Sometimes, (especially in these difficult COVID-19 times) even the most dedicated fresh food feeder may have to resort to kibble, aka dry dog biscuits. Most major brands of kibble are usually ‘complete and balanced’, giving your dog all they need to survive. However, surviving, isn’t quite the same as thriving!
Here are a few things to bear in mind:
Kibble diets are pro-inflammatory and the link between chronic inflammation and disease is well-established[1]
Heat processing reduces the bio-availability of certain amino acids and destroys some vitamins[2]
High temperature processing also produces carcinogens that dogs absorb (among them, 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4, 5-b]pyridine PhIP). PhIP is associated with several cancers in humans[3]
Dry diets can lead to dehydration over time[4]
Given this, if we do need to feed kibble, how could we improve the meal, simply and effectively? Well, one way is to add foods known to have anti-inflammatory properties and that help support the immune system.