Why you should Ditch the Dry One and take a moment to really think about what you’re feeding your pet. Have you ever stopped to question how meat and vegetables are turned into a brown biscuit that looks nothing like the original ingredients? When I first learned how dry pet food is made, I was genuinely shocked — especially knowing this is something many pets eat every single day.
Why you should Ditch the Dry One, Across the UK, dry kibble is the most common choice for cats and dogs. It’s convenient, affordable, and heavily marketed as “complete” and “healthy.” Yet the average lifespan of dogs in the UK has dropped to around 10 years, and cancer has become the leading cause of death in both cats and dogs. When we look closely at diet, this begins to make uncomfortable sense.
Many well-known “premium” pet food brands are owned by large global corporations whose expertise lies in marketing, not pet nutrition. The focus is on selling products, not necessarily on long-term animal health.
So how is dry food made? The ingredients often come from waste produced by the human food industry. These ingredients are processed at extremely high temperatures multiple times, breaking down natural nutrients and altering protein structures. The end result is a shelf-stable product that has been cooked repeatedly, dried, rehydrated, cooked again, and coated with fats and additives to make it appealing.
This repeated high-heat processing destroys nutrients and creates substances that may place extra strain on your pet’s body over time. Why you should Ditch the Dry One also contains very little moisture, around 10% compared to roughly 70% in natural or raw diets which can contribute to long-term stress on the kidneys, heart, and urinary system.
Why you should Ditch the Dry One, labelling can also be misleading. Ingredients are often grouped into vague categories such as “animal derivatives” or “cereals,” meaning pet owners may never truly know what’s in the bowl. Diet consistency can change from bag to bag, even when the label looks the same.
Pets haven’t evolved to digest highly processed foods. Cooking alters food structure, making digestion harder and nutrient absorption less effective. Over time, this can contribute to issues such as allergies, skin problems, digestive upset, poor coat condition, and chronic disease.
I’ve seen the difference firsthand, both professionally and with my own dogs. Since switching away from dry food, their coats, energy levels, digestion, and overall health have dramatically improved. Even behaviour can change when artificial colours and preservatives are removed from the diet.
After learning all of this, one simple question remains:
Do you still want to feed your pet kibble?
