How long does unopened bagged dog food last?

[Justmeinflorida]

I was just wondering how long you can store unopened bagged dog food because we've decided to adopt a puppy/dog and we're gonna start stockpiling things for him/her ahead of time before we go and let him/her pick us out.

[everprincess]

I don't recommend you leave it open. When we had dogs we bought a big bin and put the bag of dog food in there after we opened the bag. Air moisture can get in the opened bag and develop mold that could make your dogs very sick. HTH!

[Doglover8180]

If it's unopened -I am sure it would last for some time. Dog food has expiration dates on it - and they are usually pretty far in advance - just look at the dates before you buy - and pick the farthest out date - but if it's unopened and not exposed to the air - I would think it would definately last till the expiration date on the bag.

[Justmeinflorida]

I don't recommend you leave it open. When we had dogs we bought a big bin and put the bag of dog food in there after we opened the bag. Air moisture can get in the opened bag and develop mold that could make your dogs very sick. HTH!

I'm actually wondering about unopened bags...we haven't gotten out new family member yet but I would like to be prepared before he/she comes home.

[3timesoccermom]

It would mean using a lot of freezer space but I wonder if it could be frozen? I don't know the answer OP. Maybe try googling.

[Justmeinflorida]

If it's unopened -I am sure it would last for some time. Dog food has expiration dates on it - and they are usually pretty far in advance - just look at the dates before you buy - and pick the farthest out date - but if it's unopened and not exposed to the air - I would think it would definately last till the expiration date on the bag.

Thanks for the reply, I'll have to go look at some dog food bags tomorrow when we're out shopping to give me a better idea of when to start of stockpile. We don't know exactly when we will be adopting him/her but it should be in the next month or so.

[Doglover8180]

I think freezing it might really change the taste and a dog not eat it but if you are getting a dog in the next month - the food usually has a date on it of 9-12 months in advance so it has a long shelf life - as is - if it stays unopened.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Most dog food does not come in very well sealed bags meaning moisture and pets can get into the unopend bags pretty easily. The bags that come in more of a plastic type bag is better than the kinds that come in a paper bag. For long term storage we have treated it like we would flour. Froze it for 24-48 hours and thn sealed in 5 gallon plastic buckets.

Freezing to kill any critters that may be in the pet food already and then the 5 gallon buckets to keep pests and moisture out. But I would not go crazy on stockpiling too much considering you don't have your puppy/dog yet as you may find he or she cannot eat the brand you bought. I would personally wait to see what brand of food the dog/puppy is being fed when you get him/her and then if you are going to change brands do it slowly and make sure it can tolerate the new brand and only then would I stockpile it.

[Justmeinflorida]

Most dog food does not come in very well sealed bags meaning moisture and pets can get into the unopend bags pretty easily. The bags that come in more of a plastic type bag is better than the kinds that come in a paper bag. For long term storage we have treated it like we would flour. Froze it for 24-48 hours and thn sealed in 5 gallon plastic buckets.

Freezing to kill any critters that may be in the pet food already and then the 5 gallon buckets to keep pests and moisture out. But I would not go crazy on stockpiling too much considering you don't have your puppy/dog yet as you may find he or she cannot eat the brand you bought. I would personally wait to see what brand of food the dog/puppy is being fed when you get him/her and then if you are going to change brands do it slowly and make sure it can tolerate the new brand and only then would I stockpile it.

Great advise...I actually never thought of that. I was hoping for a puppy, so I figured I would just slowly switch him/her over to whatever brand I was gonna use. But I guess you really never know who's gonna take your heart when you go to the shelter, so with that being said he/she might be older and used to a certain kind of food.

[kremsh]

It also depends on the size of the dog you have in mind...small dogs won't require as much of a stockpile as a large one.

I have 3 dogs but 2 dogs range in size from 65-100 pounds so it's hard to stockpile around here, so I can only afford to keep 2-3 months on hand around here.

I shop mostly at Petsmart and they have sales all the time so it's not hard to get good deals every few months or so.