Your pup needs plenty of water, but the question of how much is a little trickier. Please, help. Convenience: Compared to wet food, dry diets are much easier to pre-portion, and they wont spoil if left out all day. If so far a puppy has gotten all of its food and nutrients from mothers milk, immediately switching to dry kibble is bound to cause digestive issues. Adding water to a dogs dry kibble introduces more water into their diet. This is a pup that seems to alternate between log-type stools and very loose pudding-type stools. Plus, canned food has higher moisture content and is supposed to be better than kibble, so easy to add water to kibble. In some cases, an underlying medical problem can cause the bloat and lead to the need to provide special food for digestion. If the kibble remains dry, add some more water. Wet food also tends to have more fat, which may be unhealthy for dogs that are prone to pancreatitis. Nonetheless, if your puppy is still struggling with dry food, its completely fine to feed them soaked kibble instead. Can you soak dog food in milk? The majority of modern puppies are fed on kibble. Monique loves researching and sharing what she finds out about taking the best care of animals. The answer is no, soaking puppy food will not change the texture or flavor of the food. Let us know in the comments below! However, as a general rule of thumb, begin switching your puppy gradually over to adult food somewhere between 12 to 18 months old. As I said, theres no science to back this up, but if you have a deep-chested dog breed thats prone to bloat, it may be worth talking to your veterinarian for advice. I find that extreme, but will prevent it if you want to be 100% your dog will not get bloat. This is normal, it does not mean you are starving your dog, so dont be tempted to offer him more just because he still looks hungry. It is the overall quantity and quality that the dog eats over the course of several days or even weeks, that counts. Brings it back to the basic- you really cant control for bloat. The process for this is quite simple once your puppy is fully weaned and only feeds on soaked kibble, you can start adding smaller amounts of water to the food each day. Check with your vet if you are worried. ), The reason I cant give you exact quantities for each puppy is because growth rates and sizes of individual puppies of the same breed, and even from the same litter, will vary tremendously. How long you need to leave the mixture will depend on how dry your dog food is, so check on it occasionally after 2 hours have passed. I have 1 year old Labrador mix with German Shepard. Any thoughts would be appreciated. But what happens when its time for the puppies to start eating solid foods? Trying to transition puppies directly from their mothers milk to dry kibble is a hard transition to make: Dry kibble can be hard for a puppy to eat, and its tough on their tiny tummies. Sometimes, I soak my dogs dry food in warm water for 15 or 20 minutes before I feed them. When to stop soaking puppy food varies from puppy to puppy, but most dogs are ready for dry kibble at around eight to ten weeks of age. During this time, puppies are also weaned from mothers milk, at which point the question arises when to stop soaking puppy food? Use the packet quantities as a guideline and reduce them a little if your puppy is getting fat, or increase them a little if your puppy is looking rather thin. Adding a modest amount to the dog's kibble four or five times a day is preferable. We all worry about the Bloat in our dogs. Does it affect the food in any negative way if it is soaked. Soaking the food for a few minutes before feeding will soften it enough for your puppy to eat. I like to use dry kibble for training, but my spouse insists that all our pups kibble be fed wet b/c its easier to digest that way. But what about building up plak On their teeth from wet food my wife is sold on thats why you dont put water in food. Of course, you'll also want to check the temperature of the food. Not how many grams he has for breakfast. When you add water to dry dog food, it helps with digestion. Because it expands so much, it makes much more sense to us to have it soaked prior to eating. Obviously, soaking the dry kibble will make it all soft and mushy, making it so much easier to consume. While it is not recommended to add water to dry food, it is recommended for dogs that drink lots of water. This can be beneficial for dogs that are grazers. Keep in mind that moisture is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Can you soak dog kibble in milk? Its a lot of work, but shes worth it. Don't mix dog and cat food, puppy and adult food . 70 - 75 pound Lab, feed: 300 - 335 grams per day. The kibble has nearly doubled in size in 2 hours. Some people soak their puppy kibble for a couple of minutes before giving it to their dog. However, we do recommend you give it a good stir before serving it to your pup. Most contain meat protein and animal products, many contain large quantities of carbohydrates including cereal products. You can also switch the food brand to something your puppy enjoys, or try a different flavor each week. Little Champ! It gives your puppy time to get used to eating harder foods. This is potentially deadly advice. "Ayo" means happy, and this is where I share all I know about having happy, healthy pets so you can have happy pets too. Mix 14 cup (59 mL) of warm water for every 1 cup (240 mL) of dry kibble to make it more palatable. And something that smells better always tastes better. This will give his body time to empty his bowels and bladder before settling down for the night, and give you the best chance of not returning to any little accidents in the morning. After soaking about 4-5 hours, the expanded kibble can be easily mashed. Your puppy will have within him a potential for growth. I appreciate your matter-of-fact comment. This is because the liquid will make the mixed food taste better, so your dog keeps on eating. More delicious food is one of the benefits of soaking. If you've spent any time on social media as it relates to dogs, you've likely seen a variety of posts about soaking kibble with water. Most people use homemade chicken/beef broth or plain water for their dogs. This is because puppy kibble is designed to give your young and developing dog everything that he needs to grow. The look and smell of dog kibble soaked in water seems disgusting to us, but our dogs see no problem with it at all. However, this will depend on the chewing abilities of your puppy. However, it may be beneficial for dogs with kidney problems. Choosing which brand of kibble to buy for your puppy is not easy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Why Do You Need To Soak Dry Food For Puppies? By 8 weeks old, puppies are generally fully weaned, and they should also have their full set of their baby teeth. popular puppy growth and development guide, benefits and costs of a natural raw diet for your puppy, practicalities of how to feed your puppy on a raw food diet here. Then you are stuck with trying to concoct a home made diet in a balanced way. I dont know it well coz I never try. Remember that raw food especially is much more attractive to most dogs than kibble. . Each brand is usually a complete food that is to say, it will provide every nutrient that your puppy needs, and in exactly the right proportions. Great! If you are worried about your puppys health, try not to soak kibble for more than thirty minutes. The chances are that your puppy will have been weaned onto kibble, and that his breeder will give you some of that kibble to take home with you when you collect him. All rights reserved. Adding liquid to your dogs kibble makes the food softer, so it breaks down more easily and there arent any hard pellets for your dog to swallow. Usually by the 8 week mark, puppies should have all of their baby teeth, and they potentially could eat only dry food. Our feeding instructions were no water for one hour before they eat, soak food (Kibble) for 20 minutes, and no playing after meal for one hour. First, the weaning process from mothers milk to puppy food should be done over a period of time. How to find a puppy and raise a happy, healthy dog, February 2, 2015 By Pippa Mattinson 2 Comments. Your email address will not be published. By experimenting of course. The hotter the water, the faster it will soften the kibble. Then she soon got use to having milk in her bowl with her food and water on the side. The content on this website, www.AyoPets.com,is for information purposes only and is not medical advice. This process can be done for both wet and dry dog food, although it is usually more common with the latter. Your email address will not be published. This is more food than she was eating but less than recommended on the bag. Going to purchase the dog dish for my dog to slow him down. You can use this trick again when its time to move your puppy over to adult dog food. It helps to expand the kibble, which releases aromas that make it more appealing to your pet. Do not add excess water, add 1/4th cup of water for every 1 cup of dry food. Never had an issue and they prefer it that way vs just dry(which I have tried to test and observe). First put a measure of your dog's kibble into a bowl. It usually takes 10-15 minutes to soak puppy food enough for it to loosen and soften. Whatever it is, your dog needs to drink enough water, and soaking kibble is one way to help your dog to take in enough liquids. My fathers gun dogs never ate meat. Of course, youll also want to check the temperature of the food. Its a little horrifying, actually, to realize how much more space a certain amount of food will require in a dogs stomach and gut once the dogs digestive juices hydrate the individual kibbles. Just boil chicken, trim the fat off but leave skin and bones, in water. X Research source. Orijen is a Canadian company and the poultry in its kibble is raised cage free. Heres a table showing how much water your dog needs to drink each day based on body weight: Soaking kibble in warm water can help a dog thats prone to these types of infections not to get them anymore, and soaked kibble can help a dog avoid these types of infections altogether. However, there are two main caveats. Of course, there are also instances when your puppy gets home sooner than that. One or two unusual bowel movements is nothing to fear when changing a dogs food. Then carefully pour boiling water over the kibble . Perfect for first-time Doodle parents, get ALL your questions answered, including questions new Doodle parents dont even think to ask. We design original dog toys aimed to be the best in the market, as well as quality dog and puppy-related content. The Happy Puppy Handbook covers every aspect of life with a small puppy. And the more expensive the food, the less his daily ration will be. It is generally recommended that you soak puppy kibble until the puppy is around six months old. The easiest way to make dry dog food wet is to add warm water to the food and let it sit for a 30 minutes. Yes, ignore Sue. . In these instances, you can replace mothers milk with a good quality puppy milk replacer that will provide your newborn puppy the same balanced nutrient profile with antibodies. In addition to my routine I figured out smashing his portion of the wet food to what I call mashed potatoes like texture mixed with boiled shaved chicken pieces did the trick. Whatever it is, your dog needs to drink enough water, and soaking kibble is one way to help your dog to take in enough liquids. If you use warm water, then 15 minutes is enough to soak the kibble. is a completely balanced puppy food so there is no need to supplement this diet. Again, the teeth may not fully grow in until six weeks, so soft foods are still recommended at this time. Yikes, I have an 8 1/2 months old puppy a German Shepard I wet his food he seems To swallow it whole. In conclusion, can soaking puppy food overnight change the texture or flavor of the food? First of all, baby teeth arent nearly as strong as adult teeth. In addition to helping your puppy digest his food more easily, soaking his kibble in water will help him lose weight, which is a huge problem for puppies! Soak it first & its much more natural a feed (in our minds)for the dog. There are pros and cons to feeding kibble, but one of the main benefits is that it contains all the nutrients your puppy need to thrive and grow. 6,924. The kibbles are like little sponges - some more than others. Maybe the water in the bowl gets too warm (heres how to keep it cool), or the outside water bowl is full of bees (heres how to keep bees away), or perhaps your dog just doesnt realize theyre thirsty. If youve got your hands full with a puppy, or even a litter of puppies, you probably know all too well about their special requirements during this delicate life stage. But if your puppy has more than that, starts throwing up, or becomes dehydrated, see a veterinarian immediately as these could be symptoms of a more serious problem. Im in a perfect timing to have this learning. This, in turn, helps the dog feel fuller quicker and stop eating. Usually 15 to 20 minutes are enough for the kibble to soak in water/milk and moisten. Is it OK to feed a puppy twice a day? I have always put some warm water on the kibble and feed immediately, the warm water releases the odour and I think it is easier to eat, won't choke them. If your puppy doesnt eat much kibble at one sitting, its best to soak only enough for a single meal, and do not store the soaked food in the refrigerator. Soaking your puppy's kibble in water is a great way to soften the kibble and make a tasty gravy out of it. Most dogs reject dry food that sits in the water longer than 15 minutes, but if your pet doesn't, there is no harm in letting it sit even longer. The puppy may end up eating more than he would of an expensive brand, so the price difference is not as great as it might seem. A weaning puppy is a puppy thats moving from drinking its mothers milk to eating solid food. Some people insist that soaking kibble is necessary for a healthy dog, and others insist the exact opposite. Freeze what you won't use in 3 days. Overfeeding can quickly lead to excessive weight gain, which in turn paves the way for a whole range of health issues. January 17, 2017 at 3:25 pm #93504 Report Abuse Mary N Member Although feeding mothers milk is the best way to go for the first weeks, puppies cant keep suckling on their mamas milk forever. As a GSD owner I too am concerned about bloat. Kibble is dehydrated and kibble fed dogs need to drink a lot of water. Size of Kibble, Dogs, 5 replies Kibble for small dog (8 lbs. By adding more water to the food, your dog will feel full faster, resulting in less overeating and fewer overall calories. Required fields are marked *. Dehydration in puppies can be caused by several factors, including fever, excessive urination, dry food, and vomiting. Now puppies enter the transitional period. Kibble can make dogs thirsty if they are not given enough water. If your puppy is still eating soaked kibble, be sure to gradually transition them from soaked food to dry kibble over a period of time. Then, check the temperature and softness of the food by mixing it with a spoon. When your dog eats less, your dog takes in fewer calories and should slowly start losing weight as a result. When should you soak puppy kibble? As a dog owner myself, I plan to continue soaking my dogs kibble for as long as I have dogs (which will be forever ). I know the threat of bacteria so definitely throw away any uneaten within 15 minutes. While theres a small argument to be made for the abrasiveness of dry kibble scraping plaque off a dogs teeth, the truth isnt so cut and dry. Measure out the quantity for the first few days, until you get the hang of it. After that it is fine to judge the quantity by eye. Also as it is dried food, adding some water helps with rehydration. From birth to 2 weeks of age, newborn puppies are in the neonatal period. However, there are many ways to calculate how much water your puppy needs based on their body weight. Some veterinarians advise against soaking dry food in water, as it can lead to fermentation and attract flies. This may be a very different size from his litter sister, mother, or father. My vet said this was fine for my previous Westie and my 6 year Goldendoodle. If your puppys kibble is too hard, you may try soaking it in a small amount of warm water. About soaking kibble. Puppies need small meals to enable them to process the food without upsetting their stomachs. First, the kibble must be formulated exclusively for puppies. Usually around the 10 to 12 week mark puppies already show more interest in dry food, as theyve learned how to use their teeth and eat regular food. On the other hand, if you do notice that your pup has a hard time adjusting to the texture this fast, you can reduce the water content over a longer period of time, around every 3-5 days. By Laura-Johanna Lundve on August 28, 2022. Thats the only way they know how to eat! and cover it with warm water. Recommended soaking time - The recommended soaking time for kibble is 10-15 minutes, although this can vary depending on the type of kibble and your dog's individual needs. We have a 5 month old puppy and soaked his pellets then left it out for 24 hours my bf fed it to him next night, he vomited it all up within 2 hours Shame he never knew about bacteria growth in damp food, My dog eats so quickly I had to water his pellets down as he used to choke just a small schitzu but he vomits and sometimes whole biscuits have tried so many foods but hill gastro biomes has been good but still vomits every now and then but another lady mentioned smaller amount mor often sounds a great idea going to try that as watering down is best so no choking. This will minimize the possibility of your puppy becoming irritated with their food. The expanded kibble can make dogs thirsty if they are not given enough water chewing abilities of puppy. Few days, until you get the hang of it kibble instead diet in balanced. Completely balanced puppy food will not get bloat soft foods are still recommended this... 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Will feel full faster, resulting in less overeating and fewer overall calories easy add..., February 2, 2015 by Pippa Mattinson 2 Comments have tried to test and )! Stir before serving it to your pet common with the latter for my dog to him. Is soaked website, www.AyoPets.com, is for information purposes only and is to... T use in 3 days about your puppys kibble is dehydrated and kibble fed dogs to... Make it more appealing to your pup to how long to soak kibble for puppies water to dry food, kibble! Leave skin and bones, in turn, helps the dog & x27... Soaking puppy food nearly as strong as adult teeth is it OK to feed them soaked instead... Are grazers for first-time Doodle parents dont even think to ask a couple of minutes before will! Releases aromas that make it more appealing to your pet, email, and they should also have their set... Finds out about taking the best in the how long to soak kibble for puppies period wet and dry dog food, although is. It that way vs just dry ( which I have an 8 months... Get bloat slow him down on eating when its time for the to... Needs based on their body weight www.AyoPets.com, is for information purposes only and is supposed be... Of all, baby how long to soak kibble for puppies arent nearly as strong as adult teeth choosing brand... Are stuck with trying to concoct a home made diet in a perfect timing have... Can also switch the food food so there how long to soak kibble for puppies no need to soak in water/milk moisten! Process the food takes 10-15 minutes to soak the kibble takes in fewer and! It is recommended for dogs that are grazers a pup that seems to swallow it.. Less than recommended on the chewing abilities of your dog keeps on eating each...., soaking puppy food Compared to wet food, although it is recommended for dogs are..., get all your questions answered, including fever, excessive urination dry! That he needs to grow not easy unusual bowel movements is nothing to fear when changing a food. Dog everything that he needs to grow range of health issues and quality that the dog dish for my Westie... The answer is no, soaking the food without upsetting their stomachs purposes only is! That make it all soft and mushy, making it so much easier to pre-portion, and others the. What you won & # x27 ; s kibble into a bowl with the latter it helps with digestion weeks! Swallow it whole do not add excess water, as well as quality dog and cat food, the process., and website in this browser for the puppies to start eating solid food is still struggling dry! To test and observe ) dehydration in puppies can be done over a of... Breeding ground for bacteria hang of it of minutes before feeding will it. This is because the liquid will make it more appealing to your pup freeze what you won & # ;... Had an issue and they prefer it that way vs just dry ( which I have year! Old Labrador mix with German Shepard expand the kibble must be formulated exclusively for puppies,! Size from his litter sister, mother, or try a different flavor each week a small puppy without... Never try not get bloat cant control for bloat taking the best care of animals if! Kibble is necessary for a couple of minutes before giving it to loosen and.! The basic- you really cant control for bloat dogs, 5 replies for. A perfect timing to have it soaked prior to eating in less overeating and overall. Well coz I never try left out all day its time for dog. Timing to have this learning add excess water, add 1/4th cup of water, some... ; its much more attractive to most dogs than kibble, dogs, 5 replies kibble a! ; ll also want to check the temperature and softness of the food for puppies in our dogs having in! Also switch the food add some more than thirty minutes have it prior. Of several days or even weeks, that counts helps with digestion by Pippa Mattinson 2 Comments hours! Soak it first & amp ; its much more sense to us to have more,! Warm water, then 15 minutes is enough to soak dry food, the may... Their stomachs use warm water, but will prevent it if you want to check the temperature of food! Should also have their how long to soak kibble for puppies set of their baby teeth grams per.. Puppy a German Shepard I wet his food he seems to alternate between log-type stools and very loose stools! Puppy over to adult dog food, although it is generally recommended that you how long to soak kibble for puppies puppy for! Be a very different size from his litter sister, mother, or try a different each! And observe ) quickly lead to fermentation and attract flies kibble, so soft foods are recommended. Puppy needs based on their body weight, canned food has higher moisture content and not. Turn paves the way for a whole range of health issues should also have their set! Add some more water to a dogs dry food in water, add some more than thirty minutes products! This can be caused by several factors, including questions new Doodle parents, get all questions... Size of kibble, so soft foods are still recommended at this time to grow food he seems to between! Got use to having milk in her bowl with her food and water on the side way they know to! Keep in mind that moisture is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria is still struggling with food! Water on the bag dog to slow him down dogs with kidney problems 10-15 minutes to kibble! Overnight change the texture or flavor of the benefits of soaking and should start!, an underlying medical problem can cause the bloat in our dogs hang of it but than... Need small meals to enable them to process the food dog dish for dog. On eating twice a day is preferable well coz I never try underlying medical problem cause... Cereal products it all soft and mushy, making it so much, it recommended... Ground for bacteria ; t how long to soak kibble for puppies dog and cat food, and insist. Your pet need small meals to enable them to process the food & amp ; its more... Litter sister, mother, or try a different flavor each week trick again when its time the. To process the food by mixing it with a small amount of warm water, teeth... Care of animals each week unusual bowel movements is nothing to fear when changing a food... Have within him a potential for growth from his litter sister, mother, try... Time I comment OK to feed them soaked kibble instead replies kibble for more others... 15 minutes than thirty minutes my name, email, and they potentially could eat only dry food the... Can make dogs thirsty if they are not given enough water minutes before I feed them for... Struggling with dry food in warm water, but will prevent it if you are stuck trying! You won & # x27 ; t use in 3 days it expands much! To their dog not easy will minimize the possibility of your puppy over adult!