# Adding water to kibble?



## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

I was told by a pet store owner that I should add water to dry kibble. I have always fed the kibble to my dogs, dry, with a water dish near by. This lady told me that feeding the dry kibble caused more tarter on the teeth. I had always heard that feeding dry kibble was helpful to keep tarter off the teeth. I would appreciate any input I can get on this subject. Thank you very much.
Jacki


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

jackidevaney said:


> I was told by a pet store owner that I should add water to dry kibble. I have always fed the kibble to my dogs, dry, with a water dish near by. This lady told me that feeding the dry kibble caused more tarter on the teeth. I had always heard that feeding dry kibble was helpful to keep tarter off the teeth. I would appreciate any input I can get on this subject. Thank you very much.
> Jacki


Any influence kibble has on cleaning teeth is limited at best. The best thing for clean teeth is raw bones and things to chew.

Adding water to food is great as long as there's no citrus acid in the food. Citrus Acid significantly increases the risk of bloat. Many dogs don't drink enough water with their kibble, so adding the water can be good.


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## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

My yorkie is only 3 3/4 pounds so I have always been afraid to give her bones to chew on. Raw of course. If she got a sliver in her digestive track it could cause bad problems. I brush her teeth. I used to get her greenies but quit on those too because she eventually eats them. She has a tendon (from the pet store) and she chews on that under supervision because she gets pieces softened up that she wants to swallow.

Jacki



RBark said:


> Any influence kibble has on cleaning teeth is limited at best. The best thing for clean teeth is raw bones and things to chew.
> 
> Adding water to food is great as long as there's no citrus acid in the food. Citrus Acid significantly increases the risk of bloat. Many dogs don't drink enough water with their kibble, so adding the water can be good.


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

jackidevaney said:


> My yorkie is only 3 3/4 pounds so I have always been afraid to give her bones to chew on. Raw of course. If she got a sliver in her digestive track it could cause bad problems. I brush her teeth. I used to get her greenies but quit on those too because she eventually eats them. She has a tendon (from the pet store) and she chews on that under supervision because she gets pieces softened up that she wants to swallow.
> 
> Jacki


Raw bones don't splinter. The ones that are bad for dogs are cooked. Raw bones crunch. So there's no danger with raw bones. Certainly ar ebetter than greenies.


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## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

I just had the brilliant idea to call the company who makes Innova Small Bites (the food that I feed Sarajane). They said that they don't recommend adding water to the kibble. If you choose to, she said to add cold water because warm water may ruin the macrobiotics? that are in the food. So I will just feed it to her dry. She eats it and she has a tendency to leave the wet food too long before she eats it. Thanks for all the input! 
Jacki




jackidevaney said:


> I was told by a pet store owner that I should add water to dry kibble. I have always fed the kibble to my dogs, dry, with a water dish near by. This lady told me that feeding the dry kibble caused more tarter on the teeth. I had always heard that feeding dry kibble was helpful to keep tarter off the teeth. I would appreciate any input I can get on this subject. Thank you very much.
> Jacki


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## HuskyLuv (May 16, 2008)

I feed EVO small bites mixed with canned food and add a little bit of water, mix it all together and warm it up in the microwave. I can tell you it's not the probiotics in the food that I'm interested it, it's the main meat ingredients so I'm not really concerned about "ruining macrobiotics" even if that was the case. I mix with water and heat the food mainly to make it smell much more appetizing, and trust me, it works.


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

HuskyLuv said:


> I feed EVO small bites mixed with canned food and add a little bit of water, mix it all together and warm it up in the microwave. I can tell you it's not the probiotics in the food that I'm interested it, it's the main meat ingredients so I'm not really concerned about "ruining macrobiotics" even if that was the case. I mix with water and heat the food mainly to make it smell much more appetizing, and trust me, it works.


I've never had to make the dog's food more appetizing, but that's just me LOL.

However probiotics, from my understanding, do help with digestion and the flora in the gut. So it would actually help with the main meat ingredents.

How much, how relevant, etc etc.. well, I'll leave that to Briteday. Could be it's totally irrelevant, I only did a little bit of research on it.


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## HuskyLuv (May 16, 2008)

RBark said:


> I've never had to make the dog's food more appetizing, but that's just me LOL.


LOL Yeah I have a very picky (and spoiled!) boy. 




RBark said:


> However probiotics, from my understanding, do help with digestion and the flora in the gut. So it would actually help with the main meat ingredents.


I also understand how probiotics are helpful but at the same time I don't think they're an absolute necessity, nor do I think "warm" water is really going to interfere with them much more than cold water would. But who am I to question the powers that be at Natura? There are also probiotics available for humans to buy yet I don't buy them and I've never had digestive problems, nor does my food contain them...just some food for thought. Yes, I am aware that I'm not a dog but we're really not all that different on this ticket item.


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## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

It looks like you have a husky.  We lived in Alaska for 22 years and had a half McKenzie River, 1/4 wolf and 1/4 Malemute mix. He was a great dog! I see you live in Florida. Sort of warm for your guy isn't it?


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## HuskyLuv (May 16, 2008)

We got our husky back when we lived in Washington state. We moved to Florida four months ago so he has yet to experience a FL summer. He's the best dog I'll ever know and leaving him behind was and is never going to be an option, this dog has found his forever home. But it gets just as hot in northern states in the summer as it does in FL so we're really not too concerned, he's indoors all the time except when we go walking/running. Heck, when we lived in WA we didn't have air conditioning and some days reached temps in the mid 80's and he handled in like a champ, at least in FL we have A/C for the summer months.


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## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

We live close to Wenatchee in WA state. Where did you live?


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## HuskyLuv (May 16, 2008)

We lived in Mukilteo, WA so it was a little ways away from where you are. We sure do miss it up there. There's nothing to do or see in FL, it's a little warm in FL for us (we're dreading summer) but I will say I don't miss the rain one bit!


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## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

Oh yes, I can see where you probably got the rain in Mukilteo! Our kids live in Pt. Angelis and Sumner. We don't get much rain on this side of the mountain. Wenatchee is right about in the middle of Washington state. Actually, it is irrigated desert. Your job took you to Florida?



HuskyLuv said:


> We lived in Mukilteo, WA so it was a little ways away from where you are. We sure do miss it up there. There's nothing to do or see in FL, it's a little warm in FL for us (we're dreading summer) but I will say I don't miss the rain one bit!


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## HuskyLuv (May 16, 2008)

My husband's job actually brought us to FL. Neither of us are really happy here so we are looking to move away from FL within the next year. We currently have our sights set on north Alabama actually. My husband and I love Port Angeles, especially in the summer. And my absolute favorite little spot out there is Lake Crescent. Boy do I miss it out there.


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## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

Is Lake Crescent about 15 miles from Pt. Angelis? Some relatives of ours have a little condo on a little lake (can't remember the name). But it is most always warmer there and beautiful. We have stayed there a few times in the past.

Good talking with you. Hope you get to move to Alabama if that is where you want to be. 



HuskyLuv said:


> My husband's job actually brought us to FL. Neither of us are really happy here so we are looking to move away from FL within the next year. We currently have our sights set on north Alabama actually. My husband and I love Port Angeles, especially in the summer. And my absolute favorite little spot out there is Lake Crescent. Boy do I miss it out there.


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## HuskyLuv (May 16, 2008)

jackidevaney said:


> Is Lake Crescent about 15 miles from Pt. Angelis?


I think so.


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## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

Oh, now I know which lake you are talking about. You go right by Lake Cresent to get to the little lake that we go to. Lake Cresect in a huge lake isn't it? The one that we go to is a very small lake but very pretty. It is sort of a private lake. Or the part that we go to is.



HuskyLuv said:


> I think so.


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## HuskyLuv (May 16, 2008)

Yes it is a very large Lake. We were on our way to Port Angelas and stopped there to have a look around and I fell in love with the place. It reminds me of Folsom Pond up in Maine.

And things are looking better and better as far as the possibility of moving to Alabama, so fingers crossed. It is definitely where we want to be and we're even planning to take a 4 day trip over to the area we're interesting in moving to so we can check it out before proceeding further with any plans of moving.


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

Not to interrupt, but I was once suggested to add broth the dog food, heat the broth up to lukewarm and stir it into the food. I went out and bought the reduced fat and reduced sodium beef broth and for about a week added two tablespoons to a pot, heated for a few seconds then stirred it in... Granted, after that week was up, Donatello started putting his nose up at it, then he'd leave the wet food get soggy and sit... Well four hours later that food isn't going to be any good!

So after that I cut out all soft food, water, and broth additives from his dry dog food. I don't mind spoiling here and there, but when the dog starts acting like what you offer isn't good enough, I get miffed and leave it out completely. lol!


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

Warm water won't kill the probiotics in the food, as long as it's not HOT water.

I put water in my dogs' food, because I like to hydrate wherever I can. Despite me putting water in their food, they still go to the bowl and drink after their meal, so it makes me feel better that they are drinking as much water as possible.

They will still eat it dry, thankfully, because at times I do use their kibble as treats, and feed them their meals during walks etc.


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## RetrieverGirl41 (Jan 28, 2009)

Adding a small amount of water is ok......Anymore than that and you start to dilute your dog's digestive juice. This make digestion much harder for your dog especially if you are feeding him food loaded with corn, soy wheat etc....Warm water, not hot or cold, is best because it saves your dog the energy he would have had to use to bring the water up to his body temperature in order to digest it. BTW....Probiotics are KEY to humans and dogs especially if you or your dog has ever been on antibiotics. Antibiotics kill probiotics. They greatly help digestion, enzyme production and regulate bad bacteria.


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## Miranda53 (Sep 25, 2008)

I was recently advised by the Technical Helpline Supervisor at Royal Canin (Crown Foods here in the U.K.) that they recommend adding warm water to their dry kibble to "enhance the aroma" when the dog won't eat it dry.


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## flipgirl (Oct 5, 2007)

If you feed your dog kibble, then adding water is a good idea as it gives them extra water they need when eating kibble. It helps with digestion. However, I've heard that you shouldn't do it if the food contains citric acid; it might cause bloat. I could be wrong. I used to add some warm water to my dog's food when I fed kibble.


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## HuskyLuv (May 16, 2008)

RetrieverGirl41 said:


> Adding a small amount of water is ok......Anymore than that and you start to dilute your dog's digestive juice. This make digestion much harder for your dog especially if you are feeding him food loaded with corn, soy wheat etc....


I don't think the amount of water you add really makes that much difference and it certainly won't dilute any more than when the dog goes and has a drink right after eating, which most dogs do.



RetrieverGirl41 said:


> BTW....Probiotics are KEY to humans and dogs especially if you or your dog has ever been on antibiotics. Antibiotics kill probiotics. They greatly help digestion, enzyme production and regulate bad bacteria.


I think we all agree that probiotics are necessary, however they are naturally occurring in the body and unless they dog has been on antibiotics I doubt they are going to be in serious need of whatever's in the kibble. And even if a dog had been put on antibiotics I'd be more likely to give them yogurt to replenish bacterial colonies than rely on what little the kibble has.


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## RetrieverGirl41 (Jan 28, 2009)

HuskyLuv said:


> I don't think the amount of water you add really makes that much difference and it certainly won't dilute any more than when the dog goes and has a drink right after eating, which most dogs do.
> 
> 
> 
> I think we all agree that probiotics are necessary, however they are naturally occurring in the body and unless they dog has been on antibiotics I doubt they are going to be in serious need of whatever's in the kibble. And even if a dog had been put on antibiotics I'd be more likely to give them yogurt to replenish bacterial colonies than rely on what little the kibble has.



The amount of water added makes a huge difference when combined with other forms of food(dog kibble etc)....Add water to acid and it will be less powerful than acid with no water added.....You increase the strain on your dogs digestive system.......If you're just feeding your dog a broth then it doesn't matter because the broth is the only thing he needs to digest at that time, not various chunks of food as well. 

Most dogs do drink right after eating, this is because the kibble is so dry. This doesn't mean drinking after they eat is good for them. Its better for the dog if you take away the water and not let him drink for 30 or so minutes after he eats. Instead, add a good oil supplement to your dogs kibble. A very good brand is called "Udo's Choice" Omega 3 & omega 6 blend...Or you could create your own using a combo of olive, flaxseed, wheat germ and cod liver oils with a touch of garlic. If your dog has any dry skin issues, this should help out alot. This will also increase the "aroma" of your dog's food.

If you still are going to add water, just make sure its at a luke warm temperature.

If your dog has a poor diet, he most likely will be lacking in probiotics. Illness will also decrease his probiotic population and antibiotics will wipe it out entirely. Probiotics are naturally occurring, but your dog cannot naturally make them...He must ingest them from some source. Yogurt is an ok source of probiotics, but only when it says "live, active cultures" on the label. However, yogurt will come no where close to replacing the amount of probiotics lost after the use of antibiotics......For this, you need a refrigerated probiotic supplement.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

I've never heard of this from any vet OR nutritionist I've talked to. In fact, two nutritionists I've talked to said "anywhere you can hydrate them is a good thing," and the vets all said "water, water, water!" I prefer to listen to the certified nutritionists I talk to, and my dogs are thriving, despite having a little water in their kibble, AND despite drinking after they eat (which *I* think is essential).

Along with the water, they also get a dose of salmon oil and vitamin E added to their kibble on a daily basis. And the kibble does not have corn, soy, or any of that crap.


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## jackidevaney (Oct 6, 2008)

Well good luck. Hope all turns out the way you want it to. 



HuskyLuv said:


> Yes it is a very large Lake. We were on our way to Port Angelas and stopped there to have a look around and I fell in love with the place. It reminds me of Folsom Pond up in Maine.
> 
> And things are looking better and better as far as the possibility of moving to Alabama, so fingers crossed. It is definitely where we want to be and we're even planning to take a 4 day trip over to the area we're interesting in moving to so we can check it out before proceeding further with any plans of moving.


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