Avoiding Pet Food Storage Errors | Vet's Voice
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Help me reduce echo/noises - ko-fi.com/vetm...
Join Dr. Em to learn what you need to know about storing your pets' canned and kibble foods!
amp.hillspet.c...
Additional nutrition videos
1. Who pet nutrition experts are and what the WSAVA guidelines are: • Choosing the BEST Food...
2. Nutrition related heart issues: • Nutrition-Related Hear...
3. Home cooking: • Is Home Cooking Right ...
4. Research on raw: • The Truth About Raw Pe...
Like, subscribe, and share if you find this information helpful.
Follow VetMedCorner on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter! Ve...
Please comment suggesting any subject that you would like Dr. Em to cover next and like this video if you learned something today!
Thank you for this! Our kibble storage setup is good (original bags inside an airtight container, with cans on a shelf right next to it), but I didn't realize how quickly kibble could go bad once the bag is open. We've been lucky and I've never noticed anything going rancid or smelling off, but we do tend to go a bit past what you recommend. I will definitely be buying smaller bags in the future so we can go through them more quickly!
With that set up, after 4-6 weeks, the kibble will most likely have gone stale and the exposure to oxygen will be causing nutrient degradation as well. So smaller bags is a fantastic idea!
Your storage set up sounds awesome - keep up the excellent work 💪
This is definitely not common knowledge. I’m glad you shared this. I like that Royal Canin has a ziplock thing on their bag. If I had any feedback for that company, it is that sometimes it falls apart before the bag is used up and I find that very irritating, although it is so much better than not having a self adhesive
Maybe this is just me, but I often struggle to properly close them, no matter what the resealing 'tech' is. I've been debating buying some clips and seeing if that's easier for me to do
The only time I think about buying clips is when I’m fiddling with the bag and then I forget 😂
Same 😂 I never think of it when shopping somewhere that would have one
@@judithb4202 Use clothespins.
Great video!!
Im surprised that keeping the dry food in its original bag is not discussed more often by vets or the food manufacturers themselves, because a lot of people don’t know about this. I try not to come across like a know-it-all but I always mention it to friends if I see them storing pet food out of the bag. I think it just doesn’t occur to most that the dry food actually does go bad/stale. I used to not think about it as well, and I’m not sure why that disconnect is there, as I obviously knew that happens to human dry foods 😅 I guess it’s just because we aren’t the ones eating the food so we don’t notice if it goes “off”.
I wonder the exact same thing! Why isn't this already common knowledge?!?!
But once I was told by some friends that it's not at all common knowledge I added it to my list of topics to cover.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! That makes my day! 🥰
I keep mine in the original bag and in a secondary container, but I cut the top of the bag off so we can scoop it easier, especially in the early morning when I feed them breakfast because I try not to turn the lights on yet. We haven't had any issues but I really didn't think about it being exposed to the air, I knew about the fat issues and that the bags were designed to keep it fresh longer
You can cut the tops off, but then you will need to remove as much air as possible and use a bag clip to close it once you've folded the top over.
Keep up the good work! 💪
Great tips, thank you! I've read that storing opened cans in the fridge is not recommended because the iron and tin can seep into the food, affecting the taste and possibly having some negative health effects, so I'm transferring any unused content into a glass container with an air-tight cover. It's probably not a big deal though as the food is normally used within 24 hours.
Transferring into an air tight glass container is a great choice and definitely not wrong to do, so long as the glass container gets washed every time it's empty!
You're doing a great job!
I like glass best too, though there’s no iron or tin in pet food cans. They’re steel (more for dog food) and aluminum (more for cat food). But linings can have BPA and that concerns me. Less likely BPA in small cat food cans but what we don’t use we toss anyway.
Great video, I was buying a 10kg bag of kibble….ill be buying the smaller bags now 👍
I am so glad you found the video! Thank you for your comment ☺️
Bravo!!!
But, I had to actually earn my education on this topic many years ago as no one knew or cared to tell me how to do it. I practice storing my pets kibble exactly the way you deem appropriate... I use 50 lb. capacity Vittle Vaults which will accommodate a 35 or 40 lb bag of Purina Pro Plan or Purina One. I just insert the whole bag which takes a little coaxing but they fit (kind of fun to do) and then cut the top of the bag to open. I then use a heavy duty metal clip (or Clean brick) to secure it after folding it closed for a pretty good seal and then screw on the Vittle Vault lid. Have to say that it still smells fresh many weeks later everytime I open it... Even though it's a pain sometimes opening several times a day my pets deserve it (as all pets should)!!!
I'd donate, but foam paneling just doesn't have the research backing it's efficacy for reducing echo... I'd start by putting rugs or carpet on the floor first.
Good Luck!
Awesome job with your kibble set up! Yay!!
I do already have a rug on the floor, thanks for the recommendation.
I have to admit, I never really thought about this. I pour the kibble into a glass container that I keep in the cabinet. Of course, the bad won't fit inside that container LOL! I did share this on my facebook page!
At least glass isn't porous in the same way plastic is, so if it's being properly cleaned often it should be less problematic than a plastic container would be.
That said, ideally, you would have a container large enough to store the bag inside that was also airtight.
Thank you for sharing the info - I appreciate it! 🐾
thank you for this! i was doing okay with the cat's canned food & kibble, but was pouring the dogs' kibble into a plastic container. from now on, i'll zip their kibble bag & place the entire bag into the container 😊
I did not know any of this but the timing of this video was immaculate. I noticed my cat's kibble didn't smell like it did before and thought it was nothing. My poor girl got sick after eating and I dumped the rest of the massive bag I'd purchased. I'll keep these tips in mind from now on. Thank you!
I am so very glad you found the video and that it was helpful! I'm glad you dumped the bag, that's definitely the correct call.
Thank you for the lovely comment, it's so appreciated 😊
Wish i had found this video about 6 hrs ago when i poured a fresh 25lb bag in a new food container I just bought today! 😂 😂. I will remember this for next time. We go through food pretty quickly so I will wash out the bin and use it as a secondary container. I think the most helpful was being reminded to keep the bag if you need info from the bag. I guess I've never thought about that. Thank you so much!
The YT algorithm needs to do better 😂
I'm glad you found VMC! Welcome!!! I'm also so thrilled to hear that you will implement proper food storage on the next bag 🙌 🐾💜
Great information, thank you!
Thank you for watching 😊💜
I use Glass air tight jars that hold about 1kg kibble, so Im not opening the original kibble bag daily & letting in air into kibble bag.
Came for the VoicePlay, and am now happily wandering through your regular videos. Thank you for this one! It had never occurred to me keep the kibble in the bag it came from, or to wonder if I should buy it in smaller amounts at a time.
This makes me so happy! Welcome to VMC 💜😊
If you ever have a topic you want me to cover, don't hesitate to ask. I'll happily add it to my list of future video topic ideas.
We fell into this trap years ago. We bought a Vittles Vault at Costco. But after the 3rd bag, you could small the rancid dog food and we realized we needed to wash it with soap and water between every bag, which wasn’t easy and a huge hassle. Plus you had to make sure it was perfectly dry before you could put new food into it. If your are willing to do that cleaning, then Vittles Vaults are really good pet food containers with good, airtight, screw on lids. The problem is, with the containers for the bigger bags, the lid opening is too small to squeeze the bag in there. So the only way they can be used is the empty the contents of the bag into them. Once we discovered this, we returned the Vittles Vault and got a hinged dog food keeper with a big enough opening to fit the whole bag in. We haven’t found one that seals as good as a Vittles Vault but it’s better than using bag clips. I wish Vittles Vault and containers like them would both instruct that the containers need to be throughly cleaned between each batch of food and would make them with bigger openings to accommodate the whole, intact bag. If you look at their label and go to their website, it says nothing about the need to clean them between each bag of food.
No matter how good the seal may or may not be it's still necessary to keep the kibble in its original packaging. There's no way around it.
You also need to remove as much air from the bag as possible, close it (whether with the bag closure or a clip or something), and then close the secondary container.
@@VetMedCorner Exactly! One thing though, it’s only been fairly recently that dog food bags have been made airtight. Most dog food bags were not airtight and they still had a shelf life of a year or more. I remember not that long ago, Pro Plan bags were held closed by string and Science Diet bags were not airtight at all. This was as recent as the late 2000’s and maybe into the 2010’s. I lost my last rescue Greyhound in 2009 and Pro Plan and Hill’s Prescription diet were not air tight up to then. I didn’t have any dogs again until 2018 and that’s when I noticed that many of the bags were made of a more plastic or polypropylene material instead of the glossy paper material they used to be and a few had ziplock like re-sealers. I’ve been feeding my current dog Pro Plan and there’s nothing on the bag about how long the food stays fresh after opening and if you call and ask, they tell you to look at the expiration date for how long it will stay fresh. I always check to make sure the bag is airtight at the store and I always find several that are leaking air, probably from a small puncture.
Thank you for this video. I had no idea.
I'm so glad it was helpful! I covered this topic because I realized that many (most?) people are in the same boat as you are. Thank you for taking the time to watch ☺️
Question, please? Glad to hear we’re keeping kibble correctly, but a new prescription kibble we’re trying for one of our cats only comes 6.6 lb. bags. (Theoretically it comes in 12 oz. as a trial but no one, including the manufacturer, carries it.)
If we can’t use it past about 6 weeks, we’ll be throwing out most of a bag. The manufacturer info states 1-2 months. Is there no alternate way to store it? Years ago we stored kibble in stainless steel vacuum sealed canisters made for coffee, figuring that being able to get most of the air out was good.
A bag costs $65.00-$75.00 + shipping, though our veterinarian got it for us so no shipping this time. Bottom line: we’ll do anything for our animals. We’d rather not dump most of a bag of food every six weeks if there’s a safe way to store it. (Our house’s temperature is always between 73-75F. We dump food and wash dishes daily. Thank you!
ETA Talking with my husband, in the grand scheme of things it’s not that big a deal since all we care about is our animals’ health and happiness. We don’t even know how long our cat boy will try this food; we have a meeting with a veterinary nutritionist associated with the specialty hospital where the nephrologist practices. (He has FSGS, caught at a young age and is doing wonderfully on Telmisartan which has lowered his UPC. Regular kidney function is excellent.)
No, there is no alternative way to store it because of the degredation of the micronutrients and the oils spoil over time.
You could contact the manufacturer and ask them for their additional thoughts, just to double check... And that's probably worth doing!
@@VetMedCornerthank you, and I edited my response. It’s silly to be bothered about a wasted bag of food given the major health issues we’ve faced over the years for our animals! Your timing is superb, btw, since I’d been eyeing that big bag of food for one 15-pound orangie cat and wondering about freshness over the long haul. So thanks X 100.
Your thoughts aren't silly at all! It's very conscientious to try reduce food waste wherever we can.
I'm so glad the video was helpful - you're doing a great job! 💜
If it helps you feel better, if you can't use it all within the manufacturer's recommended timeframe, you could estimate about how much total you will use, maybe after a week or two, and then see if a local shelter or rescue would like the rest (what you would end up dumping out) as a donation. You would need to put it in a different container to give to them, but especially at a big shelter, there's a good chance they'll use it up before too much degradation can happen. I hope that makes sense--lmk if it doesn't and I'll try to explain better!
@@ashpags thanks! Our cat vet said to bring back partially eaten bags for a refund. We wouldn’t do that, since it’s taking advantage of a system where if a cat doesn’t like a food, you’re encouraged to bring it back. This food is both a kidney food and has hydrolyzed protein, so not a good match for most cats. And most shelters and rescue groups I contacted previously for a different food won’t take opened bags. Though since then we’ve adopted two cats from a rescue group that doesn’t ordinarily take opened food, but one of their coordinators did take ours after we switched our cats from their food to another one. But their cats all eat inexpensive foods that are also given at a cat cafe they partner with and they want to stay with those brands so there aren’t tummy upsets from different foods.
Thank you for sharing all this great info! Can you link the Part 2 video? I cannot seem to find it on your main subscriber page. Thank you!
I'm so glad you found it helpful! This video didn't have a part 2, this should be all the info needed to help you with properly storing pet food!!!
Perhaps are you looking for the video that covers what the WSAVA guidelines are? If so, that's this one
ruclips.net/video/eXiqSKUWp0c/видео.htmlsi=Lw0PbcPNYwTNQ8sh
But if I am wrong, please let me know which one you are looking for!
Thanks to you I switched my dog from Taste of the Wild to IAMS, and I stored it like you said! Thank you!
This just made my day!!!! 🥰
You are awesome for learning and implementing what you learned 🙌 your dog is incredibly lucky to have you caring for them. Keep up the excellent work!
@@VetMedCorner thank you!
I felt anxious for so long about what food to give him. With IAMS I feel good about the ingredients and that it meets WSAVA guidelines. Plus it’s cheaper!
Wow. The 4-6 weeks for open kibble did surprise me. I admit to being one of the people who'd get larger bags thinking about cost. Always just assumed it was ok because that's what everyone I knew did growing up.
I adopted 2 cats in November and have been getting the 16 lb bags of Purina Pro Plan. They've been going through it anywhere from 5-7 weeks (with the bit of wet food they get every day).
This current bag though, I estimated would take about 9 weeks 😬. They're transitioning from the Kitten to Adult food so I mixed a portion of the 2 to start it.
These 16lb bags are also not resealable without clips. I'll definitely be paying more attention going forward and adjusting accordingly.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video! I'm betting a lot of people were not aware of this.
I'm so glad you found the information helpful! After telling clients about this info and nearly none of them knowing about it, I knew I absolutely needed to make a video about it.
Thankfully the large clips are usually pretty easy to source, so hopefully you can use those since the bag you use doesn't have a sealing strip on it already.
I appreciate the comment and I''m so glad you found the video! ☺️💜
I have a video idea you may not have done before - what concerns / recommendations would you have regarding taking your dog to a sandy ocean beach? Is it important to bathe them after they wade or swim in salt water? Any concerns about sand?
This is a fantastic suggestion - thank you so much! I've added it to my list of future video topics
I appreciate all the information you provide in all these videos. Thank you so much ❤. You mentioned you’d be interested in what future topics to cover. My dog has epilepsy so I’m very interested in neurological disorders. I would also be interested in canine conditioning to keep my dog in good physical health.
These are both truly excellent suggestions! Thank you for commenting with them, it's appreciated a lot. I will add them to my list of future video topics 👍
Regarding canine conditioning, I would highly recommend the Canine Conditioning and body awareness Facebook group. They are excellent at providing research based, best practices info
facebook.com/groups/CanineConditioning.BodyAwareness/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT
Thank you for sharing. I had no idea :((((((
Many people don't - you are definitely not alone in this! Thank you for watching ☺️
Thankyou for this info! I think the only thing we’re doing incorrectly is buying a huge bag of food, & it not being consumed within the 4 weeks (usually 5-6) Question please- we feed our cats & dog Hills Science Diet- would you recommend this brand or is there something better? TIA 🙂
Science Diet is research based, properly formulated, meets WSAVA guidelines and is excellent. I'd have zero hesitation feeding it to my own pets.
I have 1 cat. I pour into quart or half gallon canning jars and close with used canning lids and the metal rings. It’s a good seal.
This isn't recommended because more and more air will be present in the jar as it empties. You need to keep the kibble in the original packaging, remove as much air as possible, close the bag and then place that into an air tight container.
I buy a large bag of kibble and store it in the original bag in the deep freezer and take out a 2 week serving at a time which I store in an air tight glass container. Is this acceptable?
You would need to contact the company who makes the formula. There are some that tolerate freezing, but others don't.
It might be better to remove one day's worth at a time so you can wash the glass container daily.
I appreciate your balanced presentation and your cautious approach. I was struck by your comment about the 10% outliers. However, in my case 30 years ago I was almost dead from metabolic syndrome and the medical community gave up on me. I took matters into my own hands and lost the weight and I am med free and my vitals and bloods are perfect. It was the outliers, those crazy paleo, keto, carnivore people who were dismissed and in many case were de-funded and lost their careers who saved my life. So I cannot dismiss the 10%. It is my understanding that dogs are a very successful species but commercial dog food is only 100 years old so what they eat for the other 30000 years? I am not trying be dismissive just questioning. My dog stools are all off on commercial dog food but on freeze dried he is fine.???
Apologies for not being clear enough in the video. These are not 'balanced', 'opinion' or 'cautious'. What's recommended is the current standard of care based on research and expert consensus.
It's necessary to feed at *least* 90% of your dog's daily caloric intake from a diet that is properly formulated and meets WSAVA guidelines. Some veterinary nutritionists say that we should feed at least 94% of the daily caloric intake from a properly formulated diet that meets WSAVA guidelines... So 90% is the bare minimum requirement.
You should check the video description for the link to the video on all the research we have on raw diets, and also the video where I cover nutritionally related heart issues. If your dog has been on the current diet for over 6mo you need to immediately start blending over to an appropriate diet and also see a veterinary cardiologist to get an ultrasound of your dog's heart to check for daDCM.
Oh dear. We're following those guidelines for the wet food, which we feed our kitties for lunch, dinner and midnight snack, but we also use dry food at other times. Our one special kitty (Nagina) needs a special diet, so the dry food we use is Blue Buffalo NP Novel Protein Alligator, and also Blue Buffalo HF Hydrolyzed for Food Intolerance. Neither of those bags come in anything smaller than 7lbs, which takes months to go through! We even have the other kitty (Tonia) eat the same dry food. We don't use it beyond the date, but it would be a huge waste and expense to throw it out after 6 weeks. Do you have any other suggestions for our scenario? They both are doing well with their current diets, and the vet never mentioned this.
I'm so glad you've already got the canned stuff in place, that's great!
Unfortunately, the BB diet is not research based, doesn't meet WSAVA guidelines and is over represented in causing heart issues (ie nutritionally related dilated cardiomyopathy). Here's more information about that:
ruclips.net/video/1O5gK_hha3s/видео.html
So, to be frank, my advice is to blend over to an appropriate prescription diet that doesn't risk causing nDCM for your cat. Do you need additional information on what the WSAVA guidelines are?
@@VetMedCorner OMG. We had a previous cat come down with CHF and pass away too young and it broke us. (She wasn't on Blue Buffalo though.)
I had no idea that the food we are giving our current cats could do that.
The wet food that Nagina's dermatology vet had us use was also Blue Buffalo! She used to use an Alligator one, but now she uses Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet HF Hydrolyzed for Food Intolerance Grain-Free Wet Cat Food. (She has allergies to certain animal proteins and we are not 100% clear on which ones specifically.)
Yes, I would like more information please. I never heard of WSAVA and I have no idea where to start to find new food for her. It was very difficult to get a food she could tolerate.
Let me grab you the video where I cover who pet nutrition experts are and what the WSAVA guidelines are:
ruclips.net/video/eXiqSKUWp0c/видео.htmlsi=d6PA436BoYI2aZoo
ETA the video description also has even more information for you, if you want.
There are 3 research based companies that meets WSAVA guidelines and who currently offer hypoallergenic/hydrolyzed prescription diets for cats with food allergies. Purina Veterinary Diets HA, Hills z/d, and Royal Canin has a couple options. They have a hydrolyzed formula and they have a select protein option.
Those companies do not have any link to nDCM. Would it be possible to discuss if any of those might be appropriate with your veterinarian?
@@VetMedCorner THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm so stressed out, so having you provide those possible options makes it so much easier! You're SO KIND!! I will ask her dermatology vet about those options. Thanks for the other video link too. I will have to look at that as soon as I get a chance. THANK YOU again!! You're a life saver!
What is a good container to hold the largest bags of cat food? Any suggestions for this is greatly appreciated! thank you
You can easily search container sizes online from anywhere that carries containers (like Amazon, Walmart etc). Best of luck finding what you need!
@@VetMedCorner It is best to keep the kibble in its original packaging, correct? So the container should be that size versus product amount. And you said four to six weeks for an open bag? Thanks!
Would you suggest not using a plastic measuring cup for scooping the kibble?
I suppose that depends on how often you replace it... But glass or stainless steel (that you clean daily) would be a better option!
That said, to be as accurate with food portions as possible, you actually want to weigh it! That's important especially for pets that need to lose weight.
@@VetMedCornerI definitely have not been washing my scoop daily...😅 I do weigh the food but I still use a plastic measuring cup to scoop the food into the bowl that's on the scale 🥴
Even rinsing the scoop once a day would be a good start!
If you've already got all the storage aspects implemented, and are weighing portions, you're doing a lot of things really well. Keep up the awesome work 💪
I have a Siamese cat that needs to be fed small meals no less than 4 times a day and I really rely on an automatic feeder to do this consistently. Is there an automatic feeder that is food safe according to your video recommendations?
Hello Dr. Em,
Thank you for sharing this video.
Is it safe to store a 13 oz wet food in 3 small glass jars, 2 jars in the freezer and 1 jar in the refrigerator. When 1 jar is done, let another jar thaw overnight and use it? Thank you
As is mentioned, it's generally not recommended to freeze canned food. However, you can contact the individual manufacturer to double check about the specific formula you are using...
Great🤦🏽♀️ So what do you do if you haven’t done that?
That's why I've made this video - so that you can make whatever changes you need to moving forward! 💜
What do you think of fountains? 💦
Fountains for what purpose? And what species?
Thanks for the question!
Water fountains for dogs and cats. Do you think they are cleaner than a bowl of water? Do you think the filter really helps at all? I know some pets are more likely to drink from moving water but for a pet that will drink from anything, is the fountain improving the water quality at all? Hope that narrows it down a bit 😊
In general, cats do drink better from a flowing water source so they should be offered at least one.
All water sources should be glass, stainless steel or ceramic and fully cleaned daily.
It's also important to have at least one water source per animal in the household.
Thanks! I didn’t know that about having one per animal.
Pets often experience significant stress (especially cats!) when they are forced to share resources. It's also incredibly common for one animal to hoard/guard resources in a way that reduces/prevents others from using it. All the resources need to be spread throughout the home, with at least one per animal, in order to help reduce inter-animal stress and help make sure everyone has the opportunity to access the things they need.
I didn’t know that you shouldn’t empty the bath into the plastic container. I have done this with my dog’s food and it’s been sitting there for a while. Can I just wash this plastic container and then store the bag in there, or do I need to throw it out and get a new plastic container?
Excellent question! Cleaning the container really well can remove the bulk of the rancid oils, however the tiny wear/scratches in plastic that occur over time are impossible to properly clean fully. That's part of why keeping the kibble in the bag is so important!
You'll have to assess how worn the plastic is and if it's significantly worn it's likely best to replace the container.
Make sure that all future kibble is kept in the sealed, original packaging inside of the airtight container!
@@VetMedCorner ok thanks!
One pet food struggle I have is finding containers that I can just sit the bag in. It is the reason I pour the food in the Vittles Vaults containers. I do rotate them between clean containers, and wash them twice after every bag, using a different container so that one can dry completely. Can you share some containers that are suitable to fit whole bags in? I use 30 to 40 pound bags of Iams, and go through them in about 3-4 weeks (roughly 10 pounds per week for two large dogs). I don't mind putting a bag inside of a storage container, but I have not found any containers that would be suitable. It is possible that I'm not looking in the right price range, but I have not seen any big enough.
Absolutely - this can be a struggle!
Perhaps an option like this would be suitable? It's very similar to the one I have for my Labrador's food, although mine is a bit narrower as she doesn't go through quite as much. I can remove the entire lid, clean it, allow it to dry and then plop the new bag inside!
www.irisusainc.com/collections/food-storage/products/airtight-pet-food-container-premium-67-qt
Amazon usually has options, or perhaps a container store or Walmart etc
Thanks. I will certainly look into something like that. I have seen some that look like this, but it didn't register that I could put the bag inside it.
I hope you find a solution that works for you!
I store my kibble bags inside white plastic “barrels” with screw-on lids that I previously used to keep horse food/supplements/treats at the barn. I buy 17lb kibble bags, Science Diet, with Velcro closure.
Oh! I hadn't thought about those as an option! What a great idea!!!
Great video as always!
My cat has a lot of acne. I’ve been treating it as recommended by my vet but i can’t never get rid of it. Do you think it has something to do with the plastic container (air tight) i keep the kibbles in? Thanks a lot. 🫶🏻 (she eats in a stainless steal bowl)
There are many potential causes for acne, but you definitely need to change how you store cat food!