One of the most important and often overlooked aspects of pet care is providing your pet with the right nutrition. Ensuring your pet has the right amount of essential vitamins and minerals not only helps with their overall health, but can also keep them from developing diseases. If you opt to feed your pet dry kibble, one of the most important considerations is how long the food will keep and still remain nutritious. The shelf life of dry dog food can vary greatly depending on the brand, and there are a few factors to consider when determining how long it will remain fresh and nutritious for your pup. In this post, we’ll explore how long you can expect dry dog food to last and how to store it properly.
The dog food can lose its integrity when we first open the seal and expose it to the elements, including heat and cold and airborne moisture. This means that if you open a bag of dry food, you should use it within a few weeks. The food has already been exposed to the air and moisture, so even though using a plastic storage container can extend shelf life, it won’t give you back all the time you had before you opened the bag.
Both wet and dry foods are designed to last for a while, but that does not guarantee that they will always remain fresh. And that is something we must always keep in mind because it is unjust to our puppies to feed them stale food, just as we do not want to feed them bad food.
We never want to put our dog’s health at risk if we don’t think the food is good, just like we never want to do that with our own food. Instead of worrying about making our dog ill, it would be better for us to throw away the food and buy something new. And in all honesty, your dog will appreciate your care.
The advice to avoid pouring food directly into the container is another tip for using plastic storage containers to keep food fresher for longer. Instead, keep it in the packaging it came in because if not, the food’s oils could seep into the plastic and create a residue that would contaminate any subsequent food that was stored in the container. The same thing happens with dog food, especially if you are simply pouring dry food on top of dry food. (We all have that one piece of plastic Tupperware that is stained from tomato sauce or something oily that we stored in it. ).
Examining the best by date printed on the packaging is one of the first steps you should take to determine how fresh the food is for your dog. Dry dog food typically has an expiration date of up to 18 months, while wet canned food has a two-year shelf life. Naturally, the shelf life of any food decreases once it has been consumed, going from months to weeks or even days (depending on whether it is wet or dry).
Know What Fat’s In The Kibble
Depending on where the fats come from, your pet food’s shelf life changes after it is opened. If your dog eats beef kibble, you must finish the bag within three weeks. However, the PUFAs will break down more quickly in chicken or other poultry, so you should use the food within two weeks of opening.
How to store dog food to keep it fresh?
Prior to considering how to keep your dog food fresh, consider the type of dog food you purchase and the method of purchase. When purchasing dog food from open bins, exercise extreme caution. g. at bulk stores or markets.
If you have a small dog and are purchasing dried dog food in bulk, you might want to consider purchasing several small bags. These might seem more expensive, but they’ll probably end up being more affordable. Considering that your dog is more likely to have time to eat them while the food is still fresh.
FAQ
Does dry dog food actually expire?
Dry dog food does expire. According to Chavez, a bag of dry dog food has a two-year shelf life when unopened. It only lasts a few weeks once the bag is opened. According to Chavez, “kibble is highly processed pet food and contains preservatives to extend its shelf life.”
How do you store dry dog food long term?
It is best to place dog food in an airtight container with oxygen absorbers for long-term (more than a year) storage. As a result, the environment becomes almost entirely oxygen-free. Microbes and insects can’t survive without oxygen. Without oxygen, nutrients won’t degrade as quickly and fats won’t go rancid.
Does dry dog food go stale in bowl?
While it is acceptable to leave our air dried food out for your pet to graze on during the day, keep in mind that the longer it is left out, the more likely it will spoil and become stale due to exposure to bacteria. Therefore, if your pet’s bowl has been out for longer than 8 hours, we advise that you remove any uneaten food from it.