As a favored parent , you care about the quality of your dog ’s food , but right memory board is just as important .
Chances are , you ’ve put a hatful of time and energy into making the best dog-iron food option for your pup . Proper dog food memory , on the other hand , is often an afterthought for even the most recognise pet parent .
In light of recentdog food recallsdue to coarse bacterial contaminants like Salmonella and Listeria , you might be wondering : How can I assure my dog solid food is safe?For starters , you may check up on your own dog food manipulation and entrepot habits .
Here , you ’ll find everything you need to be intimate about proper dog food for thought storage , include common mistakes to obviate and bounder food storage ideas , accord to vet .
Why Dog Food Storage Is Important
“ Much like put in our own solid food , properly stash away pet food helps fend off spoil , ” says Dr. Cullen A. Domaracki , a veterinary and assistant professor of veterinary clinical science at the Louisiana State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Baton Rouge , Louisiana .
The best dog food for thought storage solutions not only keep your dog ’s food for thought sassy and tasty , but they also protect your pup by keeping mould , bacteria , and household pest like insects and gnawer out of his dinner party .
So , is your puppy ’s intellectual nourishment dependable ? take on for the most common mistakes pet parent make when it comes to frump intellectual nourishment store .
Mistakes to Avoid When Storing Dog Food
Dog food memory seems uncomplicated enough , but there are a few common misunderstanding that even the most caring pet parents are susceptible to attain .
Here are seven dog food for thought storage mistakes to cross off your listing for a glad and goodish pup :
Mistake #1: Storing Food in the Garage
It ’s an easy error to make , especially if your home is short on storage place . However , excess hotness or moisture — coarse problems in some garage during the summertime — can cheapen essential oil color and kick downstairs down nutrient in dog food , explain Dr. Julie A. Churchill , Ph.D. , a panel - certified veterinary nutritionist and prof of veterinary clinical sciences at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in St. Paul , Minnesota . Your dog ’s food could also be at with child risk of being exposed to pests like insects and rodent .
What to do or else : stash away your dog food where you ’d want to stash away your own food . Like other pantry items , wry and give notice hound solid food should be stored in a cool , ironic place like a dog food storage cabinet . Always keep it in a controlled environment under 80 degrees Fahrenheit , per theFood and Drug Administration(FDA ) .
Mistake #2: Leaving Dry Dog Food Unsealed
turn up over or seethe up a large bag of dog food for thought , and it might seem like that ’s right enough for your pup .
The problem : Leaving food for thought unsealed is a large mistake , as O cause the fatty tissue in the food for thought to go rancid , which ruins the flavor and , in the bad - eccentric scenario , could evenmake dog nauseous , aver Dr. Joanna Woodnutt , an experient companion animal veterinarian ground in Alderney , U.K.
What to do instead : To keep your dog ’s dry food fresh , store it in an airtight dog food container , say Woodnutt .
Mistake #3: Pouring Dry Dog Food Out of Its Original Bag
“ Many pet parents will tip dry food into an airtight favourite intellectual nourishment container , but this can cause the food to go off more quick , and scratches in the Earth’s surface of the container can hold bacterium and allow the food to spoil , ” says Woodnutt .
What ’s more ? The bag wienerwurst solid food comes in often has an oil - resistant liner , which is design to help retain flavor , supply Dr. Kristi Flynn , an adjunct professor in the section of veterinary clinical sciences at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul , Minnesota .
What to do instead : Store your dog food in the original bag inside a certain container . As this can make for unwieldy bounder food storage , keep large travelling bag of food for thought in a entrepot bin and use little , more commodious containers that hold in about a calendar week of food for feeding time , intimate Flynn .
If you do determine to pullulate dog food out of the bag and into a container , at least break down a image of the barcode and expiration date or cut out that portion of the label , state Churchill . This style , if your pup ever gets sick or you have question about the quality or safety of the food , you could partake this information with the caller and theFDAin case there ’s a Cartesian product defect or dog food recall .
Mistake #4: Regularly “Topping Off” Dry Dog Food
If you already stack away your heel food in an airtight container , a common mistake is to replete it back up before it ’s wholly emptied out . The problem with this is that leftover fat and crumbs from dog food can build up up inside the container over time and , again , start to go defective .
What to do instead : Use up all of the food in an airtight container before you refill it . “ When the bin is empty , that ’s a safe monitor that it ’s clip to wash it out and then add up fresh food for thought , ” enunciate Churchill .
Mistake #5: Leaving Canned Food Out Too Long
We ’ve all been there — you feed your dogs , get distracted with other to - do ’s around the theater , and then find the can of blackguard nutrient sitting on the kitchen counter minute afterward . The job : Wet blackguard food that ’s been left out could become a nurture ground for harmful bacterium and flies could also touch down and lay eggs , says Woodnutt . Ugh .
What to do or else : If it ’s been a few hours or longer , do n’t risk it . Toss out the canned nutrient in a securely - tied plastic bag in a covered folderol can so your pup wo n’t be tempted to go digging for it . In the time to come , after you open canned dog food , tightly cover it with a reusable palpebra or charge plate wrapping , refrigerate it , and make indisputable to use it within three days , order Domaracki .
Mistake #6: Not Taking The Expiration Date Seriously
Like our own solid food products at the food market store , it is hard to nail when any favourite food will truly “ expire , ” says Dr. Domaracki . That say , since the nutritional economic value of food for thought ca n’t be guarantee after that print exit engagement , it ’s best not to fee your andiron expired food , he enjoin — even if it pass the snuff trial .
What to do rather : bribe a old bag of dog food that your pup can eat within a few months of opening , enunciate Dr. Flynn . If the termination particular date is looming , consider mark it on your calendar or setting a reminder on your earpiece .
Mistake #7: Only Washing Your Dog’s Bowls Once in a While
Yes , life issobusy . But vulgar dog intellectual nourishment pipe bowl can break bacteria , mold , mildew , and other contaminants , says Domaracki . Naturally , you do n’t want any of that anywhere near your pup .
What to do instead : While it may seem like an excess job at first , get used to washing your dog ’s food and water stadium and measuring scoops with goop and red-hot urine after every single repast , per theFDA .
Best Dog Food Storage Containers and Tools
scavenge up your wienerwurst food warehousing routine only drive a few simple pinch . For right dog intellectual nourishment computer memory , start with the right storage container and tools .
Here are all of the must - wealthy person to include on your next shopping list :
air-tight dog food containers . For dry dog nutrient storage , opt for airtight containers that are large enough to fit a whole udder of nutrient inside , says Woodnutt . Remember to strip them with soap and warm water after each batch of nutrient .
Dog food scoops . Measuring scoops are a great style to ensure your detent is bolt up the appropriate amount of food at each meal . Since recommended amounts on the bag are often too big or do n’t take into story your dog ’s breed , life style , or body case , check into in with your veterinarian for a suggested dish up size of it , says Domaracki . Like frankfurter food bowls , measuring scoop should be cleaned after every use .
Can lid for wet dog-iron solid food . Silicone or plastic can lids can help keep a can of wet dog food reinvigorated inside your electric refrigerator , says Woodnutt . However , anything you expend to cross up your own food — like plastic wrap or food storage container — should do the conjuration too , adds Dr. Domaracki .
