For dog owners, eating well comes first. It is best to freeze any extra food when you make too much of it. You should think about how to store your dog’s food properly so that it stays fresh and doesn’t go bad, making your pet ill. It’s important to research and buy the best dog food for your canine companion so that you can be sure they’re eating healthy, balanced meals.
A food preservation technique that is rapidly expanding is freeze drying. Can you freeze dry dog food? Dry dog food can be frozen, and doing so is a great way to keep it fresher longer. For six to nine months in the freezer, it can be stored in an airtight container. Take a small amount out and let it defrost. The freshness and longevity of dry dog food can be ensured by following a number of excellent tips and tricks.
What you need to know about preserving the freshness of your dog’s food is provided below.
Table of Contents
How To Store Wet Dog Food?
A can of closed-wet dog food can last anywhere from a few months to a few years, depending on the brand. Even then, it will only be useful for three to five days after being opened and needs to be stored properly.
Before opening a can, double-check the expiration date to make sure it is still valid. Once opened, place it immediately in the refrigerator and make sure it’s sealed up tight.
How To Store Dry Dog Food After Opened？
Although dry dog food lasts longer than wet dog food, it still needs to be properly stored because it is perishable. To keep it as fresh as possible, follow these instructions:
Seal The Bag
When you open the dog food bag, make sure the seal is intact to keep out any air or moisture because this is how bacteria enter food. Use a bag clip to firmly close the bag after rolling down the sides.
Keep It In An Airtight Container
Kibble quickly goes bad if it is exposed to air because oxygen breaks down the food’s oils. Keep the bag of dog food in an airtight container to avoid this from happening.
Stainless steel or glass are the best materials for these because they have better seals, are simpler to clean, and last longer. If you do decide to use a plastic container, you will need to keep it dry and clean and replace it frequently because the chemicals in the plastic can seep into the food.
Leave It In The Original Packaging
Placing the entire bag of dog food into the container is preferable to empty the contents of the bag into the container. This will create an additional barrier to keep out air and moisture. Additionally, keeping the original packaging ensures you have the expiration date and manufacturer information in case there is a problem with the food.
Clean The Container Regularly
Make sure the dog food container is thoroughly cleaned by washing it in hot, soapy water or with white wine vinegar, then rinsing and drying it. Don’t combine new dog food with old when you buy it. To avoid oils accumulating and turning the food rancid, wash the container again and dry it completely to avoid mold growth brought on by too much moisture.
Store It Somewhere Dry
Store the dog food in a pantry or another dry, cool location where it won’t get too hot—you may want to stay away from garages and sheds—and where the temperature won’t rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This will stop moisture from growing mold and heat from destroying the food’s nutritional value.
Can You Freeze Dry Dog Food?
It’s a good idea to freeze-dry raw and non-kibble dog food because it ensures the dog will always have a supply of food available, which can be prepared at home more effectively and at significant cost savings.
However, you’ll discover that there are a lot more advantages to other kinds of dog food. If you’re anything like me, you’ve felt the agony of keeping a whole fridge full of dog food only to discover that it needs to be thrown out because it has been there for too long.
Both of these issues are solved by freeze-drying, which also leaves other issues behind by preserving the food in packaging that takes up less room, doesn’t smell, and can be stored safely without refrigeration for a very long time.
Instead of sticking with prepackaged options, freeze-drying dog food can give you more flexibility in terms of feeding your pet a nutritious natural diet. Prior to changing your dog’s diet, you should speak with a veterinarian or canine nutritionist. If you’re willing to do that, freeze-drying could be a useful tool for you.
Related Reading: Can You Freeze Fresh Pet Dog Food?
Pros And Cons Of Freezing Dry Dog Food
Let’s review what we’ve discovered. Feeding your dog freeze-dried food has both benefits and drawbacks. These can also differ depending on whether you’re using a commercial product, what the food is, and even just your dog.
Pros
Storage Length
Food that has been freeze-dried lasts incredibly long. In fact, there’s a good chance that food will continue to be safe for your dog’s lifetime consumption. This means that worrying about expiration dates is extremely unlikely.
Size/Weight Of The Food
Food that has been freeze-dried can be up to 98% lighter and considerably smaller than fresh food due to the low water content. It can also withstand a variety of storage conditions.
This smaller and lighter package is especially advantageous if you frequently travel with your dog. In fact, this is a major factor in why freeze-dried food is the mainstay of the astronaut diet—you can carry the same nutrition while requiring much less weight and space.
Storage Conditions
As long as it is in a vacuum-sealed container, freeze-dried food can be stored almost anywhere. Because of this, you won’t eat up the valuable fridge and freezer space.
Cons
Cost
When compared to conventional foods, which cost just $10 per pound, commercial freeze-dried dog food is significantly more expensive, costing an average of $33 per pound.
Even if you freeze-dry the food yourself, you’ll discover that the cost of the base food plus the freeze dryer’s operating expenses (primarily electricity) add up over time. It’s challenging to freeze-dry large amounts of dog food because the majority of home freeze-dryers are small and labor-intensive.
Potential Health Problems
As was already mentioned, freeze-dried dog food hasn’t been heated. It should therefore be treated as unsafe for bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, just like any other raw food. This could lead to food poisoning for both you and your dog, among other issues.
This doesn’t necessarily have to be a problem if you handle the freeze-dried food with the same care and preparation as you would any raw food. However, treat it with the same caution you would raw meat in general.
When feeding your dog freeze-dried food, it’s best to seek advice from a veterinarian or canine nutritionist if you have any concerns about your dog’s health (if they change their eating habits, seem uncomfortable, or have bowel issues, for example).
Also Read: Is Freeze-Dried Food Good for Dogs?
How To Freeze Dry Dog Food At Home?
Dry dog food can be frozen quite easily and simply. Making sure you have enough freezer space is one of the biggest challenges!
To keep the dry dog food as fresh as possible and to preserve as much nutrition as possible, it is advised that you heed the following advice.
Use Air Tight Containers
It is strongly advised to store it in an airtight container before freezing, just as you should do with any type of food.
Ziploc bags, which you can get for a great price on Amazon, are an excellent choice, as are If you’re trying to avoid using plastic and need a long-term solution, use glass food storage containers.
For glass containers, these are the ones to get from Amazon.
In either case, the food will stay fresh if it is kept in one of these airtight containers for dry dog food.
One advantage of using smaller, distinct containers is that you can portion out your dog’s food ahead of time.
Label Your Containers
Before putting your containers in the freezer, it is also strongly advised that you label them.
Ensure that your dog is not eating something else besides dry food!
Additionally, if you want to freeze a lot of food, you probably have a variety of containers. When they are put in the freezer, they become equally difficult to distinguish because they start to fog up, making it easy to lose track of which is in which.
For Ziploc bags, all you need is a permanent marker, but label stickers work much better for reusable containers.
However, you must clearly indicate the contents, quantity, and date of freezing on each food container.
When the time comes to use it, you can quickly identify and take the oldest dog food from there.
Just keep in mind that dry dog food that has been frozen can last for up to 8 months.
Defrost And Thaw
You will need to allow extra time for defrosting/thawing the frozen dry dog food before giving it to your dog.
The time required for this can range from six to twelve hours. Therefore, it is a good idea to serve the night before.
Offer your dog once it has defrosted. Easy as that.
How Long Does Dry Dog Food Last?
Whether or not the bag has been opened determines how long dry dog food remains fresh.
Dry dog food can last from a few weeks to a few days once it is opened, but it typically lasts up to 12–18 months in unopened packaging.
The brand and the ingredients in the dry dog food do have some bearing.
This is so because most dry dog food contains a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
In actuality, when food is exposed to air and a certain temperature, the fat is what makes it turn rancid.
Mold can start to grow once fats start to interact with moisture and heat. Food spoilage is brought on by this mold.
Because of this, it is typically advised to store opened dry dog food in an airtight container.
Depending on how long you want to keep it, either a dry cabinet or a freezer should be used.
In general, keeping it in the freezer will keep it fresher for longer.
Read More: How Long Does Freeze-Dried Food Last?
What Signs Show Dry Dog Food Is Bad?
Dry dog food has a tendency to last longer than canned or wet food, but it still has the potential to spoil.
Sadly, it won’t remain fresh indefinitely. even if you make every effort to protect it.
Determining the symptoms of spoilage is crucial. This way, you’ll be able to determine with certainty whether it is still safe to feed or whether you should think about buying more.
Here are some of the most typical indications that dry dog food has spoiled:
- There is a foul or rancid smell/odor coming from the food,
- You notice specs of moisture or mold,
- The food is somewhat warm,
- Your dog refuses to eat it,
- Your dog experiences signs of illness, discomfort, or unease after consuming it
In the end, it ought to be fairly obvious that food is no longer fit for consumption.
Never offer or serve something if you are unsure.
It’s not worth the risk and could seriously injure your dog.
How Much Freeze-dried Dog Food Should You Give Your Dog?
Because freeze-dried dog food is made from raw, natural ingredients, it has many health advantages for your pet but also means that it is more difficult for them to digest. Make sure to do your research before feeding your dog. Your pet’s weight and typical activity level will determine this.
Make sure to introduce freeze-dried food gradually, such as one meal per day over a 10-day period, if you’re switching your dog’s diet to it. Also, make sure to give your dog plenty of water.
Final Thoughts
The ability to freeze-dry pet food is a fantastic side benefit of owning a freeze-dryer. Not to mention that it can greatly reduce the cost of feeding your dog!
Be sure to spend money on high-quality airtight containers and/or Ziploc bags if you want to freeze your dog food.
You can therefore keep an eye out for those enormous discounted bags of dog food and never have to worry if you will finish it all before the expiration date on the packaging!
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