Dog kibble is a type of dried dog food where all the ingredients are combined, processed, and cooked together. Dog kibble usually includes a formula of ingredients and nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and more. 

Depending on what type of dog food you choose, you may receive a different ratio of nutrients. Dog kibble recipes can contain a range of ingredients, whole foods, and high quality ingredients (some even use human-grade ingredients). Some, unfortunately, also contain preservatives, artificial ingredients, and fillers. 

If you’re a dog parent, you want the very best for your pup. Read on to learn more about dog kibble, how it’s made, and how to find the best type of dog kibble for your dog. 

Kibble is a type of dried dog food. When it comes to choosing the type of dog food you want to feed your pup, you can choose between kibble, wet food, raw diet, and homemade adult dog food (also known as fresh food). 

Let’s take a closer look at the differences between dog kibble and wet food, how they’re made, what they include, and a few advantages and disadvantages of each.

Many dog parents choose wet dog food as it’s more convenient to feed your dog, contains moisture, and is stable on the shelf for a long time. While these advantages make it tempting to switch to wet food, it’s important to understand a few concerns.

Wet dog food tends to have a higher sodium and sugar content than dry dog food. Your dog can’t handle high salt and sugar content like humans can, so it’s important to moderate these in their diet. These foods also contain higher levels of artificial preservatives as they need it for staying shelf-stable for so long. 

Dog kibble, on the other hand, doesn’t rely on high sodium or sugar levels to preserve it on the shelf. There are different types of dry dog food kibble that are made differently, but if you can find a dry dog food that isn’t heavily processed, you can ensure your pup gets the nutrients they need and none of the chemicals they don’t.

Learn more about how dry dog food and wet dog food are different here! 

While dog kibble has more advantages over wet dog food, not all dry food is made equal. It’s important to stay away from dog kibble that’s processed with extreme temperature, high pressures, and in large batches. 

These methods are used to kill bacteria, pathogens, and process lots of food together, but they end up voiding the ingredients in dog food of the nutrients and vitamins your dog needs. 

Instead, look for dog kibble that’s been gently air-dried. Instead of using hundreds of degrees of heat to kill bacteria and nutrients, air-drying gently kills bacteria while retaining nutrients. This can be performed in your own kitchen in smaller batches, which is how we air-dry our dog food here at Sundays.  

In addition to being air-dried, look for human-grade dog food. Dog food standards are disappointingly low. Even terms like “natural” can allow for unnatural ingredients, processing, and preservatives and chemicals in your dog’s food. 

To ensure your dog is getting the best foods possible, look for human-grade in addition to the “natural” label. Human-grade dog food is held to the same standards human food is held to. 

So, if you wanted to take a bite of your new puppy food to test it out, you could. (We don’t recommend it, but you could!)  

Dog kibble typically contains a range of ingredients, from protein, carbohydrates, fats, fruits, vegetables, and more. These ingredients are mixed together and used to make the food your dog loves. 

To choose the best adult dog kibble, here are the best ingredients to look for.

Since dogs are descendants of wolves, shouldn’t they eat protein only? While protein like salmon or beef (or even pea protein) is essential for your dog’s diet, they also need a variety of fruits, vegetables like peas and lentils, and even whole grains and ancient grains get the most out of their meal (sorry, the whole grain-free thing isn’t quite accurate). Fruits and vegetables are great sources of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for your pup.

Here are a few types of fruit and vegetables to look for on the dog kibble label:

These fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins A, C, E, B, B5, fiber, folate, nitrates, copper, thiamine,  biotin, vitamin K, B6, beta-carotene, antioxidants, selenium, prebiotics, iron, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and so much more. 

Meat is an important ingredient to look for on the dog kibble label as well. With protein and amino acids for keeping muscles strong, healthy, and your dog’s fur coat shiny, this is a vital part of your dog’s diet.

It’s important to find real meats on the kibble labels as opposed to other types of meats. For example, some dog food brands will use “meat meals” in dog kibble that include by-products, leftovers, and unwanted scraps from the animal. So, if your dog food has “chicken meal,” this could include feathers, eyeballs, beaks, talons, wings, bones, and more. 

Instead, look for specific meat names like “turkey breast,” “USDA grade beef,” “beef liver,” “beef heart,” or “beef bone” on the dog food label. This will ensure that the meat is high quality and up to your dog food standards. 

Some whole grains can be irritating for your dog’s digestion and lead to stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, and gas. However, whole grains like quinoa, millet, brown rice, and oatmeal are gentle on your dog’s stomach, packed with nutrients and fiber, and are excellent ingredients to look for in kibble. 

Be careful to avoid some grains like gluten, wheat, bran, sorghum, corn, and soy as these have little nutritional value for dogs or can cause allergic reaction or intolerance. 

What dog kibble brand has it all? Look no further than Sundays for Dogs. 

Our dog kibble is gently air-dried, made up to human-grade standards. It’s also completely free of any artificial preservatives, low-quality ingredients, and anti-nutrients ingredients like legumes, soy, corn, and rice that can acually decrease how much nutrients your dog is able to absorb. 

If your pup has a sensitive stomach, is a picky eater, needs help with joint health and coat health, or just needs an easy-to-digest dog kibble, Sundays has it all.

Here at Sundays, we tailor your dog food needs to you. With subscription options that deliver nutritious dog food right to your door, you can order our dog food once to try it out or subscribe to receive a 40-ounce container of dog kibble at your door each week, two weeks, or any frequency up to eight weeks. 

SOURCES:

Fresh vs Raw Dog Food vs Kibble: Which Diet Is Best For Your Dog? | American Kennel Club 

The Association of American Feed Control Officials > Consumers > What is in Pet Food | AAFCO 

“Human-Grade” | AAFCO 

Natural | AAFCO  

FDA Grain-Free Diet Alert: What Dog Owners Need to Know | AKC