Can any dog food get bugs, or just grain-inclusive formulas?

Any type of bug found in your pets food is best avoided. Ants themselves aren't harmful if accidentally eaten by your pet, but they potentially can remove some nutrients from the food. A good way to keep the ants out of the food supply is to place the food in a plastic container. Not only will this keep ants out but dust mites as well, which often cause food allergy symptoms in pets. Also leave out just enough kibble where your pet finishes the meal. That way no left-overs are still in the bowl to attract the ants.

Yes, those are probably grain mites you are seeing. This is usually due to improper storage of the food item. Grain mites should not cause serious illnesses if eaten, but some pets might have an allergic reaction to them that could include itching, and intestinal and skin problems; possible but not likely to happen. I would not be worried about this. Just throw the treats away and follow the guidelines below to help prevent this from happening again. * Store pet foods in airtight containers. * Don't store food in garages, sheds or basements. * Immediately throw bags away outside after the food has been put into a container. * Don't buy or use old or outdated food. * Wash food dishes frequently in hot water and dry thoroughly. * Buy only 30 days worth of food at a time. * Don't purchase food in bags with holes or tears. * Avoid low quality food with a lot of debris in the bottom of the bag (ALPO would be one of the lower quality foods). Hope this helps. Best wishes.

No, I would not recommend you feed that food. You could contact where you bought the bag of food or the manufacturer to enquire wether it is normal for a bag of food being breached by mouse. Hope this helps, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !

It can be difficult to recognize when food has spoiled, and there have been many food recalls lately for various problems like salmonella or other contaminants in food that could make your dog sick but wouldn’t be obviously detectable in the food. I would recommend sticking to foods that are produced by manufacturers with good quality control in place like Hill’s, Purina and Royal Canin. I would also recommend avoiding raw diets since there is potential for salmonella contamination. In general you should keep food at room temperature or a cool, dry place in a tightly sealed metal container or you can place the original bag in a plastic container. Make sure you buy a bag that your dog can eat in 4-6 weeks or the oils could become rancid.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If the bag containing the food was air tight and non-pourous it is likely fine. Even if it wasn’t stored with essential oils, 3 months is a long time to store dog food. We worry about mold formation and these foods usually have an expiration date. I’d remove the food from the closet with the essential oils. If it smells like the oils when you open the bag, discard the food. Have a good day

Great question! I always keep my dog food in an airtight plastic container. It helps keep it fresh, and the container also prevents any other creatures from getting the food such as insects. I recommend a container. I hope this helps :-)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would avoid the foods with a lot of dyes, like in Beneful. Royal Canin is an excellent food and wheat, corn, and rice grain are not bad ingredients. I would stick with Royal Canin. Good luck and kisses to Soska!