You did your homework and selected high-quality dog food for your canine companion, but did you know that dog food storage also plays a vital role in your dog’s health?
Whether you feed wet or dry dog food, improper storage not only deprives your dog of valuable nutrients, but poses serious threats to your companion’s health and potentially even his life.
Below you find more information about:
Dry Dog Food Storage
Wet Dog Food Storage
Dog Food Storage Containers
Ten Dog Food Storage Container Dos and Don’ts
Freezing Dry Dog Food
Dog Food Storage Mites
Dry Dog Food Storage
Nothing beats dry dog food for convenience and cost-effectiveness,
but the shelf life of high-quality meat-based kibbles preserved only with natural antioxidants i
s much shorter than that of artificially preserved grain-based food; it’s also very much dependent on correct storage.
Dry Dog Food Storage begins with a discussion of kibble shelf life,
explaining why fresher is better and how you can make sure you’re buying the freshest dry dog food possible. Chocobo Names
I then lay out what can go wrong when kibble is not stored correctly.
These hazards include loss of micronutrients, damage to probiotics and other fragile supplements, rancidity, growth of pathogenic bacteria and molds
(which, in turn, can release potentially fatal endotoxins), and vermin infestations.
You’ll then learn how to store dry dog food correctly. The maximum length of time a bag of kibble should be kept around after opening is 4-6 weeks,
but foods with a high percentage of fragile polyunsaturated fatty acids are best consumed within 2-3 weeks.
However, these time frames are safe only if you store the bag in an airtight container and place the container in a cool, dry, and dark location.
I’ll explain exactly what means.
Finally, you’ll learn how to tell when it’s time to throw out dry dog food. Given the risks of feeding spoiled food, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Wet Dog Food Storage
Most canned dog foods have a two-to-five
year shelf life, and the canning process and airtight seal do a very good job protecting the nutrients from oxidation, provided the cans are stored correctly.
Storing wet foods is simple: As long as the cans are unopened,
all that’s required for proper storage is a reasonably cool environment; temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius
(68 degrees Fahrenheit) are fine.
But what if the cans have been opened?
If you have a small or toy breed dog, you probably don’t use an entire can at once. The same is true for many people who feed wet dog foods only as a supplement to kibble because of the expense.
Wet foods can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, but don’t leave the food in the opened can.
Instead, transfer the can’s contents to an airtight container made of food-grade plastic or, better yet, glass. If you need to store opened canned dog foods longer than three days,
freeze them in an airtight plastic container.
Discard or return to the store any damaged, dented, or bulging cans.
Also avoid feeding wet dog food that doesn’t look or smell quite right, even if it has not passed the expiration date.
Dog Food Storage Containers
Kibble bags should be placed in storage containers, but what type of container should you choose?
Dog Food Storage Containers provides an overview of the type of containers available,
discusses some of their advantages and disadvantages, and lets you know what features to look for.
I also address the issues with plastic containers and explain.
why dry dog food should not be poured directly into a plastic storage container, but kept in the original bag or a food-grade bin liner instead.
Ten Dog Food Storage Container Dos and Don’ts
Here – you’ll find a list of ten important dos and don’ts of using dog food storage containers to keep kibble fresh and protect it from air, light, moisture, mold spores, and vermin.
About 10% of all dogs suffer from Topic Dermatitis, and 94% of atomic dogs are allergic to dog food storage mites. This makes storage mites an even bigger problem than the common house mite.
Freezing Dry Dog Food
Once you open the bag, naturally preserved dry dog food has a shelf life between two and six weeks, depending on the fragility of the ingredients and the climate in which the food is stored.
What if you can’t go through a bag in that time frame because your dog,
is small and doesn’t eat very much or you feed kibble only occasionally as a supplement to a homemade diet or canned food?
Or perhaps you would like to start purchasing larger bags to take advantage of the substantially lower price per pound?
Freezing Dry Dog Food addresses storage methods that can prolong the shelf life of opened kibble bags.
Storage mites are virtually inevitable, affecting 90% of kibble bags.
I explain how to store dry dog food to prevent mite infestations and what to do in the event of an infestation.
Several manufacturers of naturally preserved meat-based kibble and were inquired about freezing and refrigerating their foods. All recommended refrigeration but advised against freezing.
Of course, many dog owners, particularly those with small and toy breeds, freeze-dry dog foods all the time, so I’ve decided to address the reasons given for not freezing kibble to allow you to come to your own conclusion.
I also include a step-by-step guide to freezing dry dog food the right way in case you decide to give freezing a try. And in the event that you need only an extra month or two of storage time,
I explain how to refrigerate and vacuum seal dry dog food.
The latter can be combined with freezing or refrigeration, but it can also extend shelf life by itself.
Dog Food Storage Mites
About 10% of all dogs suffer from Topic Dermatitis, and 94% of atomic dogs are allergic to dog food storage mites.
This makes storage mites an even bigger problem than the common house mite.
In Dog Food Storage Mites, I explain what they are and how to avoid them.
I look at several studies examining the prevalence of storage mites in dry food and the difference the storage environment makes.
While some dry dog foods contain mites at the time of purchase, this is true for only 10-15% of foods. In most cases,
the mites enter the bag after it has been opened, and this is where correct dog food storage makes all the difference.
Research indicates that when opened kibble bags are stored in warm (21-25 degrees Celsius),
humid (about 70% relative humidity) climates for five weeks,
Kibble bags should be placed in storage containers, but what type of container should you choose?
Storage mites are virtually inevitable, affecting 90% of kibble bags.
I explain how to store dry dog food to prevent mite infestations and what to do in the event of an infestation.
Another way to reduce the risk of storage mites–and reap much other health benefits–is to purchase a higher quality kibble.
Inexpensive grain-based foods consisting primarily or exclusively of waste products from the human food
industry are far more likely to be contaminated with storage mites than meat-based,
grain-free super-premium foods made with human-grade ingredients.
Even so, stored improperly, even the highest quality kibbles can become infested with mites. That’s why correct is so very important.
Read More: Chocobo Names
