How to Store Dog Food Properly

When owning a dog there are plenty of things that end up on the shopping list. Poo bags, treats, toys and, most importantly, food! We often spend a lot of time and money selecting our canine’s food, but are we storing it correctly?

It’s so important to make sure we keep our dog’s food fresh and edible so that our pets are safe and healthy. Thankfully, it isn’t difficult to store their food correctly, so let’s take a look at the dos and don’ts of food storage.

Dry food, air, moisture and temperature

The three things that most commonly lead to food spoilage are air, moisture and temperature. So, it’s important to make sure your dog’s food is kept as airtight as possible. Exposure to air, unfortunately, means exposure to bacteria so it’s important not to skip shutting the container.

Too much moisture will lead to mould. So, it’s important to store your dog’s food in a cool, dry place.

Last but not least, temperature can be a real game-changer for their food. You’ll want to find somewhere cool and dry, like a pantry or cupboard. Avoid storing the food in a shed or garage where temperatures can’t be controlled.

Dog food and bags

Not all dog food bags are nice to look at, so it’s quite tempting to empty the kibble into a storage bin. If you are using a storage container, then do keep the food in its original bag and simply place the bag into the container.

Why?

Well, dog food bags are designed to keep the food fresh as well as to retain important fat content and any yummy flavours.

Out of sight, out of mind

If you’re just going to use the original bag as storage, it’s a good idea to store it somewhere your dog won’t be able to break in and eat to its heart’s content. If you have no cupboard space don’t be tempted to leave it out on the worktops as your dog will find a way to get the food, one way or another, so you might want to consider investing in an airtight container.

You don’t always have to buy these at the shop, why not pop onto a social media site and check if someone is selling something suitable.

Storing tinned pet food

If your dog’s tinned food is unopened, then it will have quite a long shelf life but should still be stored properly. Once opened the can will need to be placed in the fridge with something over the top to keep it fresh and used within five to seven days. If possible, wrap it in cling film as this not only makes it airtight, but stops any odour affecting other foods in your fridge.

Be sure to keep on top of stock rotation when you buy more tinsand keep the ones with an earlier expiry date at the front to be used first.

Raw food

Just like our fresh food raw food is not intended to be stored for a long time. You should always use your dog’s raw food within one to two days of opening or thawing.

If you store your dog’s raw food in the freezer, they should be okay for about six months but make sure they’re sealed properly. When it comes to your dog’s raw food, you’ll want to treat it just like human food, hygiene and all. So, no skipping the hand washing.

You should be able to use this guide to store your dog’s kibble, cans or meat, but you should always check the storage guidelines that are usually listed on the food’s packaging.