Storing cold pressed dog food non airtight

[LS25Lee]

Hi all

I've decided to switch my miniature schnauzer to gentle dried food. He's almost 1 so seems an ideal time to change.

Gentle have posted something to Facebook that says to keep the food dry but not in an airtight container as it could cause moisture.

Any recommendations on how to store it? I currently store dry food in lock and lock containers.

Many thanks

[Tinyplanets]

I just used to keep mine in a container for dry food but leave the flap, covering the top but loose. I am not sure if that is right but it seemed to work okay. I also moved it to the under stairs cupboard as I was worried about moisture in the kitchen.

[Dottie]

I used to keep mind in a plastic dog food container. It has an attached lid with a clasp on it and as it also has a strip of rubber inside the lid I believe that this would make it airtight. I did not know that cold pressed food should not be kept in an airtight container.

[LS25Lee]

Nor I. I have a 15kg dry food dog container that I've had for a while but never used. Doesn't appear to be completely airtight but have used that for now and I I'll see how it goes. Have just left it in the bag it came in then put the bag in the container. On a positive note,  Zeus has took to gentle really well. No side effects although am slowly introducing it. It smells really nice actually!

[Dottie]

Yes, it does smell very nice indeed and I like that the doggy odour tends to be less on cold pressed food.  I bought the 15kg bags too.  I decanted some into my 5kg dog food container and left the remaining amount in the bag but with the top rolled over  and sealed with bulldog clips so nothing could get in.  My garage is dry but I stored the product off the floor.  It didn't seem to deteriorate and the dogs were OK.  The only problem I had was that because of the denseness the girls were getting minuscule amounts.  15kg was usually very close to expiry by the time it was finished.  These companies really need to produce 2kg bags at a reasonable price for owners of small dogs, particularly as so little is needed at feeding time and the short expiry date.

[Tinyplanets]

A few people I know who tried it, commented that they like the smell. I am not a fan myself, It reminds me of rabbit poo but after ear surgery, my sense of smell is a bit off    The dog loves it anyway but, yes, smaller bags would be great. They have provided me with smaller amounts on request but it makes payment less smooth as you can't use paypal.

[LS25Lee]

I just went for the 5kg bag to start with to see how he got on.... Am planning on feeding him half a tin of natures menu with it as a topper. I currently feed a tin of natures menu per day with wainwrights kibble. I hope to save a little money by cutting his natures menu down

[Dottie]

Natures Menu sell good products but I agree with you about the cost. My three are currently having the adult pouch food but it is expensive. It is really unsustainable and I need to consider making the food go further by perhaps using it as a topper on dry food. Using Gentle is a good idea but it has gone up in price since I last bought it. It is now £26.75 + £2.50p delivery for 5kg. It is therefore almost £6 per kg. TBH I can't work out whether it will save much.  In addition, I really don't want to be buying larger bags - like Tinyplanets,  2kg ones are ok.

[LS25Lee]

Yep I know what you mean. I tend to buy three cases of  nm tinned chicken per month currently plus one bag of wainwrights. Comes to £52.45.
Ideally I want to only buy one case of nm per month and then one 5kg bag of gentle should last me about 40 days. So over the course of a month I should save some.

If I can get him just on gentle then I will save a fair amount.  I'm not sure if he'll just eat it yet. If he will eat gentle on its own then I'll buy the 15kg bags and will feed around 120g per day so it should last around four months.

Considered wainwrights tinned as is better value. I've tried him on the meat trays of wainwrights but it did t go down well... He prefers the meat a but more moist whereas the meat trays are like potted meat.

I do feed him fresh fruit and veg too.... Mostly carrot and apple...

I think for now I am going to feed one tin of nm per day plus 90g of gentle. I'll be feeding 30g x 3 of gentle and the nm at brekkie and tea time.

He goes to doggy day care so I like to take him some lunch 

[Dottie]

I have amended the title slightly to reflect that we are discussing cold pressed products as opposed to extruded/baked.  I thought about adding it to the cold pressed thread but I think it might confuse the flow of it as we are currently having a discussion on there too so I will leave this one as it is but will provide a link within the main thread.  The cold pressed food thread is here.

Following on from the discussion of  saving money, the 15kg size is much more economical so it is worth buying it and looking round for a suitable storage container.  If anyone can find something that meets their criteria in terms of non airtight then please post it in this thread.  I am wondering if one of those pedal waste bins might be suitable, particularly as it would be very easy to scoop the food out. Could you let me know what you think about this?  Perhaps you could check with Gentle?  They can be bought in various sizes and are not usually expensive, depending on the type chosen. 

On the subject of cost, I was able to purchase Gentle from my local pet supplies shop (15kg size only) and found it reasonably economical considering that it is a quality product.  Also, at the time they didn't need very much (the tiny amount was the problem).  At the current price it comes out at £3.96p per kg (inc. delivery) when purchased from the shop.  Might as well add a couple of small bones to the order then delivery is free (needs to be above £59 to qualify).

Following your example, I have done some sums and if I went back to Gentle it would save me money but not very much if I continue to top up with commercial wet food.  However, all cold pressed foods are complete and shouldn't need topping up.  In any case, when my lot are on dry food I like to complement it with a little home cooked food which tends to be cheaper.  Worth thinking about. 

[LS25Lee]

When we got Zeus a year ago, I bought a 15kg dry food container but didn't end up using it as we had problems getting him to eat fry as a young pup. However, I've started using it again. For now, I've just put the bag of 5kg gentle in the 15kg tub as I want to see how he does on it. He seems to be enjoying it.

I've actually today started feeding 75g Gentle over 3 meals plus 100g Natures Menu topper over 2 meals. I've still got about 25 tins of NM so I am going to run them down and then try him just on gentle.

When I get paid I will probably get a 15kg bag of Gentle then.

The container I got was the one below. Some people have been marking it down as they say it's not airtight - therefore probably fine for my use! A bin would work fine too I think, and cheaper to purchase. It does say it's airtight, however it doesn't seem as airtight as lock and lock so I think it'll do fine for now.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maelson-MDB15-Dry-Box-15kg/dp/B003VRONGQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1454743185&sr=8-5&keywords=15kg+dry+dog+food+container

I did consider ROCCO food as a wet. Although rated high I was dubious about it's content as it seems far too reasonable in price!

[Dottie]

I forgot to thank you for bringing this subject up because as I said before, I did not realise the storage recommendations of this product.  I have just checked the label of my 4kg container (it actually takes the 5kg bag of Gentle) and it is a Pureness one.  The information is as follows:

• Ideal for dog owners who want to both store & dispense with convenient access and sized to sit on any countertop
• Fresh-tite™ seal ensures your pets’ food will stay fresh longer reducing spoilage due to pests and moisture
• Made from USFDA food contact approved plastic (safe for pets)

Mine looks like this one but as it is a small, 4kg size it sits on the work surface in the utility area of the garage. I don't know whether it is guaranteed airtight but the seal is good so I imagine that it might be.
 
The information above brings something else to mind - the subject of using the correct plastic so nothing leaches into the food.  It is so confusing!  I remember having one bag of Gentle that lasted longer than usual and there was signs of oil leaking through at the bottom of the paper bag that it comes in.

You probably know this, but adding warm water to Gentle makes a super wet food and for fussy eaters is a great way of serving it up.  If it is then put in a slow feeder it would make it last a bit longer.  My lot used to scoff the small amount they had in a nano second!

[LS25Lee]

I didn't know about gentle with warm water. I think Zeus will eat it as it is. He's currently content on the rug so he seems happy enough.

Good point about the plastic. Don't use a bin, use a pet approved container. Probably similar concept to home brewing. i.e. needing to use specialist plastic or you can end up poisoning yourself - Least we know now!

[Dottie]

Depending on how much water is added, it looks rather like potted meat or pate. I used to add warm water and quite like the aroma. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to soften and dissolve in water. It is then that you realise how different it is than extruded food.

[COASTER]

I was wondering if drilling holes in lid & or sides of an airtight dog food container might work (lowering whole bag into it rather than emptying same).

Develpoing this further suitable mesh (like that used in domestic radiator covers or car grills), could be fixed inside the container behind the holes (this would reduce interference potential from insects or even mice (perhaps for those with older properties, outdoor stores, old floorboarded understairs cupobards etc).

I think environment is as important......an understairs cupboard with minimal moisture &/or abscence of significant  heat would be my choice…......depending on environment weekly amounts could  perhaps be decantered into a less fussy storeage solutions.