Over the world, dog owners are finding ways to cut costs in the face of high inflation.

Many who feed commercial foods (commonly referred to as kibble), will look to buying the largest size bag of Food possible because typically the price per pound/kg is best when you buy a large bag.

When using kibble, you need to understand the process of oxidation. Oxidation happens as soon as you open the bag and expose the food to air and that process continues until your dog eats the food.

Oxidation happens to human food, too, by the way.

Oxidation degrades the nutrients in the food and chemically changes the fats in a process known as “going rancid.”

It’s tempting to want to empty the bag into a more convenient Container and often this container will be plastic. The problem is that most containers that can hold a large bag of dog food are not food-grade plastic.

Food-grade plastics are designed to come into contact with food, to have a strong seal, and to avoid leaching of chemicals into food. Food grade plastics don’t have dyes or other additives and they often are not made from 100% recycled plastic because there is no guarantee on the quality of materials in the supply chain.

Bags for commercial dog food are produced to help protect against oxidation; it’s actually better to seal the bag as soon as you take out what you need and to keep the bag in a cool, dry and dark place rather than emptying it into another container. If a container is needed, I prefer metal to plastic because it won’t leach nasties into the food and can be washed and dried at high temperature in the dishwasher. I only transfer enough food to last between 5 and 7 days.

Regular washing of containers to remove residual fats and crumbs is essential and something that dog owners are notoriously bad at doing. It’s just too easy to refill a container without washing it.

I’m old enough to remember when dog food companies produced larger metal tins for dog food as part of their brand promotions; I still own one from Iams/Eukanuba that is over 20 years old and that’s the container I use for temporary food storage. It fits in the dishwasher and I’m confident that it is being cleaned and sterilised in the dishwasher.

Sadly, even the pet food companies have jumped on the plastic bandwagon in more recent years and now only produce plastic containers when/if they have a promotion. I’m not sure if these containers are food grade plastic, either.

There are many opinions about how much food you should buy at any given time. A good rule of thumb is 4-6 week’s worth. Of course, if your dog is small, then a 20 kg bag of food is going to last way longer than this – so that’s a good indication that the large bag is not right for you.

Sox easily goes through his 12 kg bag of gastrointestinal food in less than six weeks; so I’m comfortable with my decision to buy the bag.

In summary, when feeding kibble:

• buy only 4-6 week’s worth at a time
• keep the bag sealed after every use
• store the bag in a cool, dry and dark place
• if a container is convenient for you, transfer only a few days worth of food into the container, preferably metal
• if you can’t find metal ensure you are using a food-grade plastic container
• thoroughly wash and dry your container each time you empty it

Kathleen Crisley, Fear-Free certified professional and specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and canine fitness,  The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand