Ash and adding water

• Ash and adding water Cita Posted : 4/6/2007 1:57:15 PM So as not to derail the Solid Gold thread... Do you folks who add water to your kibble just do so to encourage a little extra water consumption? If your dog drinks plenty of water already, is there still any benefit to adding water in the kibble? Does adding water to the kibble help cats, too? Thanks! LIKE 23 REPLIES 1311 VIEWS LAST POST BETH82 Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• jessies_mom Posted : 4/6/2007 2:27:41 PM    Your papillon is adorable []; My reason for adding warm water to Jessie's kibble is because animals in the wild eat food with a lot more moisture content. For example, the meat wild canids eat is about 70% moisture. It's not natural for an animal to eat food with as little moisture as kibble has. I think that adding some water may be benficial to her kidneys. Kibble was developed as a convenient way for pet owners to feed their cats and dogs and it is nutritionally complete but lacks the moisture that was in the table scraps and canned food they were fed before it came along. I have read that cats are not as driven by thirst as dogs so it's advisable to add some water or canned food to their kibble. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Cita Posted : 4/6/2007 10:02:13 PM Thanks for the answer! I was wondering if it was something about wetting the kibble itself that might change its composition or something to increase benefits. From what you're saying, sounds like the benefit is just in the increased water consumption. I know canned food is recommended for cats, and I've tried to explain this to one of my father's cats, but he just won't touch it. This is the same cat that turns up his nose at fish, steak, and chicken. (Of course, he's thrilled to eat squirrels and birds that he catches.) What a snob! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Shohin Posted : 4/7/2007 9:13:04 AM What about adding broth?  Recently I've been adding warm beef broth to Winston's food (California Natural Puppy Lamb and Rice) and he LOVE'S it!  Anything wrong with this? 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• chewbecca Posted : 4/7/2007 9:14:54 AM nothing wrong with it, I'm not sure that it'll have the same effect as water does when it comes to watering down kibble due to ash content reasons, but there's surely nothing wrong with adding beef broth to his food. Not that I'm aware of, anyway. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• kpwlee Posted : 4/7/2007 9:52:51 AM just watch the sodium content  0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Shohin Posted : 4/7/2007 10:06:05 AM I use low sodium . . . . I guess it just adds a little more flavor than water. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• chelsea_b Posted : 4/7/2007 5:11:49 PM Moisture is moisture. Broth is fine, but definitely as low sodium as possible. I've seen some canned "reduced sodium" broths that have 500+ mg of sodium per cup. Reduced from 1000 or something, but still way too much salt. Cheaper and better would be to grab a couple soup bones at the grocery store and boil them for a few hours (then throw out the bones), and you have a nice stock. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• janet_rose Posted : 4/9/2007 7:05:03 AM  [link[/link][/size]>http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/feed_program_for_large_breed_adults.htm]http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/feed_program_for_large_breed_adults.htm[/link][/size] Do not microwave, soak or use hot or very warm water on your kibble. It will destroy the integrity of the friendly yogurt type cultures and the fragile vitamins/minerals and amino acids on the food. [linkhttp://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/feed_program_for_large_breed_adults.htm] [/link]The Great Dane Lady advises tepid temperature water on kibble and serving immediately.  Anyone know of any documentation on that? 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• sandra_slayton Posted : 4/9/2007 11:50:18 AM I don't know.  I just know my Dad always added water to our dogs purina Dog Chow and let it sit and let the kibble swell up.  He was of the idea it should swell before going into their tummy, not afterwards.  And our setters and pointers all lived long healthy acitve lives.  I use Purina one now and i do addsome  water, but really don't let it sit and soak up because the kibble hardly swells at all. , n ot like the old chow did.  I use warm tap water, not hot.  my Dad used hot water during the winter  for our dogs back then.  But since i dont' let mine sit for 320-30 minuytes as they are all right there eyeballing their pans on the counter, I only use slightly warm water. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• mudpuppy Posted : 4/9/2007 1:21:56 PM I'm not sure what the "ash" has to do with adding water?  I think feeding a completely dry meal is a predisposing factor for bloat, so I usually mix 2/3 kibble with 1/3 wet food-- canned diluted with a bit of water to be sloppy, or runny homecooked stew. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• papillon806 Posted : 4/9/2007 3:09:42 PM ORIGINAL: mudpuppy I'm not sure what the "ash" has to do with adding water?  I think feeding a completely dry meal is a predisposing factor for bloat, so I usually mix 2/3 kibble with 1/3 wet food-- canned diluted with a bit of water to be sloppy, or runny homecooked stew. Adding water to the kibble helps the dog "flush out" the ash (aka minerals) through the kidneys.  The more water consumption=less strain on the kidneys when it comes to filtering out the urine.  I add water to Wolfie's kibble and mix a spoonful of canned in.  When I can't wait for the sink to heat up warm water, I just pop it in the microwave for like 5ish seconds.  I then mix it for a bit or let it sit for a min so the kibble absorbs some of the water.  Microwaving kibble is not recommended for long periods of time (yes I know this), but 5 seconds is not a big deal. []  By letting the kibble sit, it dissolves a bit and makes it's own "broth" (for lack of a better word).  That way I don't need to worry about adding too much sodium (even low sodium broths still contain more sodium than your dog needs!).  0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Shohin Posted : 4/10/2007 5:17:25 PM When people say "I add water to my dogs kibble" . . . . how much water are we talking here?  I've recently switched from broth to adding warm water.  I only add enough though to wet the kibble . . . there aren't any floating pieces or anything or puddles of water to slurp up. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• chelsea_b Posted : 4/10/2007 5:29:42 PM how much water are we talking here?   Well, I'm a nutjob, but if I give a cup of kibble, I add a cup of water. I figure that makes it about 70% moisture by weight, which is about what most fresh foods are. But I generally feed homecooked, and I add water to that til it looks like soup. Cherokee's not a water drinker though, and she's had urinary problems in the past. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• papillon806 Posted : 4/10/2007 6:07:43 PM Well, I'm a nutjob, but if I give a cup of kibble, I add a cup of water Ditto 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login