Can You Freeze Kibble?

[Roo]

Daisy the terrier is so picky that we never get through even the smallest bag of dog food before she gets bored and won't eat it any more. I try to switch up kibble (and she gets different flavors of canned food and some ground beef or turkey mixed into every meal or she simply won't eat, then she has the empty tummy barfs - even when I don't have a greyhound, I have a dog with greyhound tendencies ) but sometimes it takes her a couple months before she's willing eat it again. Can I put the uneaten kibble in a freezer bag in the freezer till it's palatable again? I've wasted so much money on food that I just end up having to donate after a week or two. Being able to freeze the kibble till she forgets she stopped liking it would be awesome.

 

(I've tried waiting her out and not switching foods or adding extras but she just will not eat for days. She dropped two pounds during this experiment and two pounds off a 19 pound dog is too much! Plus she has the empty tummy barfs, and when she's on strike she eats all sorts of crap off the floor and the trail we walk on almost like she's trying to make a point It's just easier for everyone if I give in to her whims )

[Remolacha]

I don't see why not. About the only things you can't freeze are things like hard boiled eggs, that don't thaw well (trust me on that!) sometimes the texture quality is affected, but I don't see that would be a problem with kibble.

[Houndtime]

I don't see why not. it should be fine.

[Hubcitypam]

Agree. I have found when freezing anything it pays to double bag. For example put food inquart freezer bags them into gallon ones. You can reuse the gallon ones over and over/. I keep them in the freezer door.

[3greytjoys]

Kibble manufacturers taught me that kibble is temperature sensitive. I was taught that it should never be stored in an outside container or even in a dry garage due to temperature fluctuations.

 

That said, one of our hounds has always had an unpredictable appetite, so her uneaten wet kibble is placed in the refrigerator after about 15-30 minutes -- to limit bacteria build up. It's likely that some nutrients are damaged, but otherwise we would have been throwing away her breakfast about every other day for 10 years.

 

Important side note: Kibble oils go rancid, and can contaminate new kibble. Kibble manufacturers recommend storing kibble inside the same bag in which it was purchased. If people dump fresh kibble into a pet food storage container, manufacturers recommend the container be washed with soap and water, rinsed very well, and dried very, very thoroughly before adding fresh kibble. Scoopers should be washed before each fresh bag of kibble is opened.

 

I'd suggest contacting Daisy's kibble manufacturer to ask how long her dry kibble can be stored at room temperature once opened. If sealed tightly, it might last longer than you'd think.

[Time4ANap]

An air tight storage container might be all you need if you keep it in the original bag. Drop the whole bag into the container and seal. Most kibble has a long shelf life according to the Sell By or Use By date on the bag. While opening it will decrease the shelf life a little, keeping it in a cool location in an airtight container may be better than freezing. Freezing may crystallize any moisture content in the kibble and change the flavor - almost like freezer burn.

 

A 5 gallon storage bucket with a Gamma Seal Lid would work for small bags, or an air tight kibble container that you can store several bags in might be an option as well. Be sure to re-seal the bags before storing.

 

Amazon links used for convenience - there are better prices out there.

[juliemac]

or trade kibble with someone else ... we all have know someone with a hound like yours (if you only lived closer ...). I always mix 3-4 kibble brands together, including brands that my dearest friends use with their hounds. not only does it make the kibble more interesting (I pretend they get to find the marshmallows in Lucky Charms), my hounds could snack at my friends' houses without having tummy issues from the change in diet.

 

Sorry ... that didn't answer your 'freeze the kibble' question.

[cleptogrey]

call the manufacturer and explain what's going on and that your dog now refuses to eat the kibble. don't go into the history of this picky eater. maybe they will send you a coupon for another variety, maybe you can take it back to the store you purchased it at. our local ma & pa pet store, petgoods, takes open returns. they want their customers to return and try other foods.

[Roo]

Of course as soon as I ask the question, she decides the food is just fine

 

I've bought at a local ma&pa store before and they're very good about returns. I explained to them that I adopted the world's most pickiest old dog and that she'll eat it fine for a day or two then decide it's the worst thing I've offered her, and they laughed and said that they'll take it back and let me pick out another one. I've gone through most of the affordable options at their store (she's not a fan of fish-based foods, so we're limited to lamb, beef, and turkey - she can't do chicken as the first ingredient and she won't touch kangaroo or anything super exotic, and bison and venison are hit-or-miss) so I bought this last bag from Walmart - it's the slightly nicer brand (Pure Balance maybe?) and is beef/bison/venison. She eats Purina One canned food, and that's just about the only brand she'll touch. I tried mixing in some Merrick last week but she wouldn't eat it. After this bag of kibble, we're going back to the ma&pa store to start the cycle over again.

 

Oh, she loves pork. Absolutely loves it. Will clean her plate every meal. Except it's weirdly difficult to find a decent and affordable pork food. She loved the Fromm pork and peas last month, so that'll be our first stop next time we're due for a bag.

 

As an aside, I wish they sold food in smaller bags! She gets so bored towards the end of a 6 pound bag. I'd love to buy 3 pound bags but nobody sells them (and if they do, they're super expensive because they're fancy foods). I was feeding her solely from free samples for a while, but figured it looked suspicious for me to keep going back and asking for free samples "just to be sure"

[cleptogrey]

it sounds like you need to stock up on samples!!!! she's an IG,right? my friend who has bred and shown IGs has 2, 17 year old litter mates. they eat ....WHAT EVER? including baby food, organic deli meat and anything that they desire. they manage to maintain their weight and are as happy as can be. i do remember when they were younger she would give them vienna hot dog- yup the gross baby food stuff. and she eats only organic, the afghans- organic, but the IGs....ANYTHING!!!!

[Roo]

I'm actually not 100% sure what she is! The shelter said she was a Jack Russell, but her legs are way too long. My working theory is that she's a rat terrier, but almost everyone asks if she's an IG, so it's entirely possible there's some IG in her lineage! She certainly has the sighthound shape - deep chest, tiny waist, long legs... I'd love to do a DNA test on her but haven't been able to spend the money on one yet.

 

That's funny about your friend's IGs! Sounds familiar too. I read it won't be long before I'm playing the "What'll you eat today?" game with everything in the house She's already a big fan of parmesan sprinkled on her food.

Edited January 14, 2017 by Roo

[GreytTerp]

Our vet used to have us save some money by buying the bigger bag of the Hill's dental diet (no longer available, unfortunately) and just freezing most of it until we needed to resupply. We used the extra large pieces as treats, so the bigger bag lasted 4-5 months, always in the freezer.