Currently, many keepers choose to feed their dog dry food. It is not strange, since we can find a lot of varieties that adapt to all specimens, whether they are puppies, adults, elderly or have some peculiarity, such as being sterilized or with a few extra kilos. Just by taking a look online, for example through the Costco catalog, we can see the large number of options available for our dog. In addition, the feed bases its success on the fact that it is a relatively cheap and very easy to administer alternative. Of course, when choosing it, it is essential to opt for a quality one, whose composition is based on raw materials with a high nutritional value.
Regarding its storage and conservation, in this article we will focus on explaining how long a bag of dog food lasts and how to maintain its quality all this time.
How long does a bag of dog food last unopened?
Feed is a food that is manufactured by subjecting the ingredients to different processing techniques. There may be differences in the preparation depending on the brand, but they will all have in common that they offer a final product with low humidity, between approximately 8 and 10%. In this way the food is preserved free of pathogens. Higher humidity would also mean a rise in the rate of activity water, which favors the proliferation of germs that could spoil the food.
In its original container, hermetically sealed, it can be stored for months without losing its properties. Look at the expiration date indicated by each manufacturer on the bag before you buy it. Outside of that date, the brand can no longer guarantee that the product will remain unchanged.
How long does the dog food last once opened?
Even with the container open, the feed, due to its characteristics, can be kept in good condition for months, provided, of course, that we keep it closed and follow the instructions that we will give in the following section. Even so, a good measure is to calculate the quantities that our dog needs to buy, approximately, a bag per month or every month and a half, since it is better not to leave the container open much longer. In other words, if your dog is a mini breed, it makes no sense to buy him a 20 kg bag that he will have to spend months open until he finishes it.
The main problem with an open bag is that the feed ends up losing its freshness, which could cause some specimens, the more scrupulous with food, reject it. In addition, if the container is not well closed, it can become contaminated with microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi, capable of causing disorders, for example, at the digestive level. An opened feed can also become moist to the point of mold formation. In this case, it must be discarded, as the mold could cause poisoning to our dog.
For all these reasons, the recommendation is to finish an open bag of feed as soon as possible to prevent problems such as the ones mentioned and to buy the right amounts for our dog's intake so as not to have the bag open for as long as for it to go to waste. Finally, completely finish the feed from the open container before starting the new one. You can mix both in the feeder, but not in the sack so that no pellet of feed is left too long without consuming.
As a summary, although there are exceptions, in general, a bag of dog food lasts between one and two months when opened.
How to store dog food?
To guarantee the freshness and conservation of all the properties of the feed we buy, we must know how to store it properly. The first recommendation is leave it in its original container Many bags include a zip-type closure system, which allows you to open and close as many times as you want. On the other hand, it is best to store the bag inside a piece of furniture or cabinet, avoiding contact with the ground and direct sunlight, which can degrade the food, causing it to lose vitamins and modifying the flavor due to the deterioration of fats due to the lack of these vitamins that preserve them.
In addition, the feed must be in a dry place so as not to increase its humidity, but away from direct sources of heat and from Cleaning products. It is convenient that neither dogs nor children have access to it. The most gluttonous dogs could gobble up several kilos at once.
If the bag of feed purchased does not include a closure system, another option is to put the feed in a hermetically sealed container. For sale you will find different containers or cans of various sizes to adapt to the number of kilos of feed you have to store. It is important A good seal, both of the bag and of the place where we store it, not only to keep the food in perfect condition, but also to prevent it from accessing he insects or even rodents, especially if we are going to store it in garages or in country houses. Mice can be attracted to the feed, break the sac with their teeth and enter it, contaminating the food with their droppings. In this case, it will have to be thrown away, as rodents can transmit diseases to dogs, such as leptospirosis.
On the other hand, when it comes to serving the feed it is better to use a measuring cup or similar container exclusively for that use rather than putting your hand or the feeder directly into the bag. In this way we avoid, as far as possible, the introduction of microorganisms such as bacteria into the food. Withdraw the amount your dog is going to eat. If it is left over, we can give it that feed in the next feeding, but it is better that we do not put it back in the bag with the rest, since it will have been in contact with the dog's mouth and saliva, so it will also be a potential source of pathogens, in addition to being moist.
Now that you know how long a bag of dog food lasts and how to keep it in perfect condition during that time, we recommend you consult our guide on How to choose a good dog food.
