Dogs are one of the most affectionate and protective animals to house as pets. The fact that they are very dependable animals has contributed to their famous reputation of being man’s best friend. While they generally love their share of attention and affection, dogs provide great companionship in times of happiness as well as depression.
Just as with any other animal, dog health care will require some amount of adjustment to your daily lifestyle. While the more obvious aspects to think about include the hygiene of the animal, one should not ignore the dietary conditions of the upkeep of the animal. While a number of people will concentrate on the nutritional value and vitamin contents of the dog food, the owner should remember that all of this will prove to be worthless if the food is not stored properly.
To elaborate, one should understand the chemical reaction of oxidation in food. If you were to place a tomato in open air for a significant period of time, the chemical constituents of the tomato will react adversely with the oxygen and moisture present in the air – causing it to lose its nutritional value as well as creating an environment on the tomato that is perfect for the development of mold and bacterial growth such as salmonella. Some of the other environmental conditions that contribute to the spoilage of dog food include heat, sunlight, long term storage and improper usage of dog food containers.
Understanding dog food storage is an important part of making sure that your dogs dietary needs are being met at an optimal level. While commercially available dog foods will proudly claim longer shelf life with the inclusion of artificial preservatives, these additives significantly lower the nutritional value of the food – meaning the risks of the additives greatly outweigh its only benefit. The best storage for dog food is the original bag that it came with. This is primarily because of the fact that the better dog food companies use better quality packaging and make sure that treatments such as oxygen barriers are included in the packaging to prevent the effects of oxidation from taking place. However, once the bag has been opened, the best practice would be feeding the animal the contents of that particular bag for a period of 6 weeks and no more. Unopened dog food bags have the ability to prevent the contamination of dog food for up to a year, so storing the kibble for this long in an unopened bag is considered to be a safe practice.
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