For many oatmeal was a staple as a kid. It was an easy breakfast. Just a packet of dry oatmeal and dehydrated fruit that you just added hot water too. It was easy and lightweight to store and quick and easy to make. How much better can it get?! The Pet Food Industry has found a way to incorporate this into your commercial pet food as well. 

     

A dehydrated diet is one in which moisture is completely removed via low heat over a long period of time. Unlike dry, wet and home-cooked diets, nutrients are not lost as much to the heating and cooking processes because in this process food is being heated at low temperatures. Keep in mind this type of food product is different than freeze dried food. Freeze drying is a process related to dehydration but instead of applying heat, the food items are frozen and the water molecules are vacuumed out leaving the food complete in it's nutrients but without any water content. Unlike freeze drying the drawback is that since heat is still being applied to dehydrated foods, nutrients are still destroyed on some level. Unfortunately many times this product seems to also be high in carbohydrates like fruits,  veggies and some grains. With cats, dogs and ferrets being carnivores these fillers are not needed in the diet. On the flip side this method of food is very useful for storage and preservation. Since all water is removed it can be stored in smaller packages and food is preserved naturally making it not only healthier compared to chemical and artificial preservatives but this also means the product lasts longer. 

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In short the pros and cons of this diet include:

           

Pros:

• Easy to feed

• Lighter and easier to travel with

• Easy to store

• Doesn’t spoil fast

• Not as much nutrient destruction compared to dry or canned food

• Typically no preservatives, added colors, flavors or additives

 

Cons:

• Can be expensive 

• Can be hard to find

• Additional oral hygiene practices is needed

• Water must be added

• Many contain unnecessary carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, grains) so carefully read packages

• Some nutrients are lost to the heating process