Why Does Animal Food Bags Have So Much Air?

Equally a pet parent, you care about the quality of your domestic dog's food, but proper storage is just every bit of import.

Chances are, you've put a lot of time and energy into making the best dog nutrient choices for your pup. Proper dog nutrient storage, on the other paw, is often an afterthought for even the nigh discerning pet parents.

In low-cal of recent canis familiaris food recalls due to common bacterial contaminants similar Salmonella and Listeria, you might be wondering: How tin I ensure my domestic dog nutrient is safe? For starters, you can cheque up on your ain dog food handling and storage habits.

Hither, you'll find everything you need to know nigh proper dog food storage, including common mistakes to avoid and dog food storage ideas, according to veterinarians.

Why Dog Food Storage Is Important

"Much similar storing our own food, properly storing pet food helps avoid spoilage," says Dr. Cullen A. Domaracki , a veterinarian and assistant professor of veterinary clinical sciences at the Louisiana State University Veterinary Educational activity Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The best domestic dog nutrient storage solutions not only keep your dog's food fresh and tasty, only they also protect your pup past keeping mold, bacteria, and household pests like insects and rodents out of his dinner.

Then, is your pup's food safe? Read on for the near common mistakes pet parents make when it comes to dog food storage.

Mistakes to Avoid When Storing Dog Food

Dog food storage seems simple enough, but there are a few mutual mistakes that even the most caring pet parents are susceptible to making.

Here are seven dog food storage mistakes to cross off your listing for a happy and salubrious pup:

Mistake #1: Storing Food in the Garage

Information technology'south an easy fault to make, especially if your abode is short on storage space. However, excess estrus or wet—common problems in some garages during the summertime—tin can degrade essential oils and intermission down nutrients in domestic dog food, explains Dr. Julie A. Churchill, Ph.D. , a board-certified veterinarian nutritionist and professor of veterinary clinical sciences at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinarian Medicine in St. Paul, Minnesota. Your canis familiaris's food could as well be at greater risk of being exposed to pests like insects and rodents.

What to practice instead: Store your canis familiaris food where you'd want to store your own nutrient. Like other pantry items, dry and canned canis familiaris food should be stored in a cool, dry out place like a canis familiaris nutrient storage chiffonier. Ever keep it in a controlled environment under 80 degrees Fahrenheit, per the Nutrient and Drug Administration (FDA).

Mistake #2: Leaving Dry out Dog Nutrient Unsealed

Fold over or gyre up a big bag of dog nutrient, and it might seem like that's expert enough for your pup.

The trouble: Leaving nutrient unsealed is a large mistake, every bit oxygen causes the fat in the food to go rancid, which ruins the season and, in the worst-case scenario, could even make dogs ill , says Dr. Joanna Woodnutt , an experienced companion animal veterinarian based in Alderney, U.G.

What to exercise instead: To keep your canis familiaris'due south dry out food fresh, store it in an closed dog food container, says Woodnutt.

Mistake #3: Pouring Dry Dog Nutrient Out of Its Original Bag

"Many pet parents will tip dry out food into an closed pet food container, just this can cause the food to go off more than quickly, and scratches in the surface of the container can hold bacteria and allow the food to spoil," says Woodnutt.

What's more? The bag dog nutrient comes in frequently has an oil-resistant liner, which is designed to help retain flavor, adds Dr. Kristi Flynn , an banana professor in the section of veterinary clinical sciences at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota.

What to practise instead: Store your dog nutrient in the original purse within a sealed container. As this can make for clunky dog food storage, keep big bags of food in a storage bin and use smaller, more than convenient containers that hold virtually a week of food for feeding time, suggests Flynn.

If you practise determine to pour dog food out of the bag and into a container, at least snap a picture of the barcode and expiration appointment or cut out that portion of the label, says Churchill. This way, if your pup ever gets sick or you accept questions almost the quality or safe of the nutrient, you can share this information with the company and the FDA in example there's a product defect or canis familiaris nutrient recall.

Mistake #iv: Regularly "Topping Off" Dry out Dog Food

If y'all already shop your dog food in an airtight container, a common mistake is to fill it back upwardly before information technology's totally emptied out. The problem with this is that leftover fat and crumbs from canis familiaris food can build up inside the container over time and, again, start to go bad.

What to do instead: Use upwardly all of the food in an airtight container before you refill it. "When the bin is empty, that'south a good reminder that it's time to wash it out and then add fresh food," says Churchill.

Mistake #v: Leaving Canned Nutrient Out Too Long

Nosotros've all been at that place—you feed your dogs, get distracted with other to-do'southward effectually the house, and and then detect the can of dog food sitting on the kitchen counter hours later. The problem: Wet dog nutrient that's been left out could become a breeding basis for harmful leaner and flies could too touch downward and lay eggs, says Woodnutt. Ugh.

What to do instead: If it's been a few hours or longer, don't adventure it. Toss out the canned nutrient in a securely-tied plastic bag in a covered trash tin can so your pup won't exist tempted to get digging for it. In the time to come, afterwards you open canned domestic dog food, tightly cover it with a reusable lid or plastic wrap, refrigerate it, and make sure to apply it within iii days, says Domaracki.

Mistake #vi: Not Taking The Expiration Date Seriously

Similar our ain food products at the grocery shop, it is difficult to pinpoint when any pet nutrient volition truly "elapse," says Dr. Domaracki. That said, since the nutritional value of nutrient can't be guaranteed after that printed expiration date, information technology'southward best not to feed your canis familiaris expired food, he says—even if it passes the sniff test.

What to do instead: Buy a purse of canis familiaris nutrient that your pup tin eat within a few months of opening, says Dr. Flynn. If the expiration date is looming, consider marking it on your calendar or setting a reminder on your phone.

Error #seven: Only Washing Your Dog's Bowls Once in a While

Yes, life is and then decorated. But unwashed dog nutrient bowls can develop bacteria, mold, mildew, and other contaminants, says Domaracki. Naturally, you lot don't desire any of that anywhere about your pup.

What to do instead: While it may seem like an extra task at starting time, get used to washing your dog'south nutrient and h2o bowls and measuring scoops with soap and hot water subsequently every unmarried repast, per the FDA .

Best Dog Food Storage Containers and Tools

Cleaning up your dog food storage routine only takes a few simple tweaks. For proper domestic dog food storage, offset with the right storage containers and tools.

Here are all of the must-haves to include on your adjacent shopping listing:

Closed canis familiaris nutrient containers. For dry canis familiaris nutrient storage, opt for airtight containers that are large enough to fit a whole purse of food inside, says Woodnutt. Retrieve to clean them with lather and warm water after each batch of food.

Domestic dog food scoops. Measuring scoops are a peachy manner to ensure your dog is gobbling upwards the appropriate amount of food at each meal. Since recommended amounts on the bag are oftentimes too large or don't take into business relationship your dog'due south breed, lifestyle, or torso type, check in with your veterinarian for a suggested serving size, says Domaracki. Like dog food bowls, measuring scoops should exist cleaned after every apply.

Tin can lids for wet canis familiaris food. Silicone or plastic tin lids tin help continue a tin can of wet dog food fresh inside your fridge, says Woodnutt. However, anything yous use to encompass up your own food—similar plastic wrap or food storage containers—should exercise the trick too, adds Dr. Domaracki.

Source: https://www.greatpetcare.com/dog-nutrition/7-mistakes-to-avoid-when-storing-dog-food/

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