When it comes to feeding, most dog owners would prefer taking out some bag of dog food and pouring it into their pets’ bowls. This strategy is fool-proof, and your dogs will not complain.
But if you have been a dog owner for years, you might also wonder whether you can feed your dogs some warm food. Some people enjoy their meals better when it’s warm, so you probably think that warm food can also make your dogs’ mealtime more exciting.
Fortunately, your dogs can eat warm food. As long as it’s not piping hot, you won’t have to worry about any risks when you feed your dogs warm food. On the contrary, giving warm food to your furry friends is beneficial because:
Easier To Chew
The bodies of your dogs deteriorate as they age. Senior dogs often find it harder to chew and digest food than younger dogs. As a pet owner, it’s important to make your senior dogs’ lives easy and comfortable to ensure that they remain happy.
Warm foods are easier to chew, so your senior dogs will certainly appreciate it if you warm their meals for a few minutes. This is the key to making mealtime easier for senior dogs, especially when they’re used to eating dry food.
Improves Tastes
Similar to humans, your dogs will notice the taste of their food once it goes into their mouths. Feed them something bland, and they’ll never finish their meals or touch the food the next time you give it to them. Dogs love food, but some are very picky.
The reaction of your dogs’ taste buds is more intense when you feed them warm food, making the food taste better. Warm food is usually richer in flavor and feels better when dogs put it in their mouth.
So if you notice that your dogs aren’t touching their food bowls, consider warming up their food the next time. This might be the key for them to finally eat again.
Improves Texture
As mentioned, dogs also pay attention to how food feels once it touches their mouth. This is one of the reasons why assessing the texture of their food before feeding it to them is important.
Another benefit of warm food is that it helps improve the texture of the food. Heating your dogs’ food for a couple of minutes can soften the texture a little bit, making it easier for your four-legged friends to eat and digest. This will improve how your dogs’ feel about their meals.
Do Dogs Prefer Warm Or Cold Food?
Generally, dogs prefer lukewarm or warm food because it maintains the flavor and aroma of the food. Dogs usually associate colder food with being tasteless and not as rewarding. Feeding your dogs cold food all the time can cause them to lose their appetite or avoid eating the meal completely.
Should You Microwave Your Dogs’ Food?
Although convenient, you should never microwave your dogs’ food. It’s best if you warm your dogs’ food using a double boiler or placing the food inside a plastic bag and then immerse it in hot water.
Microwaving for two seconds will destroy all the enzymes found in your dogs’ food, stripping off all the vitamins and nutrients from the food. You’re serving food to your dogs for them to stay healthy — and feeding them food heated from the microwave clearly defeats this purpose.
Moreover, microwaving your dogs’ food is also harmful because microwavable containers, such as bowls and plates, give off chemicals when heated. Using plastic containers in the oven has more adverse effects on your dogs’ health because they contain several chemicals.
According to The Whole Dog Journal, plastic contains phthalates, an ingredient known to cause problems to your dogs’ liver, kidney, and reproductive systems. Some types of phthalates are even banned but are still used in many pet toys.
Should You Bathe Your Dog In Warm Or Cold Water?
When it comes to bathing your dog, it’s best if you use lukewarm water. Cold water will make your dogs very uncomfortable, while hot water can burn or irritate their skin.
Is It Okay To Give Your Dogs Cold Water?
Yes, you can feed your dogs cold water. Unlike humans, your dogs will not bloat even when you give them iced water during hot summer days. You can even make “pupsicles” using dog-friendly fruits or put some ice cubes in their water bowls!
Ask Help From A Vet
If your dogs accidentally ate piping hot food, contact the nearest vet right away. Aside from causing pain and discomfort, hot food can negatively impact your dogs’ overall health.
Stay on the safe side and consult a vet if you don’t know what to do once your dogs eat hot food. Never attempt to pacify the situation using DIY solutions or tips you’ve seen on the internet, as this will only worsen the problem.