Pet parents can choose from an extensive variety of options for their fur babies’ diets. From the usual wet or dry pet food to grain-free, vegetarian, cold-pressed, and insect-based, the list just goes on and on. This article aims to look at cold pressed dog food and whether it’s a better option for your furball than standard kibble.
Standard Kibble vs. Cold Pressed Dog Food
Cold-pressed dog food is produced using an alternative method of cooking wherein the pellets are cold-pressed at a low temperature, usually within the range of 45 to 80 degrees Celsius.
Unlike standard kibble, cold-pressed food can retain substantially more nutrients because extremely high temperatures are used for cooking regular kibble which often destroys all the necessary vitamins.
About 95% of today’s commercial dog food products are manufactured through the so-called extrusion method which makes it more convenient and more affordable.
Pros of Cold-Pressed Canine Food
Dog foods manufactured using the cold-pressed method offer the following benefits that both you and your dog will surely love:
Closest Thing to Raw Diet
Cold-pressed canine food is among the best dry alternatives to a raw diet that you can find, all thanks to the fact that this is produced using similar natural ingredients. The truth is that many people cannot really give raw food to their pets every day.
For one, this is both expensive and impractical. Also, handling raw meat daily can pose risk to children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immune-compromised people.
The cold-pressing technique can get rid of these dangers while retaining all the nutrients found in raw ingredients which include vitamins, antioxidants, fats, fiber, and heat-sensitive enzymes. Due to the rich flavor of cold-pressed kibble, this is a great option if you have a picky eater or one that prefers raw meat to traditional dry meals.
Higher Nutrient Content
Cooking at lower temperatures can help preserve natural nutrients, vitamins, and starches. When the ingredients in pet food are cooked at high temperatures, it leads to the breakdown of vitamins, fiber, proteins, and other nutrients. This makes the food harder to digest and less nutritious. Low-temperature cooking can help preserve nutrients and produce healthier food for your beloved pets.
Easier Digestion
Since cold pressed dog food retains more moisture, dogs have an easier time digesting this kind of kibble than traditional dry kibble. In addition, cold-pressed pellets tend to dissolve starting from the outside to the inside. This means that these don’t expand once your dog eats them.
This is what makes cold-pressed pet food a great choice for sensitive dogs, because dogs break this down faster, leading to faster absorption of nutrients without causing bloating. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to indigestion and bloating. However, cold-pressed can prevent these problems easily.
Cost-efficient
Unlike traditional kibble, you can find more nutrients in cold pressed food. It means that you will need to use up to 30% less food for every feeding. It will help you save more money down the road.
Eco-friendly
The manufacturing process of extruded kibble that is highly in-demand among pet owners, unfortunately, has a significant negative effect on the planet. Dog food manufacturers often use livestock and grain in their blends which makes most conventional dog food neither sustainable nor eco-friendly.
Production of cold-pressed kibble doesn’t use as many nonrenewable resources and water and doesn’t challenge the Earth. This is why every pet owner might want to consider switching to options that are friendlier to the environment like insect-based proteins.
Cons of Cold Pressed Canine Food
With the rising popularity of cold pressed canine food in many parts of the world, more and more companies are also starting to come up with their own versions of kibble. As a result, quality is usually treated only as an afterthought while rushing to launch the product in the market.
Some brands, for example, may buy meat that a different company has processed using higher temperatures in an attempt to save money. It is the reason why if you are planning to switch to cold pressed food for your dog, you have to do your homework and look for a brand that only uses proper manufacturing practices and quality ingredients.
Since cold pressed pet food is produced using lower temperatures, there is also a higher risk of bacterial contamination. While this isn’t usually dangerous to pets, this is still something pet owners should know and remember.
One more thing to note here is that due to the higher moisture content of cold pressed kibble, it may also have a typically shorter shelf life compared to that of conventional dry dog food which is approximately 6 months.
How to Choose High Quality Cold Pressed Pet Food
As mentioned earlier, cold pressed pet food has become more popular these days, which basically means a plethora of different options will also be popping out everywhere like mushrooms. This might leave you confused or even downright overwhelmed. Well, it doesn’t need to be this way.
When shopping for cold pressed food for your dog, the first thing you need to do is check the list of ingredients. You have to make sure that you choose one that contains a single high-quality source of protein.
Words such as wild-caught, grass-fed, or organic are all good signs that you are giving your dog a chance to get some top-quality meat. Also, make sure you examine the guaranteed analysis to ensure that there is protein content that meets the needs of your pup.
There will also be lots of other ingredients and a few of these can provide beneficial extra nutrients to your pet’s diet. Cold-pressed oils, herbs, vegetables, fruits, and even algae can also be great sources of omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acids and all those vitamins that would make you wish that you are also getting yourself.
