Should You Add Water to Kibble? | Vet's Voice

[@saral6978]

I splash water over my dogs' kibble to moistened the powdered pumpkin that I add to each meal to moisten it just a bit. With that said, are you saying we should be withholding their water bowl for a time after they eat their kibble? I ask because after eating my dog goes straight for his water bowl every time to drink a bunch of water then goes back to licking his bowl. He's been doing this for years; hes almost 10. Also, I use maze bowls which takes them about 4-5 mins to finish a meal. Their poops are great by the way. 😂 I'll take your advice under advisement, but they don't seem suffer from any negative effects.

[@VetMedCorner]

Most definitely do not ever withhold water. Your dog will drink the amount needed to stay hydrated. The first question here is - why are you adding powdered pumpkin in the first place?

[@jayden1996b]

I also feel like watering down kibble will reduce palatability.

[@VetMedCorner]

I'm not aware of any research on this, but it is true that cats especially will have texture preferences, so it's definitely possible!

[@janhankins911]

Some trainers recommend soaking kibble in water and using that to stuff a Kong or spread on a lick mat. I prefer canned foot or other recipes for Kongs or lick mat. Whether I recommend a puzzle toy or a Kong or lick mat depends on several things. One of the things that makes me recommend a Kong or lick mat is that licking does appear to have a calming effect on dogs, so dogs that suffer from anxiety may benefit (behaviorally) from licking something (so, I might recommend a stuffed Kong instead of a puzzle toy with kibble in it for an anxious dog). It makes no sense to use food that has absorbed water will slow a dog's eating down. Use a puzzle toy, a snuffle mat, or food toss (toss a few kibbles and tell your dog to "find it") or even hide food around the house and let the dog sniff it out (this will slow their eating down and will tire them out--that's mentally challenging and they use their sense of smell: Caveat--start very easy to make sure your dog is successful and "hide" the food in plain sight, as the dog catches on to the "game", you can gradually make it more difficult to find the food). If you must feed from a bowl, use a slow-down bowl. The only time my personal vet ever recommends wetting a dog's kibble is, like you, after a pet has had a dental procedure (especially if extractions have been necessary).

[@VetMedCorner]

Absolutely! Using canned food in food puzzles that are designed to have a dog licking them is a much better option. I'm also fine with people using other dog safe 'recipes' so long as they remember that *all* treats/toppers/recipes/etc must remain less than 10% of the dog's daily caloric intake, otherwise the dog's diet will be unbalanced.

[@janhankins911]

@@VetMedCorner Absolutely.

[@judithb4202]

What a lovely video. I like all the food puzzle clips as well. Do you think any of the risks in the beagle water study apply to dogs who drink water right after eating?

[@VetMedCorner]

Dogs should have access to water at all times so that they can drink whenever they are thirsty, which is what the beagles in the dry kibble group would have done. However, I'm not aware of any research done on when dogs drink in relation to when they eat. I would also presume doing that research would be considered unethical (as it's a basic welfare requirement to have clean drinking water available at all times) so I doubt it will be done. If I hypothesize a bit, there are a number of differences between the two situations... When water is added to kibble it forces the dog to ingest a specific amount which may or may not be 'too much' for them at that time. When a dog is left to drink as they have a need to, their body will do what it's supposed to and keep them properly hydrated. It's also different to add water into the acidic stomach environment that contains kibble vs adding it in the neutral air environment... And by the time the kibble is in the stomach it's already started to break down into micronutrients (saliva has digestive enzymes, plus the mechanical breaking down via chewing, plus the acid in the stomach, plus the stomach also grinds whatever contents are inside of it).

[@judithb4202]

@@VetMedCorner thank you for such a thorough response

[@VetMedCorner]

It's a great question, I wish I had a more definitive answer for you!

[@jttj742]

I do it (occasionally) because it seems to increase pleasing smells and/or variety. If my pooch is seeming bored (checks kibble when put out and immediately leaves) I splash some water on it and she wolfs it down!

[@VetMedCorner]

As dogs are contra freeloaders, you should be using a variety of food puzzles and not doing this!

[@jttj742]

@@VetMedCorner yes I for sure use lots of puzzles and that works as well. I’m highly sensitive to bloat given her breed (and she did have surgery for it), so based on what I learned for you I’ll cut that method out.

[@VetMedCorner]

I'm so glad you already have puzzles, that's great 💪 Remember that healthy dogs shouldn't eat any meals from a bowl (ideally!). They can get kibble as reinforcement on walks, in daily training sessions, and in food puzzles! That's far more enriching for them, which is our goal. If your dog is a breed with an increased risk of bloat, I'm glad to hear that you've already had her stomach tacked. That's a very important prevention step for those dogs. Keep up the good work!!! 🙌