Dog Food Expirations: Identity, Health Problems and Store Safety

If you raise a pet responsibly, keeping a constant eye on his health is essential. You should pay special attention to the food given to dogs and cats.  Feeding expired dog food can lead to minor or severe illness.  This article will discuss things you may not know about identifying dog food expirations before giving it to your dog, how it affects your dog, and how to store food properly.

How to identify dog food expirations

When caring for pets, you may not know how long the quality of their food will last. The ingredients used to prevent dog food expirations become less effective over time. After that, bacteria, mold, and insects grow, especially on dog food exposed to air. These harmful organisms are attracted.  For this reason, you should check carefully before giving open food to dogs. By paying attention to the following signs, you can check if dog food has expirations.

1. If there is moisture, mold, or bugs on the food, it is not suitable to give it. Mold is easily detected as they grow on the top layer of dry or wet food.

2. Various physical conditions, such as high temperature, humidity, and exposure to air, accelerate food spoilage.  If you feel such a change has occurred, pay attention to it.

3. The smell that should be present in the food is different and smells of oil.

4. If the dog shows any discomfort or sickness after eating, we can suspect that your pet has eaten expired food, so check immediately.

Feeding expired dog food deprives him of crucial vitamins and minerals for his health.  It is important to check expiration dates before purchasing food.

Health problems in dogs caused by eating expired food

You are responsible for meeting the nutritional needs of the dogs by feeding them a balanced diet daily.  You can use dry or wet food for that.  You often give biscuits and kibble as dry food and meat products, protein, grains, minerals, and vitamins as wet food. Pests can lay eggs on dog food expirations, which can cause serious internal problems for dogs if eaten. Dog food expiration can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, and spoiled food contains bacteria such as Salmonella, E.coli, and Botulism which harm the intestinal balance.  In an attempt to eliminate them, the body excretes more fluid.  Food with mold, in particular, contains vomitoxin, which can cause severe gastrointestinal upset.  In addition, some dogs can become paralyzed due to eating dog food expirations, which occur after the toxins are absorbed into the stomach and then enter the bloodstream.

Health problems may also include lethargy, weight loss, and malnutrition.  As these problems occur as the nutrients in dog food expirations lose their value, bone problems and organ failure can eventually happen if left untreated.

However,  Dog food expirations display the above symptoms, and you should consult a vet immediately.  Your pet has a better chance of recovery if you provide timely medical care through a veterinarian.

How to store dog food properly

Foods in good condition can expire quickly if not stored correctly, so follow the steps below to maintain the quality of the dog food.

• Wet dog food and unopened canned food can be sealed in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life.

• It is best to store dog kibble in a place below 38°C that is not subject to frequent temperature fluctuations.

• It is best to keep dry foods in their original packaging and reseal them after opening.  Packing in plastic, glass, or metal containers helps protect food from insects, rodents, and vermin.

• Wash containers used for storing dry food in hot, soapy water at least one time per week. 

• Make sure to clean the dog’s bowl regularly.  After washing the bowl, let it dry thoroughly before returning the food.

Whenever possible, buy fresh food, which means buying food with dates as far in the future as possible.  Also, avoid buying food with damaged packaging, bulging cans, or leaks.
Unopened foods have a shelf life of two years, while unopened dry foods can last 12-18 months.

Conclusion

Keeping your dog healthy should be your first concern.  For that, You should give food to your pet with the required nutrients, aroma, taste, and texture with confidence.  For reasons like these, be sure to consider the strength and consistency of the dog food packaging when you buy it.  Also, if dog food expirations exist, they should be thrown away immediately, and other beneficial alternatives should be used, such as composting expired dog food.