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Veterinarians in Wapakoneta, OH | Auglaize Animal Hospital
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Apr 14 2022
Pet Food Hazards You May Not Know About
Home » News » Pet Food Hazards You May Not Know About
A recent study to assess dog owners’ pet food handling and storage hygiene practices has raised awareness of the FDA’s guidelines for doing just so. Wait, which FDA guidelines? If you didn’t know, don’t worry, because neither did more than 95% of the pet owners who participated in the study.
Harmful bacteria, like Escherichia coli (E. coli), salmonella, and listeria, are happy to reside and multiply on pet food and people food alike, so it makes sense to store and handle all food with the same level of care. Unsure how? Here are three strategies to follow:
1. Purchase pet food with peace of mind Before you can protect your pet’s food from contamination, start with food that isn’t contaminated. Check the expiry or best before dates on all pet food and consider whether your pet will eat it by that date. Avoid discounted products with damaged packaging, because there is no way of knowing what the contents may have been exposed to. The same goes for cans missing their labels and any packaging that appears discolored, as it could be a result of sitting out in the sun for a long time. Saving 10% is not worth the risk!
The pet food brand you choose is also important. Every brand should have a customer contact phone number printed on its products. Don’t be afraid to call and enquire about their manufacturing safety policies and procedures. If the customer representative can’t answer your questions or direct you to someone who can, do not feed their products to your pets!
2. Handle pet food with care Start clean, end clean; it’s that simple.
3. Make safe and secure storage a priority Over time, the fat in food oxidizes and becomes rancid, compromising its nutritional value and palatability. Here are some storage tips to keep your pet’s food safe, nutritious, and delicious:
Keeping your pet’s food safe is a commitment. Pick some small changes you can implement today, like washing your hands and your pet’s dishes more often, then set goals for the more challenging ones, like researching pet foods and reorganizing your storage space.
LifeLearn News
Note: This article, written by LifeLearn Animal Health (LifeLearn Inc.) is licensed to this practice for the personal use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited without the express written permission of Lifelearn. Please note that the news information presented here is NOT a substitute for a proper consultation and/or clinical examination of your pet by a veterinarian.
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