powdered milk - especially if the puppy has a poor appetite;
• industrial substitute for bogie milk, the composition of which is as close as possible to natural;
• diluted goat milk in a 1: 1 ratio.

It will take longer to soften dry granules in milk. The prepared amount of food should be enough for one meal, since it is impossible to store food soaked in milk, each time you need to prepare a new portion. In rare cases, kefir is used to soak feed, since it is not suitable for all dogs. When choosing this option, it is important to take into account some of the features of preparing food for a baby:

• you can use only natural kefir with a low percentage of fat;
• the temperature of kefir should not exceed 38 degrees, therefore it is better to heat it in a water bath;
• it will take at least 20 minutes to completely soften the granules;
• the prepared delicacy cannot be stored.

Soaking dry food in kefir is good for babies with dysbiosis. As a rule, this disorder of digestion is observed in puppies that lived on the street or in the countryside. But it should be remembered that dysbiosis can begin as a result of stress associated with a change of residence.

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

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

Dog owners should remember that water should always be freely available for the pet, because due to a lack of fluid, the digestive process of a pet can be disrupted.

See below for how to properly soak feed.