How long does dry dog food keep? A Complete Guide

As the Dog People by Rover explained, it is possible for dog food to go rancid or spoil, even if there are some things we can do to keep our pet’s food fresher for longer. Depending on the type of food you feed your dog, you may have a longer shelf life on a product than you thought. It is all about paying attention to everything from the expiration dates to the proper storage techniques.

When we unseal the dog food for the first time, we are exposing it to the elements, from moisture in the air to heat or cold, and that can degrade the integrity of the food. This means that in the case of dry food, you will want to use the opened bag within a few weeks. And although using a plastic storage container can help with shelf life, it is not going to give you back all the time you had before you opened the bag, because the food has already been exposed to the air and moisture.

And what about canned dog food? Well much like many of our own groceries, you will want to store unopened cans in a place that is cool and dry. If you open a can and don’t use all of it, you can then refrigerate what is unused for a few days, just like with our own foods, but of course make sure it is sealed tightly with either a reusable lid or cling wrap.

Whether you choose dry dog food, wet food, or a combination of both, it is important to know just how fresh the food is that you are feeding your pet. And while we sometimes forget that even dog food can have a best by date, it can be important for the health of our dogs.

Just like with our own food, we never want to risk our dog’s health if we don’t think the food is any good. We are better off throwing the food away and getting something fresh, than worrying about getting our pup sick. And honestly, your pup will thank you for being so attentive.

Why Fats In Kibble Go Rancid Fast

The minute you open your dog’s bag of kibble, air gets in and the oxidation process begins. And every time you open the bag, the amount of oxidation increases, along with the health risks. The fats and oils in the food are very susceptible to oxidation … so every time you open the bag, the fat particles break down into smaller compounds such as malondialdehyde, (a marker of cancer risk), and the fat becomes rancid.

Here’s why you don’t want your dog to eat rancid fats.

Rancid fats can destroy vitamins, which can lead to vitamin deficiency. Most dogs today are vitamin D deficient.

In lab studies, dogs and other mammals suffered vitamin, fat and protein deficiencies when they were fed diets with rancid fats.

Rancid fats have been linked to many other health issues … including malnutrition, hair loss, diarrhea, liver and kidney disease, reproductive problems and even cancer and death.

So it’s very important to prevent your dog’s food from oxidation.

There are many types of fats and they’re divided into the number of carbon bonds they contain. And the more carbon bonds the fat contains, the more quickly it will oxidize.

Saturated Fats, like those found in beef, contain no carbon bond. So they’re not as unstable as other fats.

Monounsaturated Fats contain one double bond, meaning they oxidize more easily. Olive oil is an example of a monounsaturated fat. But the amount of oxidation isn’t nearly as much as it is in PUFAs, or polyunsaturated fats.

PUFAs, as their name implies, contain several carbon bonds. Chicken fat contains PUFAs, so foods with chicken or poultry fat are much more likely to oxidize than those with beef.

The fats with the most bonds are DHA and EPA … the fats found in fish oils.

One of the most dangerous trends in the pet food industry today is adding fish oil to kibble. Fish oil is extremely unstable. So even if it’s not oxidized and rancid right after the kibble is made … it will become rancid extremely quickly once the bag is opened and your dog’s health will be at risk.

Never buy kibble with fish oil added. If you want to give your dog fish oil, buy it separately and add it to his diet. But never feed him a kibble with fish oil already in it. It’s highly likely to be rancid.

Pet food manufacturers know about the problems with oxidation. So they use antioxidants to slow down the rate of oxidation. They add antioxidants to your dog’s kibble in two forms:

Antioxidants that your dog’s cells can use to protect against the free radical damage from rancid fat.

Antioxidants your dog can’t use … but that help preserve the food. If an antioxidant is used, AAFCO requires the pet food company to use the common name of the antioxidant, along with the fact that it’s used as a preservative. This will show up on the ingredient list next to the preservative name … like “Sorbic Acid (used as a preservative).”

Antioxidants can be natural or synthetic. And the type of antioxidant in your dog’s food really matters.

Synthetic antioxidants are a controversial addition to pet foods. Some better brands have stopped using them because of their impact on health. There are four common synthetic antioxidants in kibble.

What to Do with Expired Dog Food

The best thing to do with expired food is toss it in the trash. Put it in a trash bag and and toss that bag in a covered trash can or receptacle to prevent wildlife or outdoor pets from accessing it, McCarthy advises.

“Some local waste disposal or recycle programs may also use compost programs for expired foods and pet foods, so you can also reach out to your local waste management program,” she adds.

How Long Does Dry Dog Food Last (5 Ways to Keep Dry Dog Food Fresh)

Just like humans, dogs too need to feed on fresh and nutritious food that meets all their nutritional needs and wellbeing. Feeding on fresh food helps to prevent health and poor growth issues. Dogs feed on both dry and wet food, which comes in many different recipes provided by various brands.

The feed also comes in different sizes. In this article, we focus on dry food. One of the questions people keeping pets for the first time asks is how long does dry food last. Dry foods come in many, and easily manageable types. The most popular dry food is the kibble, which contains 6 to 10 percent moisture.

Besides coming with easy storage abilities, kibble is also budget-friendly and does not require refrigeration like the wet and canned food recipes. With dry food, you do not have to worry about spillages or the food spoiling before the dog finishes the amount in the bag. Many of the dry food recipes come with easy to follow guidelines, which make it even easier to feed the dogs.