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By its water content, commercial dog food can be categorized into following types:

• Dried
• Semi-moist
• Moist

The making of dog food

Dried pellet dog food, called kibble, is made in two different ways: extruding and baking. During extruding, a mixture of raw materials is fed into an expander while pressurized steam or hot water is added. When removed from the pressure, the pellets puff like popcorn. The pellets are allowed to dry, then sprayed with vitamins, grease, or any other ingredients that are not heat-tolerant. The down side of extruding is that the fats added after cooking often turn rancid and the vitamins may be destroyed by heat during storage or shipping.

Dog treats are usually higher in grease or fats. These are usually designed to be held in a person's hand without being messy, and are often designed in fanciful shapes and colors.

Contents

Most commercial dog foods are made from materials unusable or less desirable for human consumption. These may include:

• Meat by-products or digests
• Meat-and-bone meals
• Grain by-products
• Restaurant grease

Special varieties

There are dog foods specially formulated to dogs that are allergic to wheat, corn, and/or chicken. These foods usually contain lamb or fish meat. Some dog foods are designed for dogs with maladies such as urinary tract infections, and some foods are tailored to the dietary needs of especially young or old dogs. There also exist vegetarian dog foods marketed to owners who do not wish for their dogs to consume meat products.

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