Is Out Of Date Dry Dog Food OK?? Changing your dog’s diet is a very good way to prevent nutritional deficiencies, but it can be difficult when there are so many types of dry food on the market. Different brands have different theories about what nutrients dogs need, and how they should be supplied to them.
Some believe that limiting carbohydrates is an important part of giving your dog nutrition, while others limit fat or protein alone. Some use only natural products, whereas others contain no antioxidants at all!
It is easy for new owners to get confused and start buying whatever brand their puppy looks coolest in. Fortunately, however, we have some more informed pet parents who have done some research and checked out the most recent diets. These diets are usually much less expensive than other foods, which may make changing yours easier.
This article will discuss two specific diets and whether they are okay for allergic dogs. You will also learn why some people think these diets are not healthy for puppies and if this is true.
What does outdated mean?
There’s an old saying that “you can never be too rich or too thin,” which means you should always strive to have enough of what you want and need. With food, this means there’t been a shortage of dry dog foods for several years now!
It seems like every major brand has come out with a new “premium” diet targeted at wealthy dogs who eat a lot of meat. These diets are usually much higher in protein than their predecessors, making them seem more expensive.
However, most of these diets are also high in carbohydrates, which are not only cheaper than meats but also help supply your dog’s body with the energy it needs to function.
What does expired mean?
There are two main types of expiration dates used for food – ingredient lists and nutritional information. Ingredients must be at least one year past their use-by date to be considered “expired”. The term ‘use by’ is typically one year from when it was packaged, but some ingredients will lose half of their effectiveness after six months!
So what happens to these expiry dates once they hit that mark? They are either recycled or discarded depending on whether they have been gone for more than six months or not. Sometimes companies pull the product off the shelves before this can happen, so you may find there’s a lack of confirmation if this applies in your area.
It’s important to note that even though a label says ‘best before’ or ‘sell-bye’, this doesn’t mean the contents remain stable and effective until just beyond those terms. In fact, many things (including meat) can continue to taste bad well after the listed time frame has passed.
Why are some products outdated or expired?
Certain dry dog foods have gone out of style because they contain too many additives.
Many of these additives do not work as claimed no matter how much we feed them to our dogs.
Are all dry dog foods outdated or expired?
Certain types of dried food are considered out-of-date if you look at the ingredients list. The term “dried” does not mean that these products are totally consumed and absorbed by your dog, it just means that they are mixed with chemicals and/or preservatives to keep the product stable for a longer period of time.
Some examples of this include things such as tallow (animal fat) which is used to give some products an added texture and magnesium stearate (a type of starch) which helps stabilize the feed so that it doesn’t crumble away in your dogs’ stomachs.
These additives are typically made through processing oils or fats that have been altered chemically to be more stable. While they do not negatively impact health when used in small amounts, they can contribute to health issues when eaten in large quantities. Because dried kibble supplies limited water, animals don’t need to drink as much to stay hydrated, making them potentially overfed.
This could lead to obesity and medical conditions like diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and kidney problems. Unfortunately, many brands use very few nutritional supplements that are actually needed to make a quality diet. This sometimes includes limiting important nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids that help maintain healthy skin and immune function.
Since most dogs eat around 4–5% of their body weight in nutrition per day, even low levels of excess intake can result in malnutrition.
Should I switch my dog to a new dry food?
Changing your dog’s diet is an extremely difficult task. Even if you are totally sure that the old food isn’t working, there is no easy way to tell whether the new one does.
Many dogs will try the new recipe immediately, but it may take several days or even weeks before the changes show in the behavior and physiology of the animal. In fact, some animals need time to get used to their new culinary options!
It is very important to remember this when deciding whether or not to change your dog’s food. It can be very hard for those who have never experienced changing diets to understand.
A lot of people start looking into different foods after their dogs fail to respond to an existing one. This is a great idea, but you must give your pooch enough time to make any nutritional adjustments.
By giving your dog a chance to adjust to the new food, you will know with certainty that it is not right for them.
What about canned?
Another option is to find a brand that is either packaged in water or in broth instead of meat-based gravy. These are sometimes called vegetarian dog foods, but be very careful which type of broth they use!
Many dogs love these types of diets because they do not contain chicken, turkey, beef, or other animal products. However, some broths may include wheat as an ingredient so look for clear warnings before feeding them to your dog.
Some people believe that these types of diets can cause nutritional deficiencies in their dogs. This is false! While it is true that certain nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are lower in cooked vegetables and fruits, this does not apply to dry food brands that have vegetable matter already added during processing.
Furthermore, raw meat diets are not well tolerated by most dogs and many suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) issues like diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.
Does the age of the product matter?
There are two main reasons that people say dry dog foods are better than wet ones- they claim that their dogs eat more of it because there is not as much water, and/or that it has higher nutritional content.
The first assumption in this theory is that your dog will actually eat more food if you give him or her something that contains less liquid. However, research shows that hungry animals will eat just as much food whether it’s liquid or solid!
Dogs are instinctively thirsty, so when they are looking to be sated, eating too little can make them go after other types of food or drink that contain moisture. This may even result in them drinking plain H2O instead of the milk or broth that some dry diets use as a texture component.
While it is true that dried foods take longer for your pet to chew and swallow than products with liquids in them, this doesn’t mean that they don’t get enough nutrition. In fact, studies show that fully mature adult dogs (one year and up) who are fed either kibble or canned diet survive similarly well, which contradicts the dryer myth.1
So what about those extra few minutes it takes your pooch to down his or her dinner? You have to remember that time isn’t the only factor determining how well your dog eats, nor is it the most important one.
Will my dog eat it?
Although there have been some reports about dogs experiencing vomiting or diarrhea after eating an old food, this does not apply to all types of dried food. Many brands update their products by replacing fat with carbohydrate as the main ingredient and adding more vegetables to make up for the lost nutrition.
Many dogs that are in good health will probably not experience any issues when switching foods. However using a new diet can be tricky at first for older dogs who may need extra time to adjust.
It is important to give your dog’s body enough time to get used to the changes. Make sure you feed the same type of dry food during the transition period so your dog doesn’t go without nutritional help.
If your dog experiences symptoms such as weight loss, poor grooming, or general lethargy while on the new food, then try changing his/her kibble or switch back to wet food until the problem resolves itself.