Fresh dog food is a fascinating subject that demands your attention. Whether it’s choosing the right type of dog food, storing it correctly, or giving out appropriate portions, everything comes down to doing your homework.
If you are unprepared, it’s challenging to keep your pet healthy year-round.
With all of this in mind, it’s essential to understand the importance of keeping pet food fresh and healthy.
Here’s a detailed look at what to consider when storing and/or using your pet food.
1. Use Airtight Containers
When storing any pet food, it’s recommended to use an airtight container. The moment the pet food interacts with particles in the air, it will become contaminated, especially for longer durations (i.e., weeks, months).
Finding a sealed container to store pet food makes it easier to maintain its integrity and taste.
This not only plays a role in the pet’s health but also how the food tastes. In some cases, spoiled food will get ignored by your pet, and that’s the last thing anyone wants to see happen!
Along with airtight containers, it’s also a smart idea to avoid plastic-based containers. Instead, use metal/glass containers, as they won’t spoil the food when the temperature is warm outside.
Remember, plastic can start to melt at certain temperatures, which isn’t safe for the food or your dog.
2. Freeze Excess Pet Food
What are you going to do with the excess dog food in your house?
Leaving pet food sprawled out in the open isn’t an option. This is dangerous and can expose the food to bacteria, which are damaging to the point you’ll have to throw everything out!
So, what do you do then?
You have to freeze excess pet food and store it in the fridge. This is highly recommended for food that’s going to be taken out of a bag for the week. You can take out small-sized portions and store them in the fridge for up to 7 days.
This is more than enough to meal prep when it comes to your pet’s needs.
3. Only Take Out Small Portions
It’s easy to get overexcited when it comes to giving food to your pet.
Yes, you want to give as much as possible, but that’s not only unhealthy but will also expose the leftover food to dirt and grime. This is what makes it dangerous and causes the food to become a health hazard if fed to the dog again!
As a result, you should look to take out small-sized portions.
Only take out as much as the dog is going to eat per day. Don’t try to fill the bowl and assume your pet will take as much as it needs. When this happens, pets will often leave a bit of the food behind and come back for a snack later on.
Why does this not work?
Well, leftover food that is exposed to particles in the air for hours at a time can become increasingly hazardous. It’s essential to only put out enough food for the pet to munch on in one go. If they have to be fed again, you are welcome to clean the food bowl and take out another small-sized portion.
4. Don’t Leave Canned Food Open
Leaving canned food out in the open is a disaster waiting to happen.
The moment you open a can, it is going to start interacting with particles in the room. This also includes the room’s temperature, which will have a prominent effect on canned pet food.
Due to this, you only want to open a can of pet food when it’s time to feed your pet. Any other time is unsafe, especially if you are going to leave the food for another day.
5. Don’t Leave Food Out in a Bowl All Day
This is especially harmful when you don’t wash the bowl again!
Always make sure to wash the bowl after every meal. This will ensure the dog bowl is clean and doesn’t spoil the pet food being poured in.
Even a good dog bowl can’t help if it’s unclean. You also could teach your puppy or dog to eat from dog bowl, read some tips from cleverpuppytraining.com for how teach your dog to eat from the bowl.
6. Stop Mixing Water with Dry Food
It’s often assumed mixing a bit of water with dry food makes it softer and more comfortable to chew for pets.
While this is true, it is also not safe.
Pets are more than capable of eating dry food, but water exposes the food to bacteria. This makes pet food unhealthy and potentially dangerous, depending on how much exposure there is to contaminants.
It would be best if you always looked to keep the dry food in its current state.
If you do want to make it moist, do so right before the meal. This ensures the food is not allowed to sit out in the open while wet.
7. Read the Label
Have you taken the time to read the label that comes with the pet food?
Food manufacturers will often take the time to list out storage instructions for their products. This includes how the food has to be stored when it expires, and all relevant details associated with freshness.
As a pet owner, it’s your responsibility to go through all of these details and pinpoint what’s required to keep your Dog food fresh.
Final Thoughts
This is how to keep dog food fresh and healthy.
Please note, it’s also your responsibility to focus on buying the right dog food. Building a strong diet plan for your dog is going to make all the difference in the world!
When combined with appropriate storage decisions, pet food will always taste great and remain fresh.
The moment you forget to do this, the food will become exposed to unwanted bacteria leading to numerous health issues in the dog.
Stay vigilant, do your homework, and make sure to have a set process in place for storing Dog food at home.
