Most feeds today are offered in a kibbled form. A batter is prepared into which all the ingredients are mixed, they then travel through a tube into which steam is injected and then forced through an extruder at high pressure. Furthermore, in order to insure that the kibble will be crunchy, the amount of animal-based components needs to be restricted. The Abady Company, on the other hand, has developed its own. After each component is processed it is then mixed with the others enhancing the totality of the whole.
Fibrous material is used liberally in dry feeds today.
The increased transit time through the stomach and small intestine reduce the amount of time the body requires to break down the ingredients and absorb the nutrients. In the small intestine the roughage physically interposes itself between the nutrients and the absorptive surfaces of the small intestine, blocking nutrient absorption at those sites. This is particularly meaningful because nutrients must be available in the right amounts and correct patterns the instant the body calls for them to build a bodily structure and any failure to deliver all of the needed nutrients or interfere with their availability can result in permanent structural deficiencies. Saponins are at the very least digestive tract irritants, that can inflame and corrode the digestive tract, interfere with nutrient absorption and damage the digestive organs themselves. Without the smooth function of the digestive organs efficient processing of food cannot take place.