Yes or no to adding some water to dry food

[spoiledgirls]

I've been getting mixed opinions about adding water to kibble. One person tells me that having a bowl of water is all the dog needs. Another tells me that by not adding it, I'm causing digestive problems. They compared it to eating raw instant oatmeal and getting gut pains afterwards. The arguments against not adding water were so compelling that I thought that I'd give it a try. Now my girl has wicked farts and stomach seems distended and stools are looser that normal. With water everything was fine. I should also mention that the breeder also requested that I switch to Royal Canine which may also be contributing to her problems.

[AmyinLV]

You have to be careful about adding water to dog food that has a certain additive. I'm having a brain fart right now and can't remember but I want to say its absorpic acid (MP?) Something to do with Vit C supplements in the food. I'll try and see what I can dig up.

well I did a quick search and can't find the info. It's possible I am wrong in my assumption about absorbic acid. Hopfully someone who knows more than me will answer.

[AmyinLV]

found the thread after I reposted... sorry my brain is just not working tonight!

One caution: according to a study on bloating in dogs, kibble which contains citric acid and is then moistened increases the chance of bloat in the dogs that eat it. Kibble which contains citric acid (used as a preservative) and is NOT moistened does NOT increase the chance of bloat, and moistening kibble that does NOT contain citric acid does NOT increase the chance of bloat either

[brunie's mom]

I always add a bit of water to the kibble on the days that I feed kibble...and I cannot see what harm it does. I just add maybe a 1/4 of a cup of warm water...it seems to give the food a nice smell...and makes it easier to pick up in their mouths.

What food were you feeding before Royal Canine? I am not at all impressed with Royal Canine. For the same price of food...you could be buying a food with much better ingredients. Foods that use human grade ingredients (which Royal Canine does not)...and foods with more meat contents and less grains.
Now that the vets in Canada are selling it in their offices...I would stay away from Royal Canine. The ingredients have gone down hill, and the prices have gone up.

Gina

[Ayoka]

Originally Posted by AmyinLV

found the thread after I reposted... sorry my brain is just not working tonight!

One caution: according to a study on bloating in dogs, kibble which contains citric acid and is then moistened increases the chance of bloat in the dogs that eat it. Kibble which contains citric acid (used as a preservative) and is NOT moistened does NOT increase the chance of bloat, and moistening kibble that does NOT contain citric acid does NOT increase the chance of bloat either

Is it citric acid only or all vitamin C supplements? Do you have a link to this study - I would love to read it. We currently feed CalNatural Lamb and float the food & supplements as we've had "drinking problems" and one nasty UTI. The food doesn't contain Citric Acid but another Vitamin C supplement - Sodium Ascorbate- and I'm wondering if the same rule applies.

[Skip]

I have always added a very small amout of warm water to all my dogs' kibble, then stirred it up a little to create a little gravy. I also add a liitle powdered ester-c and some Bravo raw. Currently the kibble is California Natural (lamb) and the raw Bravo is lamb also.

[Denise L.]

Yes, I add a little water to Cyrus's kibble too.

[spoiledgirls]

The girls were on ProPlan before. I'd never been a fan of Purina formulas before but because breeder said so I did. Silly me! Time to start doing what's best for the girls and stop doing what I'm told. LOL! Gina what are your guys on (besides BARF)? I can't remember (and to rushed at the moment to go through all the threads to find out).

[MarieM]

I was once told by a reputable breeder to add water to the kibble, it makes the food easier to stomach to digest the food.....

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by spoiledgirls

The girls were on ProPlan before. I'd never been a fan of Purina formulas before but because breeder said so I did. Silly me! Time to start doing what's best for the girls and stop doing what I'm told. LOL! Gina what are your guys on (besides BARF)? I can't remember (and to rushed at the moment to go through all the threads to find out).

You must always remember that most breeders are feeding numerous dogs...they have to be worried about the bottom line. If you are feeding 10 dogs rather than 1 or 2, price will become a big factor. Also many breeders get incentives from the dog food companies to get their new puppy buyers hooked on a certain food. They give breeders coupons and Puppy Starter Kits, for the food they are pushing.

I am not loyal to one brand of food....I rotate the food every couple of bags. Right now mine are eating Orijen ( great Canadian made food), and before that Innova, as well as Go Natural (another Canadian company), Timberwolf Organics, Canidae,etc. Mine are always doing well on any of these foods.

I drive the poor owner of our local petfood store crazy because they have the loyalty cards...buy 10 bags- get one free. I have stacks of cards....and have yet to get one free...because I rotate foods so often.

Gina

[poohbearsmom]

I add warm water to the food because my dogs scarf it down so fast, they choke on the kibble if I don't. I also have a dog that won't drink from his kennel bucket, only the kitchen bowl... so I add extra H2O to his food to make sure he's getting enough hydration.

We do it for boarding kennel dogs as well, for the same reason.

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by AmyinLV

found the thread after I reposted... sorry my brain is just not working tonight!

One caution: according to a study on bloating in dogs, kibble which contains citric acid and is then moistened increases the chance of bloat in the dogs that eat it. Kibble which contains citric acid (used as a preservative) and is NOT moistened does NOT increase the chance of bloat, and moistening kibble that does NOT contain citric acid does NOT increase the chance of bloat either

Can you provide a link to this study, please?

[fostermom]

This from dogaware.com:
Soaking Kibble: It is best to soak any kibble in warm water or broth (watch out for too much sodium), to help with digestion. Soaking dry food in heated water for 10-15 minutes starts breaking down the binders in the kibble, releasing some of its tasty fat and flavoring and cutting down the time it takes the stomach to break it down for its trip through the small intestine. Note that once dry food has been soaked in water, it cannot be left out or it will go bad, so this can only be done with food the dog eats right away. Also, the Purdue Bloat Study showed a link between soaking kibble that contains citric acid and bloat, something to be aware of if your dog is deep chested or from a breed prone to bloat. Contrary to popular belief, hard kibble does NOT help clean teeth.

Here are the links to this article and the Purdue bloat study:
http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#TopDry
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/dietrisk.htm

[AmyinLV]

I'm sorry I don't have the link to that study I got that from a post here on RDN. I knew I had seen it here but couldn't remember where so I did a search and the post popped up.

[Paulos]

I also add a little water to the dry kibble and shake it around a bit. I only let it soak for a few minutes, before serving it. I really think it eases the digestive load of the dog.