Learn about the characteristics and composition of the various types of dog food, and which are the most natural to feed your dog.

What types of dog foods are there?

There are currently different types of dog food on the market depending on their composition and manufacture to adapt to the needs of both families and our furry friends. In these variations, we also find different qualities and prices. We are going to give you all the information so that you can choose the best food for your faithful companions.

Depending on the moisture content, the feed can be dry, semi-moist or canned.

Dry feed usually contains around 10% moisture, semi-moist feed between 15% and 35%, while wet feed usually contains around 80% moisture.

Dry feed

The benefits of dry dog food lie mainly in its easy storage and preservation. If the bags are stored in a cool, dry place, they can last for months (until the expiry date printed on the packaging). However, once opened, if sealed tightly after each use, they can last between one and two months. Ideally, however, they should not last more than one month, as they can lose organoleptic properties and become less appetising to our companion. If it is in a place with high humidity, it can spoil.

Once it has been served in the trough after 24 hours, what has not been ingested should be discarded and the feed should be replaced.

Dry food helps to maintain dental health thanks to the texture that prevents the formation of tartar.

It is the most nutritious type of dog food, as the lower the moisture, the higher the concentration of nutrients.

In any diet, it is important that the animals always have clean, fresh water available, but if we feed them with dry food, we must bear in mind that they must be properly hydrated. In addition to having water available, we must ensure that the consumption is adequate.

On an economic level, dry food is the most accessible, although a high-end food will always cost more than a supermarket food, dry food is cheaper than semi-moist or canned food for dogs.

Semi-moist dog food

Semi-moist dog food is less common and is midway between dry and wet in terms of benefits. It is more palatable without losing some of the dental health benefits.

Due to its higher water content, the amount of water an animal must ingest each day is higher than that of a dry dog food to achieve the same concentration of nutrients.

Semi-moist feed will have a higher water activity. This water activity is used by micro-organisms to grow and contaminate the feed. Therefore, its preservation will be more complex than that of a dry feed and its shelf life will be shorter.

Once served in the trough, we should not leave a semi-moist feed for more than 3-4 hours if the ambient temperature is high. In addition, once opened, it will last less than dry feed, making it more important to store it in a cool place.

In terms of price it depends on its quality but it is somewhat more expensive than dry feed. This is also because the daily amount to be fed is larger. Even so, this feed is cheaper than wet feed.

Wet feed

The main benefit of wet food is palatability. This type of wet food is more palatable for both dogs and cats. In this case, once opened, it should be consumed within a maximum of three to seven days and kept refrigerated. It should also be borne in mind that it loses palatability when opened, especially in cats.

As it is easier to chew and swallow, it is the most suitable food for elderly, convalescent animals or those with dental or chewing problems. Also in animals that ingest little water, such as cats, it can be important to provide them with a wet food to keep them hydrated, 

In addition, this type of canned food retains a smell and taste that is more appetising to many animals, so if they have a capricious appetite they will choose it over other formats.

In canned food we find both complete food, ideal for animals that do not consume other types of complete food, and complementary food, which is used to increase the palatability of the complete food, to increase water intake or as a treat.

The cost of feeding canned feed alone is much higher than dry feed. The daily amount to be fed is much greater in volume to achieve adequate nutrient supply and the preservation is more delicate.

Depending on their characteristics, there are grain-free, organic, vegetarian and vegan dog foods.

Grain-free

These are grain-free feeds. Suitable for animals allergic or intolerant to them, although coeliac disease in dogs as we know it in humans is anecdotal, with only a few cases reported. In cats it may be more common. There is allergy or intolerance to some cereals, although the most frequent food allergies are to animal protein. There are animals that have problems with cereals for which these foods would be indicated.

However, a feed without cereals in an animal without allergy or intolerance problems is of no benefit and the economic cost is usually higher than others with cereals.

In reality, the consumption of cereals and carbohydrates is not a problem for dogs and cats. Quite the contrary. They provide energy quickly after consumption and are easy to digest. 

Since the production of dry food, carbohydrates are essential for the production of dry food, as their properties are essential for the extrusion and formation of the pellets.

Organic

Organic dog food, organic or ecological, are those that contain organic ingredients, thus benefiting the environment.

They are foods made in a sustainable way with natural ingredients and with the BIO label. 

If a dog food is organic, it will have the corresponding labelling on its packaging.

Vegetarian

A vegetarian feed is one that contains vegetable ingredients and/or milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs or other animal derivatives. For example, there are feeds that contain vitamin D3 extracted from the wool of sheep, when we could obtain this nutrient without any sheep having suffered for it.

Vegetarian feeds may contain ingredients of animal origin as primary sources of nutrients or as secondary sources. In the latter case they appear on the labelling in the last positions and with hardly any nutritional importance. For many people, the simple fact of seeing animal ingredients makes them think that the product will be of better quality, when this does not necessarily have to be the case.

Both dairy products and eggs contain proteins that can cause allergic reactions, so this type of feed has no advantage over 100% vegetable feed.

Vegan

Made with 100% vegetable ingredients. They provide all the nutrients contained in the food from vegetable or synthetic sources.

When we talk about synthetic ingredients, we are referring to vitamins such as B12, which are manufactured in laboratories and administered to avoid deficiencies. In the case of vitamin B12, it is the same vitamin that is supplemented to the animals contained in meat feed. It is the same vitamin B12 that is added to meat feed, the same vitamin B12 that is added to human food labelled as "rich in vitamin B12" and the same vitamin B12 that vegans consume to avoid deficiencies.

Therefore, vegan dog foods are just as complete as other dog foods.

At Veggie Animals our main goal is that no animals die. Therefore, our dog food is not only vegan, but also top of the range. We do not want animals to die to produce it or to consume it, therefore, we produce a high quality food that results in animals full of life.