[honeybun]

Oscar is 5 months old now and I am still soaking his food. He eats so fast that I figure it's better than him swallowing hard food whole and hopefully it makes him feel fuller as it is already expanded. When do people normally stop soaking their pup's food?

 

[bld]

We stopped almost as soon as he came home as he wouldn't eat it soaked! He has JWB with just a little white fish mixed in.

 

[Basil]

Nellie also wasn't keen on soaked food when she came home, but would wolf the dried kibble so we swopped her after a week or so.

I think some people keep it soaked through teething (4-5months) and others add water right through adulthood.
I think you lose some of the teeth benfits by soaking it though.

It's just personal choice when to stop - I would think Oscar would be fine on plain old dried now if you wanted

 

[kaladancer]

i always put warm water ojn complete food even as adults

 

[_anita_]

Rueben stopped having his food soaked at 9 weeks. We took him to the vets for his first jabs and the vet asked what he was eating, we told her what it was and that we mixed it with water and she said it wasn't necessary for it to be soaked anymore and it was better for his teeth to actually crunch on the biscuits.

He also ate really quickly but found when he actually had to chew it he slowed down quite a bit!!

Anita & Rueben
xXx

 

[daizydoggy]

I tend to splash their food with some water, even the older dogs, as it stops them eating it quite so quickly.

 

[honeybun]

Thanks for the advice, I hadn't thought of it from a toothcare point of view. Maybe it's time to make the change.

P.S. Fantastic photo of Nellie and Basil, Sarah

 

[_Donna_]

I soaked Alfie's food for the first week or so then just starting adding some cold water as i noticed he doesn;t drink a lot of water. He loves crunching his food...

and it didn;t last 2 mins in bowl soaked.

 

[_Melanie_]

I tend to splash their food with some water, even the older dogs, as it stops them eating it quite so quickly.

I do this too, even for my puppy. Skylar my older dog still prefers her food with just a little water.

 

[PUPDIDI]

Well Meg is 3 now and I always put a splash of cold water on her food more out of habit than anything else, she would eat it however it came she is such a little hoover but it so dry, saying that she does not give time to soak in anyway :lol:

Di x

 

[Topseyt]

I soak Charlie's food now, and he is five. If I don't soak it then he just bolts it down far too fast. You would think he had never, ever been fed before in his life. 8O :roll:

Soaking the food helps reduce the risk of "bloat" in a food bolter, as it slows them down just enough and they eat a little less frantically.

 

[Pook]

I still add water to Ruby's food, along with a little pineapple juice (though heaven knows why as the anti-poo-eating effects seem to have worn off). I usually keep a bit of kibble back and sprinkle it on just before I give her the dish, so she has a bit of crunchy stuff in the mix.