Most of us use convenient large packages of granules. But how should we store them at home without degrading their quality? Why buy expensive, high-quality granules to degrade them with storage?
Granules aren't as prone to decomposition as wet canned and pouch food, but many factors can harm their quality. It's therefore necessary to store them properly. This particularly applies to the large packages, which we buy due to their convenient price, but we have them open for a long time.
I became interested in proper storage when my cat stopped eating her granules and I couldn't figure out why. I thought she'd had enough of them and that I will have to buy another flavor. When I consulted my friend, a big cat expert, she smelled the granules and knew right away – they were rancid.
To maintain the quality of the granules, to ensure that your pets eat them and that they cause no health problems, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Most manufacturers make at least the big bags with a ziplock. That's great, as you don't have to think of anything, just make sure the ziplock is always closed properly along its entire length and that you don't pay for your carelessness like me. The airtight closure prevents oxidation of the granules and thus extends their shelf life. If you have trouble removing the granules from the bag or you just want to store them a bit more aesthetically at home, you can put them in a box, barrel or container. I was given a recommendation to put the granules with the original bag into a barrel. Like this you will avoid contaminating the food.
After my experience, I no longer buy a 7 kg pack for my cat (since it receives a dose of wet food several times a day, she doesn't consume as many granules); however, a dog can finish a 15 kg bag of granules before they start to deteriorate. It is recommended to use the opened package within 3 months, so take this into account when buying the granules whether they are discounted or not. Also be sure to check the expiration date.
Granules don't like moisture and heat, so think about where you store them. A balcony or humid cellar are not suitable at all. Choose the driest, coolest place. A pantry is best, if you have one.
Don't let your dog or cat eat granules from the barrel or bag, not even one. Their saliva contaminates the whole batch, opening the door to bacteria.
You should wash the bowls after each meal so that food and saliva residue does not contaminate the next batch.
How do you store granules at home? Do you have any tips or tricks?
If your cat is going to pee or defecate outside its toilette, it is only seldom just an issue of training or hygiene. Cats are clever animals and they have no trouble to understand, where to go to toilette. Therefore, if they don’t abide the rules of...
We hear about the war in Syria almost every day. But have you ever thought about how does a war affect local animals and that the self-sacrifice must not always be made by an animal for humans, but it can also be the other way around? The person that...
Acupuncture wants to harmonise the body and the mind. Some of you may have tried it, it was a great help to me personally with issues with my back and breathing. Precisely owing to my positive personal experience, the possibility to indulge dogs and...
In the life of any dog, a situation might come up, when it is necessary to put on a muzzle. And if the dog is not used to wearing it, it might mean a stressful situation. I will advise you on how to avoid stress and how to get your dog used to wearing...
Same as in people, also our pets should go to regular check-ups to a doctor. We might neglect this quite often, but it is still something else in animals. A dog or a cat won’t come up to you to tell you, that they’re not feeling well. That’s why an...
You probably have someone among your friends, who has diabetes. However, do you know, that cats and dogs also suffer from this disease quite often?
The name distemper might be familiar to you, but do you know more precise characteristics of this treacherous viral disease? Let’s take it one by one from the historic roots up to the present day
Do you know, what dreams our pets have? Besides myself, also a number of scientists were interested in this question and they came up with various hypotheses. Would you guess what our four-legged friends dream about?
Maybe even you have a small four-legged stressed-out dog at home. In such case, read carefully, maybe you will find something here, what you haven’t tried yet, while trying to get your pet rid of stress.
You have probably encountered the opinion, that much more important than what you’re saying to your dog is how you’re saying it (the tone). But it shows, that dogs are able to understand the human language much better, than we generally credit them for.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.3px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} All of us surely likes to take pictures of our pets. However, the photographs don’t always turn out according to our...
It could seem that the smaller the animal, the less care it would require. However, don’t let yourself be fooled. Even if you have a small mouse at home, a rabbit or maybe a guinea pig, you should adapt the care for them to the season and to situations...
