# Dog food storage



## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

I found great stainless steel containers at petedge that I've been using and keeping inside. They have a sealing ring around the top so keep it airtight. I was concerned about the leaching of plastic from the other containers I've used. http://homeandkennel.petedge.com/Pr...tegoryId=194&categoryId=226&subCategoryId=433
A little while ago there was a discussion about freezing food and someone called Canidae and they did NOT recommend. Otherwise, I think this is a great article and something many easily overlook.


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## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

Interesting but I thought the same as Penny & Maggie's Mom about the freezing ...  
http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=35731&page=3
see Goldbeau's post


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## Charlie06 (Feb 10, 2007)

Interesting article. I'm thinking maybe I should buy smaller bags. This part confuses me though. 

2. *Buy small, fresh bags of food; only enough to last 7 days.* Look for manufacturing or “best if used by” dates on the bag. If you don’t see one, or can’t understand the code, write the manufacturer and ask where it is or how to interpret their codes.

How could you possibly buy only enough food to last 7 day?


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Charlie06 said:


> Interesting article. I'm thinking maybe I should buy smaller bags. This part confuses me though.
> 
> 2. *Buy small, fresh bags of food; only enough to last 7 days.* Look for manufacturing or “best if used by” dates on the bag. If you don’t see one, or can’t understand the code, write the manufacturer and ask where it is or how to interpret their codes.
> 
> How could you possibly buy only enough food to last 7 day?


 
I pretty much discounted that.... I mean you go back to the store in 7 days and do you really think there's going to be a whole new batch of updated food there??? I doubt they go thru their stock that quickly..... I certainly wouldn't use food past the date on the bag though.


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## gggirl (May 8, 2008)

I buy a 15 lb bag of food every 3-4 wks and put the bag right into the plastic container and seal it tight. the container is a vittles vault?? I don't buy a 30lb bag as it is 60.00 and will last too long and im scared the food will go bad.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

_2. *Buy small, fresh bags of food; only enough to last 7 days.* Look for manufacturing or “best if used by” dates on the bag. If you don’t see one, or can’t understand the code, write the manufacturer and ask where it is or how to interpret their codes. _


That part was a bit confusing. I think it would have been easier to understand if it had been listed as two separate tips.

The way I'm reading it, they're trying to say that you should buy a small enough bag to last only 7 days after it's opened. I'll probably start buying the 6 lb bags. I might have to buy two of them at a time. (I don't think one is going to last 7 days.) But that way, I can open one bag at a time and use it quickly.

For the "best if used by" dates, I think it's just a reminder to check the dates on the bag to make sure it's not expired - that it didn't accidentally get left on the shelf too long or was shipped past its date, etc.
Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense. The date on the bag that I just bought for Riley is January 24, 2009. The article has to mean that you should check that and use it as "buy before" date. Otherwise, it contradicts the whole don't-keep-it-longer-than-7-days advice.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I usually buy 3 -40 lb bags at a time and keep them in plastic container and never had any problems. 40 lbs last less then 3 weeks.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I found great stainless steel containers at petedge that I've been using and keeping inside. They have a sealing ring around the top so keep it airtight. I was concerned about the leaching of plastic from the other containers I've used. http://homeandkennel.petedge.com/Pr...tegoryId=194&categoryId=226&subCategoryId=433


Oh, I like those! After reading all of that, I'd like to avoid plastics altogether, as well.
I wish they specified how much each size container holds, though. All I see is the diameter size. (Or am I just not paying attention? lol.)

Is the biggest one large enough to hold 6 pounds of food??


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

LifeOfRiley said:


> Oh, I like those! After reading all of that, I'd like to avoid plastics altogether, as well.
> I wish they specified how much each size container holds, though. All I see is the diameter size. (Or am I just not paying attention? lol.)
> 
> Is the biggest one large enough to hold 6 pounds of food??


Easily. I think I got two of the mediums and they are 14" tall and at the top ( widest) is 13". I got the big bag of Eagle Pack which I think is 30 lbs (?) and it took two fills. If you're looking only 6 lbs of food, I bet the small would do.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Easily. I think I got two of the mediums and they are 14" tall and at the top ( widest) is 13". I got the big bag of Eagle Pack which I think is 30 lbs (?) and it took two fills. If you're looking only 6 lbs of food, I bet the small would do.


Great. Thank you!! I think I'm going to order a couple of those.


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

I have been dumping the bag into a Vittle Vault... Who knew! Something else to worry about! Before that I poured the Cannidae into Tupperwear large bins.. or froze. Heat, humidity and critters are all a concern down here. I LOVE the look of those stainless steel cans!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

jnmarr said:


> I have been dumping the bag into a Vittle Vault... Who knew! Something else to worry about! Before that I poured the Cannidae into Tupperwear large bins.. or froze. Heat, humidity and critters are all a concern down here. I LOVE the look of those stainless steel cans!


Better than me.... years ago I used to keep the food out inthe garage !!!!! WHAT was I thinking?????


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I use industrial food grade plastic bins with airtight lids. These are for the restaurant / food service industry. Each holds a 40 lb bag of food. I have 4 - one holds puppy, one reg adult, one Performance, and the last weight management (for the dogs that I co-owned with Gini that live with her widower.) Mine are on wheels, which makes it very easy to move them out and clean behind them. I have never had a problem with food going bad, not that it's around long enough to! I buy my food one bag of each formula at a time, except in the winter when I buy 3-5 of each, to have in case there is bad weather/road issues, etc. and I feel more comfortable storing it in the insulated but unheated side of our barn. (In a large dock box that is impervious to rodents if they should make their way in...)


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I store food in large plasic containers with air tight lids. I usually buy 2-4 bags at a time and have a freezer in the garage where I store the food before it goes into a container as it only sits in there 3 weeks max. My containers are also cleaned with dish soap and tiny bit of bleach. Never have had a problem.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I use the Rubbermaid Plastic containers made for the largest bags of dog food.


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## fiestyredheadntx (Mar 27, 2008)

This is what I use to store food in~I pour directly from bag and then put on lid. Bought it at Lowes.


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## Goldilocks (Jun 3, 2007)

jnmarr said:


> I have been dumping the bag into a Vittle Vault... Who knew! Something else to worry about! Before that I poured the Cannidae into Tupperwear large bins.. or froze. Heat, humidity and critters are all a concern down here. I LOVE the look of those stainless steel cans!


The Vittles Vault is food grade plastic and considered a safe plastic. I just bought 2 of them last week after searching high and low (Pet store, kitchen stores, departments stores, storage stores, etc. etc.) for stainless steel containers like Penny and Maggies's mom has. Those things look great and do the job. Unfortunately I'm in Canada and can't get those.


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

Goldilocks said:


> The Vittles Vault is food grade plastic and considered a safe plastic.


 Thank you for this.. I feel better. We try and try and it never seems good enough, does it. We just want the best for our babies.
We store it in the utilty room, which is in an air conditioned part of our home. Hopefully with occasional washings with soap and air drying it will be okay.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

jnmarr said:


> Thank you for this.. I feel better. We try and try and it never seems good enough, does it. We just want the best for our babies.
> We store it in the utilty room, which is in an air conditioned part of our home. Hopefully with occasional washings with soap and air drying it will be okay.


Boy, you can say that again! It seems like every time I turn around, I'm finding out about something else I didn't know, or something else I need to be concerned about.
From what I've read, it sounds like you should be fine with what you're doing. I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

LifeOfRiley said:


> Boy, you can say that again! It seems like every time I turn around, I'm finding out about something else I didn't know, or something else I need to be concerned about.
> From what I've read, it sounds like you should be fine with what you're doing. I wouldn't worry about it.


I remember when bacon was determined to be the worse thing you could eat - like, you'd die of cancer within minutes of having a BLT. Then, it was the wonder food of the world, Thank You Dr. Atkins. :doh: 
Sometimes I full well believe that certain manufacturers/businesses/etc completely take advantage of the fact, FACT, that pet owners will do just about ANYthing to make life better for their pets, and so they exploit that notion. In the US alone, over 40 BILLION dollars was spent on our pets. !!!
Seriously, a product can be exactly the same thing as something marketed for people, but as soon as you slap a picture on the packaging of a cute puppy or kitty, the price can be jacked up times 5 and we'll buy it. :bowl:
The bins I bought for my dog food were cheaper by ten bucks than the same ones through PetEdge. My Dremel grinder was cheaper by twenty bucks than the XXX Brand Pet Nail Groomer. I use Listerine (STORE brand, at that...) to clean ears, Gold Bond powder to treat hotspots, store brand baby wipes instead of Pet Wipes, etc etc etc. In many cases, the substitutions work better than the products marketed FOR PET USE.


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## Dalton's mom (Apr 5, 2008)

I use a vittles vault too. 40 lbs lasts me 26 days.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Thirty pounds of food lasts about three weeks here. I keep it in the plastic raised dish container they eat out of. (the dishes are on top, container is sealed) We have never had a problem with our food going bad etc. It may not be as fresh as the day it was opened but neither are my fresh fruit and veggies either. I still eat them. : )


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We use a Vittle Vault after our dogs got into a Rubbermaid dog food canister (the whole bag could go into it) and proceeded to eat like pigs. The Vittle Vaults are not impervious to damage, but they did the job for us. My older golden (9 at the time) was put on prednisone for a spondylitis attack and literally dragged the big 40 pound one (full of food because we had just bought a new bag) from the back of the house to the front of the house (the dining room) with his teeth. The top of the vault has teeth punctures to prove it too--it held up to this hungry guy! The funny thing is we had been having some countersurfing/trash diving incidents so we left a camcorder running on a tripod when we left the house hoping to catch the culprit. While it didn't capture the actual moving of the vault (out of the camera range) we got all of the sound effects that went with this escapade--dragging, barking, panting, dragging, barking, panting....This dog has severe orthopedic issues and was being treated for it at the time. We told our vet we preferred to treat him without the steroids for future spondylitis attacks. Our younger more energetic boy, who usually is the mischief instigator, must have known the camera was running because he ran up to it, looked up and then proceeded to go jump on the leather sofa and fall asleep. When we got home both dogs looked so seet and innocent.


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## Goldilocks (Jun 3, 2007)

jnmarr said:


> Thank you for this.. I feel better. We try and try and it never seems good enough, does it. We just want the best for our babies.
> We store it in the utilty room, which is in an air conditioned part of our home. Hopefully with occasional washings with soap and air drying it will be okay.


I still have the tags that were attached the Vittles Vaults I bought. It says right on the front "food grade plastic" There's a website to go to for more info which I did. www.gammaplastics.com There's Q&A's about the safety of the product, etc on the website. Also they highly recommend washing the Vault out with soapy water and allowing it to dry thouroughly before the first use and then occasionally thereafter (I guess to prevent against contamination and rancid fat).


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## Charlie06 (Feb 10, 2007)

I wonder if the food after being opened would last longer if kept in the refrigerator?


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> I remember when bacon was determined to be the worse thing you could eat - like, you'd die of cancer within minutes of having a BLT. Then, it was the wonder food of the world, Thank You Dr. Atkins. :doh:
> Sometimes I full well believe that certain manufacturers/businesses/etc completely take advantage of the fact, FACT, that pet owners will do just about ANYthing to make life better for their pets, and so they exploit that notion. In the US alone, over 40 BILLION dollars was spent on our pets. !!!
> Seriously, a product can be exactly the same thing as something marketed for people, but as soon as you slap a picture on the packaging of a cute puppy or kitty, the price can be jacked up times 5 and we'll buy it. :bowl:
> The bins I bought for my dog food were cheaper by ten bucks than the same ones through PetEdge. My Dremel grinder was cheaper by twenty bucks than the XXX Brand Pet Nail Groomer. I use Listerine (STORE brand, at that...) to clean ears, Gold Bond powder to treat hotspots, store brand baby wipes instead of Pet Wipes, etc etc etc. In many cases, the substitutions work better than the products marketed FOR PET USE.


LOL. Yep. I remember when one cup of coffee meant certain death. Now several cups a day are good for you. 
Listerine to clean ears? Really!? That's one I hadn't heard of.

I found out how the prices skyrocket if something is marketed "for dogs." I used to spend twenty bucks for Riley's fish oil at Petco. Until I started reading labels at Target and realized I could get the _same exact_ fish oil capsules in the vitamin aisle for about six bucks. Live and learn, I guess!


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

My food grade plastic container has a rubber seal which has gotten so dry it really doesn't seal anymore so I'm looking for a new container. I buy a 26 pound bag of food and it last around 6 weeks.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> http://homeandkennel.petedge.com/Pr...tegoryId=194&categoryId=226&subCategoryId=433


I ordered these and they got here today, already! 
I love them! When they say "airtight" they're not kidding. You really have to pull on that lid to get it off.
Thanks again for suggesting them!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

LifeOfRiley said:


> I ordered these and they got here today, already!
> I love them! When they say "airtight" they're not kidding. You really have to pull on that lid to get it off.
> Thanks again for suggesting them!


Oh I'm glad you like them. I think they are so nice looking too. What size did you go with??


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

> How could you possibly buy only enough food to last 7 day


We use a full sized garbage "can"....with a lid. And we buy 2 40lb bags (soon to be 35 or 44lb bags) of Canidae at a time. We do that twice a WEEK!

I guess we could buy 4 once a week.............. :lol: :lol: (But then they wouldn't fit in the can......... hmmmmmmmm.....????)


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Oh I'm glad you like them. I think they are so nice looking too. What size did you go with??


They really do look nice. A lot nicer than the plastic bins we were using, so I guess that's a bonus!

I went with the medium to play it safe. And because it just won't make sense to buy the smaller bags of food for Gunner. The small bags of his Solid Gold are only 4 lbs. I'd have to buy at _least_ three bags a week, when the regular-sized bag is 15 lbs. So that makes more sense.

I think we'll do the same with Riley's food. He doesn't eat as much as Gunner, but he's going through it quickly enough that buying the 15 lb bag should be fine, especially in these containers.


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## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

Quoted from Solid Gold website http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/faq/ 

*What is the best way to store Solid Gold pet food once it is opened?*
We generally recommend placing the entire bag into an airthight container, without pouring it out. The container should be stored in a cool dry place. Pouring the food out exposes it to a rush of air and can increase the rate at which it will oxidize, decreasing the shelf-life. By leaving the food in the bag and then placing the bag into an airtight container, he bag becomes a barrier which then provides an extra layer of protection. Also this allows tracking of any issues or problems which may arise as the bag is being used because there is a batch number and expiration date which identifies that particular production run. The canned foods should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 3-5 days.


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