If you’re looking to upgrade your pup’s diet to something more nutritious and minimally processed, cold pressed dog food is an excellent option. According to the good folk over at Nextrition, this unique type of pet food is gently air-dried rather than cooked at high temperatures like most kibble. The cold press process helps retain more of the natural nutrients, enzymes and beneficial compounds found in raw ingredients. Here, then, are the top reasons to give cold pressed a try for your furry friend.
Maximum Nutrient Retention
The biggest benefit of cold pressed dog food is that the gentle air-drying process maximizes the retention of natural vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes present in the whole food ingredients. These vital nutrients aren’t degraded or destroyed by the high heat and extreme processing used to make conventional extruded kibble.
The fresher, uncooked nutrition provides better bioavailability and absorption for your pup compared to over-processed, nutrient-lacking kibble or cans. This concentrated nourishment really shows in improved energy levels, skin/coat condition and overall vitality.
Better Digestibility
Without the extreme heat and pressures used in kibble production, cold pressed recipes maintain more of the naturally occurring probiotics, prebiotics and enzymes that aid in smooth digestion. The ingredients make it easier for your dog’s body to break down and absorb all those beneficial nutrients.
With superior nutrient bioavailability and digestibility, you can feed smaller portion sizes of cold pressed food to meet your pup’s needs. There’s also less waste than heavily processed kibble passing undigested through their system.
Novel Protein Sources
Many cold pressed formulas contain unique protein sources like duck, venison, or fish that your dog may have never eaten before. These novel proteins are great options for pets with food allergies or sensitivities to more common ingredients like chicken or beef.
Rotating between different novel proteins regularly is ideal for preventing intolerances while providing variety in your pup’s diet. The simple, limited ingredient recipes make it easier to pinpoint potential allergens, too.
Minimal Processing
Unlike most conventional dog food production, which relies on extreme heat, pressure, extrusion and artificial preservatives, cold pressed recipes use very little processing to make the food. The air-drying method involves minimal heat and no chemical alteration of the raw ingredients.
This gentle process helps retain the natural shape, texture, aroma, and nutritional integrity of whole food sources like meats, seeds, fruits, and vegetables without denaturing delicate compounds. You’re feeding real, identifiable food, not a highly processed, re-constituted mixture.
Improved Palatability
The air-drying method used in cold pressed foods helps preserve the enticing, natural aromas and flavors of real, unprocessed meats, seeds, and other whole food ingredients. This makes the taste far more appealing and drives increased palatability compared to stale, highly processed kibble.
For picky eaters, the improved palatability and rotating novel proteins in cold pressed diets can stimulate better appetite and consumption of nutrient-dense food.
Raw, But Safer
Like raw dog food diets, a major advantage of cold pressed is the minimal processing involved. But unlike true raw, which carries risks of bacteria like Salmonella or E.coli, cold pressed undergoes safety measures like air dehydration and pathogen elimination steps to remove potential contaminants. So you get many of the nutritional benefits of feeding raw, minimally altered whole ingredients but without the same food safety handling concerns.
Conclusion
While cold pressed dog food tends to cost more per pound, the superior nutrient quality, palatability, and long-term health benefits really make it worthwhile, especially for active dogs or those with dietary sensitivities. With minimal processing but maximum nutrition from whole food ingredients, it’s no wonder cold pressed is such a popular trend in pet nutrition these days.
