What does bad dry dog food look like? The Ultimate Guide

Always Store Food In Dry Cool Places

You should have a set location for storing your dog food. If you store your food outdoors because there’s no room indoors, be sure to bring it in when temperatures rise over 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot temperature storage can cause your food to become rancid sooner than it normally would.

Also, make sure that the area isn’t prone to high levels of humidity. Consistently high levels of humidity can easily cause the dog food to develop moisture and mold issues come up which will lead to food degradation.

So, if you plan to store your food in the basement, and there is more, be sure to install a good dehumidifier or take other steps to ensure that it stays dry.

Always Inspect Dry Food Before Buying

It’s important to always do a once-over of the dog food before actually purchasing it. Most dog food bags are shipped in large boxes and then removed once they reach their final destination.

During this process, they can be moved around stores several times and may obtain puncture wounds and dents from handling. There may also be cases where the bags have been opened by curious pet owners who want to actually see the product beforehand.

Worst Wet Food: Cesar Filets Delight Porterhouse Steak Flavor with Peas and Carrots Dog Food Tray

This is canned dog food whose first ingredient is water, which is fine. The fifth ingredient is the most controversial one. Meat by-products contain all leftovers of slaughtered animals that people don’t use in their nutrition. The problematic part here is that it doesn’t state which meat is included in the ingredients. In case your little friend suffers from allergies or skin problems, don’t consider buying this product.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 8.0% min
Crude Fat 3.5 % min
Crude Fiber 1.0 % max
Moisture 83.0% max

Ingredients: Sufficient Water For Processing, Beef By-Products, Animal Liver, Meat By-Products, Beef, Peas, Carrots, Chicken, Chicken By-Products, Calcium Carbonate, Added Color, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Carrageenan, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Proteinate, Natural Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Dried Yam, Salt, Guar Gum, Erythorbic Acid, Cassia Gum, Porterhouse Steak Flavor, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Nitrite (For Color Retention), Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement.

Is Dry Dog Food Bad For Dogs (7 Ways Kibble Creates Malnutrition & What To Do ASAP)

Dogs dont like rancid food — it smells bad and tastes even worse. It can cause dangerous health problems, including diarrhea, cancer, liver and heart ailments; it can even cause death. Proper selection, care and storage of your dog food are the best ways to prevent it from becoming rancid. To make sure you dont accidentally give it to your dog, you should be aware of the characteristics of dog food thats gone bad. Detecting rancid dog food is relatively simple if you know what youre looking for.

Check the processing or manufacturing dates on the label of your dogs food. If the food has expired, it may be rancid. Most dog foods will have an expiration date; use it as a guide to initially determine if the dog food has spoiled.

Look for changes in color. Most dog food, dry and wet, is a deep brown color. If the dog food is green, black or even a deep blue, you shouldnt feed it to your dog.

Smell the dog food. If the dog food smells different from what it did when you first opened it, theres a good chance the food has spoiled. Rancid dog food will usually have a foul smell thats easily detectable.

Evaluate the way the dog food is stored. If you keep the dry food in the package it came in, it may become rancid. Dog food left in an open bag for more than 24 hours is vulnerable to going bad. If you must leave it in its original packaging, seal it as tightly as possible. An opened can of wet dog food should immediately be covered with foil and stored in the refrigerator. It can go rancid within hours if you dont refrigerate it.

Look for signs of mold on the dog food. Throw away the whole bag or can even if only a small portion is moldy.