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Digestibility refers to the extent to which an eaten nutrient is absorbed from the animal's digestive tract and transported by the blood to the millions of cells in the body. The best way to determine the digestibility of the food is to measure the amount eaten, measure the amount passed from the body in the stool and then compare the two.
Animals fed extremely cheap food made with low-quality grains and grain by-products and animal by-products will pass three or more stools per day. The actual volume of these stools might even be more than the amount of food eaten. This is because as indigestible food travels through the animal, it absorbs quite a bit of water which increases its bulk.
If an animal eats a food that is highly concentrated, say more than 90% digestible, it will still produce a stool but perhaps only once a day. The stool will be well formed and firm, however, it is composed of both undigested food and the residue of intestinal secretions and bacteria.
The digestibility of the food is an important consideration for dog and cat owners. They are paying for the amount of food in the bag, not the amount the dog or cat digests and absorbs. In addition, lower digestibility means more backyard cleanup. Choosing a food simply because it appears inexpensive does not mean that it is truly a good buy. Cost per feeding is the only way to determine the actual cost of the food.
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