Ever notice that your dog is not eating much on winter days? The problem may be that your dog is sensitive to the cold.
And the straightforward solution here is to warm up the dog food. Microwaving dog food seems to be the simplest way to heat up dog food. It will save you a few minutes of time warming up canned food or defrosting raw dog food in the microwave.
However, is it really OK to microwave dog food? Can you microwave wet dog food or dry dog food? Read on to find out!
Can You Microwave Dog Food: To microwave or not to Microwave
For those who feed their dog wet or dry dog food, to heat up or not to heat up dog food in the microwave could be a headache.
The short answer is NOPE. We won’t recommend you heat up dog food in the microwave. Not just us, many dog food manufacturers won’t recommend you to microwave dog food, either.
2. Can You Microwave Dog Food: Why It’s a Bad Idea to Microwave Dog Food
Sure, it will save us much time in the morning to heat up dog food or defrost frozen dog food in the microwave.
However, microwaving dog food could slowly harm your dog’s long-term health.
Firstly, Microwaves cause water and fat molecules in food items to change rapidly. And this process will make fats less digestible for dogs.
Secondly, microwaving dog food would make the dog food less nutritious. The minerals and vitamins in the dog food could be nuked during the microwaving process.
As you can see on the package, pet food companies suggest their products be served at room temperature. Therefore, your dog can smell and taste it as it should be.
Moreover, if you overdo the heating in the microwave, it would end up hurting your dog’s digestive system slowly.
Just like they’re sensitive, your dog can be sensitive to heat, too. If the dog food is too hot, your pet dog would avoid it for it’s considered dangerous.
3. Can You Microwave Dog Food: How to Warm Dog Food Properly?
Now that we understand why we shouldn’t microwave any dog food, be it dry dog food, wet dog food, or canned dog food.
But how can we warm dog food without making the dog less nutritious? And how can we heat up dog food to the proper temperature?
Here’s how to warm up dog food without using the microwave:
Step 1. Put the dry dog food or wet dog food in a bowl. If you need to heat up canned dog food, discard the can and put the dog food in a bowl.
Step 2. Put hot water in a bigger bowl.
Step 3. Put the small bowl into the big bowl. And the hot water will slowly warm the dog food without contacting it.
Simple. Right? In this way, the dog food won’t get too hot, so the nutrients and proteins in the dog food won’t be destroyed.
The most important thing is that your pet’s food is not too hot and not too cold. Body temperature is a good aim to set for dog food, which is about 101F to 102.5F.