Why a Baked Food is Best for your Dog

For most dog owners, their four-legged friend is part of the family. Just like they want to feed their children the very best food, they want to make sure their dog has a healthy diet too. Nigel Baker, Managing Director of Betty Miller Pet Foods, reminds dog owners how it is important to look beyond the wheat and gluten free claims and consider how a dog food is produced and how that could impact on your pet.

Feeding a family can be stressful business. You want to make sure that everyone gets what they need to keep them fighting fit. For our pets it is no different. We are keen to feed them the very best but with such a vast range of Dog food products out there, what should you look for?

Many people look for the health claims of a specific product but sometimes it is important to look beyond that to the way in which a dog food is produced. Many dog foods never even see the inside of an oven – something that surprises many.

Instead they are made using a process called extrusion. Raw dough is forced at high pressure through a long barrel. The friction created in the barrel cooks the food and it is then chopped into edible pieces using a rotating knife, before additional fat is added to the product in order to make it more palatable for the dog. The reason this process is used by so many dog food manufacturers is that it is a quick way of producing a lot of their product.

However, is it really tasty and nutritious?

An alternative method of making dog food is through baking in a way that is not dissimilar to how you might bake a cake or bread in your oven at home. A dough is mixed together before being cut into shapes, placed on a baking tray and cooked in the oven. It is slowly baked for between 15 and 20 minutes before being left to cool. It is then ready for your dog.

“Baking is the method that Betty Miller believe is best for dogs." We all favour an oven-cooked meal at home over something that is microwaved or deep-fried and Betty Miller feels that by using the baking method, they are offering well-deserving dogs the same treatment we ourselves would like.

"We use natural ingredients that when baked will provide a nutritious meal for any dog. Furthermore, as our dog foods are cooked slowly, the flavours are preserved meaning that we do not need to add any additional fat to the finished product in order to encourage a dog to eat it – our products are naturally tasty"

Allthough the health claims of many products are an important factor to consider when selecting a food that is right for your pet, it’s important to look beyond that and seek a dog food that is cooked in a way that the natural benefits of any ingredients are preserved to provide a healthy yet tasty meal for your furry friend.

Betty Miller bakes a range of complete dog foods and treats for your pet. For more information please visit www.bettymiller.com