What temperature should dog food be served?

‘Why does my dog turn away from its meal?’, ‘It’s homemade, with nice chunks of meat still Honey does not eat it! What should I do?’ A majority of pet parents seem to have this problem. The solution is really simple, to make your dog’s food more appealing and appetising all you have to do is to heat it up before serving them.

Most of the commercial dog food brands suggests their food to be heated up to room temperature before serving it to your pet. Getting the food temperature right is also very important as food that is either too hot or cold will be rejected by your pet. So, it makes sense to remove the food from the fridge and allow it to thaw, then lightly heat it up before serving it to your pet.

A dog may not have the appetite to eat if they are sick or injured. You can tweak your recuperating pet’s appetite by feeding them a nicely warmed up meal that is high on energy and nutrition. The recommended food temperature to serve dog food is 38 Degrees Centigrade. Anything above or below this temperature will be rejected by your pet for its unpalatability.

If your convalescing dog is on a dry food diet then you can get them to eat by adding a dash of meat broth, a little amount of animal fat or just plain warm water. If you have an elderly dog with a decreased sense of smell or a fussy eater, you can make them eat by warming the food to room temperature. It will give them an appetizing aroma which will compel them to taste and relish their food.

You have a lot of options in heating your dog’s food. Heat them in the microwave. But if you are worried about the microwave destroying all the nutrients in the food you can warm your pet’s food by placing them in a double boiler of hot water, immersing the food covered in a plastic bag in hot water or by stirring some hot water into their food.

If you want to know more about the benefits of serving warm food to your pet you can always contact your vet.