I first want to explain why I have been absent from publishing posts for a few weeks. I was on vacation & found out that my vehicle has to be replaced soon. I have been spending most of my time when I’m not working my full-time job searching for a newer vehicle. I haven’t found one yet, but I needed a break from searching tonight. I’m also taking a break this weekend & going camping with my pups & a loved one.
Whether you have a dog, cat, birds, ferrets or any pet you have pet food for them. Well can you store that food to keep it safest? First let me say, if you are going to pour it into another container, keep the original package or at least cut out the name, lot #, QR code or any identifying part of the package. This is just in case there is a recall, you will know if the food you feed was part of the recall & you can take any necessary steps to help your pet.
Storing the food in an airtight container is important to keep it free of dust, dirt ect… It also keeps the food fresh & from going stale. Keep the lid on whenever you’re not feeding your pet. Keeping the lid on it also keeps the pets from helping themselves to the food. I also do this with their treats.
I have heard & seen people dump pet food in a large plastic containers & they don’t give it a second thought. I am guessing that they don’t know the potential dangers of storing food in plastic containers. Plastics can leach chemicals such as microplastics, PFA’s & BPA’s, these can leach into the food. If you want to store your pets food in a large plastic storage bin then keep it in its original bag.
Using glass, ceramic or metal containers to store pet foods are all far safer ways to store food. I personally keep my dogs food in its original bag in a large plastic tote once opened. I fill a metal tin with about a week’s worth of pet food & use it to feed them out for the week. I keep the bag for about a week after it is empty in case there is a recall for the pet food. Luckily this has never happened to me, but many different products have been recalled due to an unexpected contamination of the food product.
Whenever you start a new bag, don’t add it to the container with the other food. In between bags of food please thoroughly wash out the containers the food is stored in. I didn’t do this till one of my dogs had an issue & I had to take him to his Veterinarian. My Vet felt maybe something in the last bag of dog food might have been the issue. She told me to wash out the containers between bags of food just in case there was an issue with the last bag. I now do this between each bag of food now. I also clean the measuring cup I use to measure their food, all things that come in contact with the food. My dog hasn’t had the same issue again.
I make my birds seed mix myself & store it in large metal tins & smaller tins are kept by their cages.
I mentioned above the potential dangers of plastic containers leaching chemicals into pet food, this is why I don’t care for plastic dishes for my pets. It is not always an option for birds cages, but when possible I use dishes made of safer materials. There are many options for most other pets, so I recommend you use glass or ceramic for water dishes & stainless steel or ceramic for food. Many dogs & cats don’t care for the taste of water in stainless steel bowls.
Thank you, I hope this post helpful & informative, if so please share it on your social media, like it, comment & if you don’t already subscribe to my blog, please do. All these things help my blog to be seen by others. The goal of my website is to help educate people which will help them to better care for the pets in their lives. I have a table of content for my blog & you can find it under the 3 lines on my home page. Then you can scroll thru to find the page you want to read. If you have a question or a topic you would like to write about let me know. My email is echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com Thank you, Debbie
Echoing Great Pet Care 