Dog food types
How is dry dog food made?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Most dry dog food is made by mixing ground meat, grains or other carbohydrate sources, fats, and vitamins into a dough, then cooking it under pressure through a machine called an extruder before drying, coating with fat for palatability, and bagging.
From raw ingredients to dough
Manufacturers grind meat, meal, and carbohydrate sources like rice or peas into a consistent blend, then add water and steam to form a thick dough. This mix typically runs at around 20 to 30 percent moisture before cooking.
Cooking under pressure
The dough is pushed through an extruder, a machine that cooks it briefly at high temperature and pressure, often around 120 to 150 degrees Celsius for less than a minute, which kills bacteria and gelatinizes starches so they are easier to digest. As the dough exits through the die it expands and is cut into kibble sized pieces.
Drying and coating
The pieces are dried to about 10 percent moisture for shelf stability, then sprayed with fats, digest (a palatant made from animal tissue), or oils to improve taste and add calories, since the extrusion process itself removes most surface fat.
Key takeaways
- Kibble is cooked once through an extruder, not baked in an oven.
- The final fat or flavor coating is added after cooking, near the end of the process.
- High heat processing kills pathogens but can reduce some nutrients, which is why vitamins are usually added back afterward.