# Picky Poodle?



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Their kibble might be to blame:

_“Kibble lasts only 2-3 weeks once the bag is opened. That’s far shorter than the ‘Best Before’ date on the bag, which is usually at least a year. But that date applies to unopened bags of food. Once opened, food loses its nutritional value and the fats begin to oxidize and go rancid.”_









How Long Does Kibble Last? - Dogs Naturally


Synthetic ingredients in dog kibble help keep its shelf life, but as soon as you open it, it starts oxidizing. How long does that kibble really last?




www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com





This might explain why your poodle wolfs down a new food and then quickly loses interest.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

My breeder’s guidance to add a small amount of this or that as a topper to keep interest in the same old same old (quality) kibble alive ; and that has really worked. It might be a teaspoon of yogurt, cream cheese, protein from the human meal. She also recommended a raw meal and that needs no embellishment.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Sophy never liked kibble after the first week or so, and having read how quickly the sprayed on oils go rancid I am not surprised. A friend has resorted to vacuum packing small portions and freezing them, which is probably the best way of keeping it fresh.


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## Apricot mini momma (Dec 22, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Their kibble might be to blame:
> 
> _“Kibble lasts only 2-3 weeks once the bag is opened. That’s far shorter than the ‘Best Before’ date on the bag, which is usually at least a year. But that date applies to unopened bags of food. Once opened, food loses its nutritional value and the fats begin to oxidize and go rancid.”_
> 
> ...


I read this right after throwing out a whole Costco organic young chicken that we had baked for Beau because my husband left it out all night thinking that was ok, and looking down at Beau eating his kibble from a 2 month old bag. I like the idea of vacuum packing. It’s just cheaper to buy the big bag! Ugh things feel difficult this morning 😆🤪


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Now we get to think about all the things that we open and use slowly - flour, rice, pasta... (not chocolate!)


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

So, do we need to revaluate how we store poodle food? Is there a "best" way to do it?


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## Pavie (May 4, 2021)

Re-packaging them in small vacuum bags might be how to keep it fresh... I don't have a vacuum sealer, but I do tend to buy smaller bags, just because they are easier to carry. When I do get bigger bags, I divide the kibble into ziplock bags and squeeze the air out before sealing them.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I'd have loved to buy more economical sizes but it takes my two mpoo boys 3 weeks to get thru their 6lb bag of food. 

I sort of split the difference by opening the bag, pour a weeks worth into a small sealed container, fold and clip the balance of the original bag in a larger sealed container. The original bag gets opened three times total. 

My thinking is that the less often the bag is opened, the fresher it stays.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

We do something similar, opening Peggy’s kibble bag just as much as necessary to fill the container in our pantry.

I shared this article with my husband (the official kibble purchaser) and I heard him apologizing to Peggy, telling her he didn’t know and that he’ll get smaller bags from now on. 😢

The ones we currently get aren’t massive, but we’ve still got a little wiggle room there.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I repackage big bags into 2-3 sealed food grade buckets, and keep in a cool, dark place. They smell fresh when opened (need to be filled to the top).


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## Christine.G (Nov 19, 2020)

For Want of Poodle said:


> I repackage big bags into 2-3 sealed food grade buckets, and keep in a cool, dark place. They smell fresh when opened (need to be filled to the top).


Ditto


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

I have read that it's best to store the _opened bag_ in a sealed food-grade plastic container. That way you always have the lot number in case the food is subject to a recall. I have trouble finding small bags of food at our local pet food outlets, so I have started to order them from Chewy's. I'd rather shop local, but it's not realistic to buy a 15-pound back of food for a 10-pound miniature poodle, especially now that we're rotating proteins every month.


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

PowersPup said:


> I have read that it's best to store the _opened bag_ in a sealed food-grade plastic container. That way you always have the lot number in case the food is subject to a recall. I have trouble finding small bags of food at our local pet food outlets, so I have started to order them from Chewy's. I'd rather shop local, but it's not realistic to buy a 15-pound back of food for a 10-pound miniature poodle, especially now that we're rotating proteins every month.


One more thought - the small bags that I buy each last about two weeks. I order three bags at a time from Chewy so I get free shipping. I check the "best by" or "use by" dates carefully.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I believe that dry dog food such as kibble is nitrogen flushed before sealing. Nitrogen is flushed in to push oxygen out of the bag before sealing. The oxidation and spoiling occur with oxygen. The unopened bag is safe to store on store shelves for awhile….. until the seal is broken. The second you poke a hole or cut into the bag, oxygen rushes is and the oxygenation process begins.

Take away message, buy the size package your dog eats in a reasonable time. PowersPup has a good system.

Storing it in a secondary container doesn’t prolong the life of the food as its still surrounded with oxygen. Vacuum sealing at home helps but some oxygen remains so it’s better than nothing but not as good a nitrogen flushing before sealing. Unfortunately nitrogen flushing is an industrial process not suitable for home use.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Seems to me that packaging requirements should be updated to include this information. My soy milk cartons, for example, say something like “Best used within 7-10 days of opening.”


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## Mark (Dec 17, 2014)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Their kibble might be to blame:
> 
> _“Kibble lasts only 2-3 weeks once the bag is opened. That’s far shorter than the ‘Best Before’ date on the bag, which is usually at least a year. But that date applies to unopened bags of food. Once opened, food loses its nutritional value and the fats begin to oxidize and go rancid.”_
> 
> ...


I had the same trouble with my dogs. My vet recomended separating all the food into small Ziplock bags and store them in the refrigerator until it was time to use them. After doing this, I haven't had to waste any food again. I believe it was the oxidation of the food that was the issue. I didn't have to get a vacuum seal pack.


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## Mark (Dec 17, 2014)

I'm sorry if this is a little late to add but just remembered it and thought it might be helpful so thought I would post it. I also remember my vet telling me that if the zip lock bags were not enough, then to add some whole fresh herbs into the bag to counteract any smell that the dogs might not like. He said a sprig or two of fresh Rosemary was his favorite as it has aroma enough to counteract the oil's oxidation, but not too strong for the parents to tolerate when feeding.
I did do this in the beginning, but when I started having trouble finding rosemary in the supermarkets and gardening nurseries, I stopped and haven't had any trouble since.😀


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