The pet food industry offers a wide variety of choices, which can make it difficult to know which type of food is best for your pet. Whether it’s dry kibble, freeze-dried, canned, or raw, there are pros and cons to each, but when choosing a food, you should always consider its moisture levels. While this may seem like an odd thing to consider, the amount of moisture in your pet’s food plays a big role in their overall health. Our recipes' moisture levels are one of the many things that make Freshpet stand out from the competition.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why Freshpet’s moisture-rich diet matters.

Portion Control

The high water content in Freshpet recipes allows pets to consume larger meal portions while ingesting the same amount of calories as they would for smaller rations servings of dry kibble. Essentially, the moisture helps the pets to feel “full”, which is very important for pets trying to lose weight.

Pet obesity is a serious epidemic in veterinary medicine and unfortunately is often untreated. One of the barriers to treatment is the fact that when pet parents attempt to reduce their pet’s caloric intake, their pets constantly seem hungry. It’s hard not to want to give them a little extra food if they’re begging for more!

With moisture-rich foods, not only will pets be able to eat “more”, but they will end the meal feeling satiated. In turn, this should also reduce the urge for pet parents to give extra snacks and result in a higher success rate and compliance with the weight loss plan.

Daily Water Needs

Moisture-rich food decreases the necessity for consuming large amounts of water. Like humans, it’s recommended that pets drink a minimal daily amount of water, which is highly dependent on weight. For larger dogs, this can seem like an insurmountable task – especially if your dog isn’t a fan of drinking plain water.

Moisture-rich food already contains increased amounts of water, thereby decreasing pets’ visits to the water bowl. In fact, when pets are switched from dry kibble to moisture-rich food like Freshpet’s Select Roll Tender Chicken and Vegetable Recipe, owners often see a decrease in their pet’s water consumption. With moisture rich food, pets simply don’t need to drink as much water!

Palatability

Moisture-rich food is often considered more palatable than dry kibble. This is due to two main reasons:

●     Flavor: The flavor in moisture-rich food tends to be more robust than in kibble. This is because the ingredients retain their natural vitamins and minerals, which not only offer health benefits but also play a key role in flavor.

●     Aroma: Typically there’s an aroma associated with fresh food, like Freshpet’s Nature’s Fresh Dog Food Beef Recipe. Whereas kibble relies on artificial flavoring to make it smell appealing, fresh food – especially recipes that have been gently steamed – maintains the natural smell of its ingredients.

Dental pain

Periodontal disease is another big concern in veterinary medicine. Some dogs have severe dental disease that leads to oral pain. Think of when you have a toothache, how even the slightest temperature difference in food or drinks can make it worse.

Now imagine not having the luxury of taking yourself to the dentist and instead living with that pain all day for years! Unfortunately, that is what some of our pets experience. In some instances, the oral pain can be so severe that pets will start to lose weight due to not wanting to eat.

While getting dental cleanings and extracting diseased teeth is the gold standard in treatment, some pets are not good candidates for the procedure due to age or pre-existing conditions. Switching to moisture-rich food is much gentler on the teeth compared to dry kibble and therefore less oral pain.

Lubricates The Organs

As I mentioned earlier, there is a recommended amount of water our pets should consume daily. When pets are properly hydrated, all of the organs in their body are sufficiently lubricated. Many pet parents don’t realize that the largest organ in a pet’s body is their skin. That’s right – skin is an organ!

Well-hydrated skin, supported by nutrients such as omega fatty acids in Freshpet's Vital Salmon and Ocean Whitefish Recipe, is less prone to dryness, inflammation, and itchiness. Additionally, proper hydration facilitates kidney function, aiding in the effective elimination of toxins and waste circulating in the body, promoting regular cleansing of the bladder.

As you can see, moisture-rich food matters, and it’s very important for our pets. Consider making the switch to moisture-rich Freshpet food today.