Being a caring pet parent, you spend time and money to choose the best nutrition option for your dog and cat family members. Storing Your Dog Food and Cat Food the Right Way is essential for your dog’s and cat’s health.
This blog is for you if you want to know more about 7 Ways To Keep Your Pet’s Food Fresh and Safe. You are determined to ensure that you take excellent care of your pet, and you optimize your investment in pet food.
Also, you can find more professional recommendations on keeping your beloved pet healthy at Animals Pet Health.
What Does Storing Your Dog Food and Cat Food the Right Way Mean?
Storing Your Dog Food and Cat Food the Right Way is to ensure you store it away to avoid the three worst enemies, which are air, heat and moisture.
Basically, you are supposed to store the food in the original bag, in an airtight container, where it is stored where there is no humidity.
Moreover, this is an effective way to preserve food, avoid spoilage and eliminate disease causing bacteria and pests.
Consequently, your pet is served the complete nutritional value of each and every meal.
7 Ways To Keep Your Pet’s Food Fresh and Safe
These are the 7 Ways To Keep Your Pet’s Food Fresh and Safe that will help to prolong the life and safety of your dog and cat food.
1. Always Store in the Original Bag
This may be paradoxical, given that there are numerous beautiful-looking containers made of plastic or metals.
Nonetheless, the original food bag is explicitly accompanied by the grease-proof layer that keeps it fresh and does not allow the fat to leak through.
2. Store in Airtight Container (The Right Way)
Even though the food must be kept in the same bag it was packed in, one should store the bag in a clean and airtight container. Containers should therefore be food grade both in plastic and metal, and the lid should be tight fitting.
3. Select a Cool, Dry and Dark Place
The heat, humidity and light are the enemies of the pet food. In particular, they increase the rate of fat oxidation (to produce rancidity) and promote the growth of molds.
It must be kept at a lower temperature of less than 80degF (27degC). Also, store the foodstuff under no direct sunlight as this kills the vitamins that are sensitive to heat.
4. Practice First In, First Out (FIFO)
When you purchase a new bag place it behind the existing bag. Consequently, the oldest food is always consumed first. It is a mere company gimmick that would not have food sitting around and going to waste before it is eaten.
Moreover, you should always look to verify the date of best by on the bag prior to making a purchase and prior to opening.
5. Proper Storage for Canned/Wet Food
Canned food is yet another challenge after it is opened. It should be treated as fresh human food unlike dry kibble.
To begin with, wet food with an airtight, pet-food-safe lid or a container with a lid should be covered.
Thereafter, keep it in the fridge and dispose it after 3-5 days, despite its appearance and smell being good.
6. Between Refills Clean Containers
When you use a storage container directly, it is necessary to clean it with a lot of soap and water and completely dry it in between refills.
Otherwise, the old bag residue particularly fats may be a home to bacteria such as Salmonella which will infect the fresh food causing sickness.
7. Buy an Appropriate Size Bag
This is one of the major preventive measures. Particularly, do not purchase the large-sized bag of dog food that is economy size unless your dog is capable of eating it in 6 weeks after purchase. Even well stored kibble begins to rot, after approximately a month and a half.
Thus, smaller bag sizes are suitable when it comes to single pet owners or owners who provide special diets.
Why Storing Your Dog Food and Cat Food Properly Prevents Spoilage
It is better to know what you are fighting against to get to know how to store your dog food and cat food the proper way.
Manufacturers apply fats and oils to dry pet food that are needed in nutrition and palatability.
These fats undergo oxidation when oxygen and heat come in contact with them.
Stale food is dangerous to health. Here are some reasons.
To start with, it destroys some of the body’s necessary fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin E and Vitamin A.
Second, it may lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and anorexia.
Finally, in severe circumstances, oxidation causes toxic peroxides and aldehydes and causes liver damage and other health complications.
This is what makes it significant to minimize the exposure of air and make the temperature low.
Conclusion
To sum up , Storing Your Dog Food and Cat Food the Right Way is connected to the fact that to have a healthy pet.
Remember that keep it in original bag, in an airtight container, in some cool, dry place, and eat it within six weeks.
Lastly, following these 7 Ways To Keep Your Pet’s Food Fresh and Safe , you can rest assured that the quality, nutrients and great flavor that you spent so much money to acquire will remain intact to the final bite.
Get more details on all the specifics of dog and cat health at Animals Pet Health.
FAQS
Are plastic or metal containers better to keep my pet food?
They both do well provided they are airtight. Nonetheless, metal containers are more effective since they do not retain odors and fats as plastic.
Should I wash my pet food container after each bag?
Yes. It is necessary to wash and dry it completely to avoid germs such as Salmonella contamination of fresh food.
Does freezing of pet food increase its shelf life?
No. The reason why we do not suggest freezing dry kibble is that thawing adds moisture and exposed moisture promotes mold growth. Instead, buy smaller bags.
Why not leave dog food in the garage?
Garages experience significant changes in temperature making them disposed to rancidity and mold hence not suitable to keep pet food.
What is a lot code and why should a lot code be important?
The lot code is used to determine the batch of your food. Therefore, it is crucial when it comes to the determination of the recall of your food.
