[NetG]

I currently feed my dogs purina dog chow but thanks to this site I will be mixing in a higher quality dog food, such as diamond or sportmix, with the intent of phasing out purina and phasing in the new food. With 3 large breed dogs I have been buying 40+ bags of purina for about $20, I was SUPER ecstatic when I saw that diamond is 30 pounds at around $30 at my local feed store, HEY I can afford that 🙂 But some of these were involved in recalls so now I’m a little worried 🙁

Now I would NEVER keep a bag that was recalled nor would I EVER knowingly feed contaminated food to my pups…but you never know your dog food is bad until it’s too late and the recall is out.

So here’s my question; can I heat the dry dog food in the oven (then cool) before feeding and kill any potential contamination without degrading nutrients? Would this add an extra layer of protection as I’m thinking or would it just be a waste? I’ve done this with purina just because it had been in the bin for a while. The pups seemed to appreciate the “refreshed” kibble but it never crossed my mind that I may be over-cooking and destroying nutrients. I really want to switch to the highest quality dog food I can afford to feed them but I don’t want to be counter productive. I know the risk of contamination is low but call me a worry wort. Thoughts?

[NetG]

oops 40+ pound, not 40 bags 😉

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi NetG –

I would strongly advise against heating kibble. Many vitamins, minerals and amino acids are heat sensitive and you would be damaging the omega 3 fatty acids. If your dog is healthy, you shouldn’t be concerned about salmonella. I have fed my three dogs raw for nearly two years – during that time span I’m sure they’ve inevitably consumed contaminated meat, they’ve never gotten sick. Dogs, by nature, are scavengers and have the appropriate digestive system to accommodate the bacteria found in “ripe” food. I’m not suggesting anyone knowingly feed their dog contaminated food, but unless the dog is immune compromised it would be very unlikely for a dog to show clinical symptoms of salmonella. Rather than finding ways to eliminate salmonella in the dog’s food, you should be concerned with washing your hands after handling the food and washing all bowls the surfaces the food touches – because you and your family are susceptible. You may also want to look into purchasing food from a more trustworthy company than Diamond if salmonella is such a concern for you – there are many other budget-friendly dog food not made by Diamond.

[NetG]

Thanks for the info, I wasn’t planning on going with Diamond since I’m such a worry wart and they had the recent history. I was thinking of doing that with whatever I did get as a precaution but I’ll forgo that idea and just stick with companies with better track records.

Great tip on hand washing! I work in healthcare and hand washing has become second nature to me (more like first nature) even when it involves my pups 😉 Growing up in the country I was always amazed at what they would ingest and how their immune system protects them from most of it. I know exposure to naturally occurring “things” found in the wild are unavoidable and, like us, somewhat of a necessity to keep the immune system strong, but of course we’re discussing unnatural/excessive exposure.

I began to look into a better diet for myself and then I thought considering all the crude in OUR food I dreaded what poor quality mass produced dog food may be. Wow was that fear validated, talk about an eye opener! Another idea I got from the web here regarding affordability and better dog food is asking the butcher shops about getting regular fresh leftovers to provide a more natural diet, that IS my goal if possible. While that may or may not work out, as I’m not the only dog lover in my area, until then I will have to rely on commercial dog food. What I WAS (emphasis on the past tense) feeding them only got a one star rating on this site and I just about pulled my hair out reading that! I’m really this site is so well organized as it makes researching dog foods SO fast and easy. I will dig deeper and find a highly rated one I can afford with a good track record.

I’m of the opinion now that if it’s at wally world it’s not a good dog food, I’m sure there are a couple exceptions but oh well. Luckily when I did a run by of the feed store in my area I saw that they sell a few of the foods that are rated here at 4 and 5 stars. I probably feed myself “3 star” human food now and I’m not going below 4 stars for my babies 😉

THANKS AGAIN!

[Author]

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