5 Reasons Why I Always Hydrate My Dog's Kibble - And You Should Too

As a dog mum, my main goal has always been to keep my dogs healthy and happy. One simple yet impactful change I made was hydrating their kibble. You might wonder why this small adjustment matters. Here are five compelling reasons why I always hydrate my dog's kibble, and you should think about doing it too!

1. Adds Essential Hydration

Water is essential for all metabolic processes, and like humans, dogs need hydration to stay healthy. By hydrating my dogs' kibble, I effectively add moisture to their meals, helping them get closer to their daily water intake.

When a dog eats dry kibble, it requires their bodies to take water from inside of them to form their faeces. This increases the risk of them becoming dehydrated as it relies on them drinking enough water to counteract this mechanism. It also requires more effort to digest their food, having a harsher impact on their gut microbiome long-term. Dehydration also plays a big part in keeping the urinary tract healthy, which is particularly important for breeds prone to kidney issues and UTI's.

Hydrating the kibble breaks down the food, allowing their bodies to absorb nutrients more effectively. In fact, studies suggest that many dogs don’t drink enough water daily, making hydration through food an important consideration. Keeping my dogs' metabolisms running smoothly is a primary reason I adopted this habit.

Soaking the food for 5-10mins before feeding allows the water to fill all of the tiny porous holes in the kibble, releasing all of the trapped gases. Less gases in your dogs' digestive tract means less chance of developing GDV (bloat), indigestion and flatulence - THANK DOG!

So in Layman's terms;

If it goes in dry and comes out wet, it's dehydrating them.

If it goes in wet and comes out wet, it's keeping them hydrated!

2. Increases the Volume of Food

Did you know that hydrating kibble can increase its volume by 1.5 to 2 times? This change works wonders for my dogs' meals, making them feel more satisfied without requiring a larger quantity of food. (great for dogs who might need to lose a couple of kgs!)

When I first introduced this practice, I quickly saw my dogs acting more content after meals. The extra volume gives them the satisfaction of a fuller belly. As a result, it has reduced their begging behaviour, leading to a more enjoyable mealtime experience for all of us.

3. Reduces the Amount of Food Needed

Along with the increase in volume, I discovered that I could feed my dogs less kibble than before. Hydrating their meals allows me to cut back on the quantity of kibble while still ensuring that they feel full. This change not only saves me so much money on dog food but also minimises any waste, particularly from my picky Husky, not so much my Labrador!

Being aware of their diet plays a crucial role in any responsible dog owner's approach. This method allows me to maintain their weights effectively. Keeping dogs at a healthy weight is vital, as over 50% of dogs worldwide are overweight or obese. Studies show that overweight dogs face many more health risks, including diabetes, cancer and joint problems like arthritis and hip dysplasia.

4. Makes Enrichment more Effective

Another benefit to hydrating my dogs' kibble is that it opens up way more opportunities for enrichment. After you have soaked your dog's kibble, you can mash it into a paste with a fork and spread it onto a lick mat for them. Bonus points for freezing it, especially in summer! You can also put the hydrated kibble into puzzle feeders or KONGs and freeze them for an extra challenge! For my Labrador, a frozen kibble KONG lasts around one hour, which gives me time to do the things I want to do without a full-time fluffy shadow at my heels.

5. Helps with Hydration in Hot Weather

Living in a warm climate means it’s essential to keep my dogs hydrated during hot summer days. Sometimes, even with fresh water available, my pups can be finicky about drinking. Hydrating their kibble is an excellent workaround to ensure they stay hydrated. Sometimes I'll use refrigerated water to give them an extra cool-down treat! But remember not to use ice or ice-cold water, as this can actually make overheating worse!

Hydration is also a lovely treat for them in Winter as you can hydrate their kibble with warm water, for a soup-like experience. I know my dogs love getting their evening warm kibble soup on cold nights!

My Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Hydrating my dogs' kibble has significantly changed the way they eat and how I think about their nutrition. From increasing hydration to reducing food intake and hunger, each reason contributes to their overall well-being. If you haven't considered this simple yet effective change for your dog's diet, I encourage you to try it out! If you have a more finicky dog, you can introduce moisture slowly over a period of seven days. Start with just a splash of water and increase until you're happy with the consistency. The final consistency is really up to you. Personally I add quite a bit of water as my dogs are often doing strenuous exercise throughout the day. I also base the amount of water I use on what we have planned for the day.

A little tip; add more water in the mornings and less at night so they don't need to get up and pee 4x during the night! Or you can just feed them earlier to make sure it's all out of their system by bedtime! It all depends on your routine with them.

Once you've successfully introduced water, you can look at some yummy alternatives! I don't recommend using these every day as most of them are higher in calories, but they make for a fun occasional treat!

• Low Sodium Bone Broth

• Coconut Water

• Goat's Milk

• Kefir

• Greek Yoghurt (Lactose free)

• Sardines in Water - Add the water too!

Happy feeding!