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Dehydrated Dog Food:
Is it a Good Option for Your Pet?

People are wondering about dehydrated dog food: is it a good option for your pet?

They are turning their attention to dehydrated dog food more and more these days. It's a healthy source of nutrition for their furry friends.

Bruce Bite. Photo by Aaron Andary on Unsplash.

Guest Post by JACKIE EDWARDS

According to the CDC, raw food diets can make your dog sick, as germs like salmonella and listeria bacteria are often found in them.

Dry and dehydrated food represents a much safer option for your dog; to give your dog the best possible nutrition, you could even consider making your own dehydrated dog food as opposed to buying it from the store. 

What IS Dehydrated Dog Food?

Dehydrated dog food is food that has gone through the process of dehydration. Dehydration removes moisture from food but, at the same time, preserves all the nutrients.

It is the cheapest but also the healthiest way to preserve food, as it mimics the action of the sun. Dehydrating your dog's food at home is the best way to preserve all the nutritional value as gentle dehydration produces a nutrient-dense and high-quality food.

Dehydration, as well as preserving nutritional value, stops microorganisms from growing; in fact, bacteria and yeast need water to grow, so by removing water and moisture, foods will not spoil. 

What to Do if your Dog Won't Eat Dehydrated Food

There are a number of reasons why your dog may not be eating dehydrated food, so it's important to consider all the possibilities. Lack of appetite is not uncommon, and the causes could be health-related as well as behavior-related.

Food quality is an important aspect to consider, as dogs will refuse foods that they perceive as rancid or unpalatable. For this reason, making your own dehydrated dog food is definitely a better and yummier option than buying it at the store.

Furthermore, it is important to give your dog time to adjust to a different diet. Your dog may have a sensitive stomach or have difficulty adjusting to changes in diet, so it's best to take a gradual and slow approach, extending the transition over a few days. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: If your dog doesn't want to eat dehydrated dog food because he's been used to eating wet canned dog food, try rehydrating some of your dehydrated dog food.


SPONSORED BY MAKE NUTRITIOUS DOG FOOD

How to Make
Your Own Dog Food!

Get your hands on this eBook today.
Be prepared for lots of wagging tails
and plenty of face lickings.
Read how to make
NUTRITIOUS dog food here.


Learn how to Make Your Own Dog Food

SPONSORED BY
MAKE NUTRITIOUS DOG FOOD

How to Make
Your Own Dog Food!

Learn how to Make Your Own Dog Food

Get your hands on
this eBook today.
Be prepared for lots
of wagging tails
and plenty of face lickings.
Read how to make
NUTRITIOUS dog food here.



dehydrated dog food (chicken chow) that looks like nuggetsDehydrated dog food, made from our Chicken Chow!

Why IS Dehydrated Dog Food the Healthiest Option?

Dehydrated dog food, especially if made at home, is minimally processed but still packed full of nutrients, thanks to the dehydration process. This means that it also doesn't contain any of the harmful chemicals that could potentially cause issues for your dog. 

It's a great choice for those who frequently take their dogs everywhere, as it can be made in batches and easily stored since it doesn't require refrigeration and lasts for a long time.

Lightweight, Easy to Tote

It's also easy to pack and doesn't add much weight to your luggage; all you need to do before feeding it to your dog is add some water and you're good to go! 

Dehydrated dog food is also a healthy choice for humans; while we're not recommending you share your dog's dinner, coming into contact with it is not going to transmit harmful bacteria such as salmonella. It's also cheaper than raw food but also more nutritious.

Nutrient-dense, cheap, and incredibly healthy, dehydrated dog food really represents the healthiest option to keep your pet well-fed and happy. 

"If we measured our affection toward others
by how many nicknames we bestow upon them,
our pets would be the most loved."

— Carrie Brownstein

"If we measured our affection
toward others by how many
nicknames we bestow upon
them, our pets would
be the most loved."

— Carrie Brownstein

Thanks for Sharing, Jackie!

Do you have a favorite doggie food recipe you'd like to share? You do? Great! Share it below so that our readers can make it for their pets!

Don't forget, you can also make your own dog food. Learn about Chicken Chow here.

What's Your Dog's Favorite Homemade Food?

Is your dog drooling to have its photo featured showing us how much he/she enjoys your homemade doggie meals? Do you have a great recipe? Share it!

Your recipe will be posted "auto-magically" and you'll have your very own recipe and webpage featuring your dog's favorite food!

Additional Benefits for Dogs to Eat Dehydrated Dog Food

Here are some of the potential benefits of feeding dogs a dehydrated homemade dog food like Susan Gast's Chicken Chow:

  • Ingredient control and quality. Since you are making the food yourself, you can control exactly what ingredients go into it and source high-quality meats, vegetables, etc. This allows you to avoid questionable ingredients found in some commercial dog foods.
  • Customization for your dog's needs. Homemade food allows you to tweak recipes to best match your individual dog's dietary requirements, allergies, intolerances, etc.
  • Better digestibility. The dehydration process may preserve nutrients better than extrusion or canning used in commercial dog foods. Some dogs may find a gently home-cooked food more easy to digest as well.
  • Variety and rotation. Cooking different homemade recipes allows you to rotate through different protein sources, fruits/veg, etc. This adds variety to the diet.
  • Potential health benefits. Some evidence suggests homemade foods may provide benefits for dogs prone to certain conditions like skin allergies, ear infections, dental issues, or kidney/bladder stones. More research is still needed though.