There are times when you want to just rest and not work. enjoy the moments being with your dog by playing and rubbing your hand over the coat gently which is soft and velvety. Very soothing, right?
Did you know the food you give to your dog is one of the main reasons behind that high-quality coat? You spend a lot of time researching what your dogs can or cannot eat and how often to feed a puppy. You exhaust yourself to be the best dog parent ever. But to become one you must know being a dog parent is not without its challenges. Especially when it comes to feeding your dog you need to ask the right questions too;
- What can my dog eat?
- How many calories do I need to give my dog?
- How often to feed a puppy at an early age?
- How to keep the dog food safe for a long time? And so on.
The last question can be a little tricky. Dog food is an essential item to keep a dog healthy and happy.
This article will guide you with useful tips to keep dog food safe at home.
Avoid transferring kibbles
Kibbles or dry food contains almost all the nutrition your dog will ever need. This means that you’re choosing the nutrition of your dog based on the choice of brand. Since kibble comes in specific packaging you need to keep it that way.
If you want to retain the freshness of the food then get hold of plastic or any metal storage with a tight lid.
But how often to feed a puppy with dry food? Once the dog starts to wean off you can add small portions of kibble to their diet plan. One thing you need to remember is that you do not need to transfer the kibbles directly. The packaging is designed specifically to keep the dog’s food fresh and flavor for as long as possible.
Even if you have shifted kibbles into a safe container, do not throw the packaging away. It contains all the information you need like expiration date, manufacturing details, and so on.
Seal the food
If you buy store-market raw good food or even the kibbles and have it transferred to the container, make sure to seal the container’s lid tightly. The less air and humidity it comes in contact with food the better it will be.
Harmful bacteria can take hold inside the food container too like salmonella. Chances of contamination by mold can also increase if the lid is not air-tight or sealed properly. If your dog eats the contaminated food then liver problems in dogs can be seen among other disorders.
A spot to store the food
One of the most common and basic instructions written on store-bought food says to store the food in a dry and cool place. A specific number of room degrees is also mentioned to avoid the food from being spoiled.
This goes with the homemade dog treats as well. If you are giving fruits and vegetables to dogs or making a treat out of them then you need to store them in a cool and dry place too. Avoiding direct sunlight and high temperature is vital to keeping the food stored away safely.
If you put the food in a hot and humid pantry, even then it will be contaminated despite being unopened.
Storing the canned food
So maybe you are one of the dog parents who are not afraid of buying canned food and want a mixture of both, homemade and premade food items.
So, if you do buy canned food you need to refrigerate them within 2 hours of unfastening them. If you have opened a tin, you do not need to use it for more than 5 days. Even if it’s half-used, throw it away. You need to discard any of the opened cans within a week’s time.
Freezing the food
You might be an enthusiastic pet owner who does not want to take any chances to waste dog food.
So, if you went a little overboard in your cooking you can always freeze the dog food. Storing the excess pet food in the chest freezer is a good option. It works for up to 6 months. All you need to make sure of is to double wrap the food to contain the essence of food in the packaging. Your freezer will not smell like dog food either this way.
Conclusion
These tips are simple and basic ones but you need to remember these to keep the dog food safe and eatable as long as possible without contaminating it. Follow the basic guidelines and you can give your dog a healthy meal every day.
