Thick question alert!! Soaked dry food/vitamins?

[Oneofthepack]

I should know the answer to this but don't so.....has anyone any idea if soaked dog food loses it's vitamin content? Both Indie and Alf have theirs soaked so it's mush and it occured to me that adding boiling water might damage the vitamins or they might dissolve or something. Sorry did warn you it was a thick question

Boiling water is the only thing that makes it mushy enough for them to eat btw.

 

[kirstyhen]

I shouldn't think so. Soaked hay loses it's nutritional value if you soak it too long, however that's because you drain the water away after.
If you are soaking it and feeding it including the water then everything should stay where it is, just a mushier version!!

 

[PucciNPoni]

I was told by a holistic food mfr that using boiling water on food depletes the vitimin content.

 

[Thistle]

I always make sure the water is not boining as it spoils the vitamins. I just half boil it so it's warm

 

[KarynK]

Yes you will loose some vitamins that are water soluble and those that are destroyed by heat.

“A and E” can be affected by exposure to air and or light, K to light, Thiamine is highly water soluble and heat over 100 degrees c, Riboflavin is slightly water soluble and affected by light when in solution, Niacin and Biotin are water soluble, Pantothenic Acid is affected by heat, B6 and 12 by water and light and Vit C by Water, Air, Light and heat.

But the very process of making commercial dry and even wet dog food destroys just about all the naturally occurring vitamins and some minerals. The high temperature cooking process that makes the ingredients into dried up little lumps in the first place does this, so if you are destroying anything it is probably either synthetic or added back in from another source. If it’s synthetic then its dubious weather the dog can use it anyway. If you are destroying anything it’s probably the preservatives added to give it a long shelf life!

But far better to wet the stuff than risk bloat by feeding it dry!

(You’ve probably guessed I am not a fan!).

 

[Oneofthepack]

So sounds like all in all it's not a great idea. I have tried to feed natural and BARF but they're so bloody picky I had to go back to dry for my sanity and stress levels! Continual vats of cooking chick peas and chicken carcasses was doing my head in and Indies hair started falling out

And so did mine

Can anyone recommed a good vitamin supplement to feed in that case? I've been adding Vetzyme conditioning tablets but would welcome views on better alternatives, particuarly for old dogs and for Alf who just seems not as good condition as the others

 

[angela_l_b]

Could you soak it for longer in cold / luke warm water rather than use it hot? I have found that if I leave dry stuff soaking for a few hours it turns to a mush anyway (the only thing I use dried food for - filling up those hollow bones with dry food mush to amuse the mutt while i am out...).