[Gen S]

It happened to me that I received things that had beyond their expiration date, and I believe that this was a common practice for that internet company. Because in response to my complaint, they simply informed me that they would create a replacement.
https://www.catfoodpoint.com/best-grain-free-cat-food/ penalty kick online

[aimee]

Hi CFC

Right now, since I know how many months out the expiration date is from production date, I use that to guide purchase. At the time when I looked into this, Purina gave me the code to their production stamp which was also on the label. As I recall it was a combination of letters and numbers and with it and I could tell what plant it was made in, what line in the plant it was produced on, and the exact date and time of production.

[crazy4cats]

Is there a production date as well as an expiration date posted on the bags? I’ve only noticed expiration dates.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

When purchasing kibble for my own pets, I want something that is no longer than 6 months post production date. My 6 month rule isn’t written in stone and that number is based on absolutely nothing other than my own personal preference. Often times what I’m buying is ~2- 3months post production date but once the bag was a mere 10 days post production date!

Natural preservatives simply are not going to have the anti oxidant potential as synthetics and since consumer demand is for natural preservatives that is the way a lot of products are produced. Storge conditions in the manufacturer warehouse and distribution center and pet store can impact how well the preservatives “hold”. I suspect under adverse storage they may not hold up for full 12-18 months so I’m hedging my bet by using shorter cut off. But this is all conjecture on my part.

Interesting that Stella and Chewy’s states an expiration of 14-18 months post production in their FAQ and the bag is dated out 5 years. Have you contacted them for an explanation? You might want to inquire if they have held the food under adverse conditions such as high heat and humidity for 5 years and then tested it to ensure excessive oxidation did not occur

While in the FAQ section, the question on feeding large breed puppies caught my eye. Their answer makes no sense to me. They write:” Things are more limited with our kibble, as you would need to stick with the puppy-specific kibble recipe (calcium and DHA levels aren’t enough for large breed puppies in non-puppy formulas)”

It seems to me they are saying there is not enough calcium or DHA in their diets that are labeled as formulated for all life stages except the growth of large breed puppies. AAFCO’s min for Ca and DHA are the same for ALL puppies. AAFCO’s profile does not require more Ca for large breed growth. The AAFCO profile places a LIMIT on how much Ca can be in a diet for large breed puppies. Diets that are labeled for growth except large breeds can only mean that the calcium level in the food EXCEEDS the maximum NOT that there is not enough calcium in the food for a large breed puppy. I’d find it very disturbing if they didn’t understand this basic nutritional concept.

[Patricia A]

Just wanted to add that I look at Stella n Chewy’s website . States under frequently asked questions that their raw and kibble products have an expiration date of 14-18 months past the date of production on their bags.
So will be going back to my Pet Supply store and bringing back unopened I just purchased this week. I’m sure the last one I just threw out was probably outdated also. Didn’t feel like going through outside garbage.

[Patricia A]

I never thought to look at expiration date on the kibble brand I’ve fed for several years. . I purchase at a very frequented pet supply store so always thought was manufactured at least within a year. Well kind of shocked when checked date and saw manufactured in 2019. However best to use date is 2024.
I’ve read that kibble has so many preservatives that will last unopened for years. However, also read that can go rancid even unopened and will only last approx 12-18 months past manufacturing date. Aimee chime in please.

• This topic was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee. Just confusing to me that all these studies led pet owners to believe grain free was primary causation of DCM in pets. Possibly legumes in grain free causing enzyme inhibitions and interfering with digestion causing taurine and other amino acid deficiencies .
I personally don’t trust how much protein comes from meat and how much is from pea protein on grain free. However, I also don’t trust grain inclusive. Due to below.

A recall on pet food has been expanded after 70 dogs have died and another 80 or more were sickened due to mold in a popular pet and cat food brand.
Midwestern Pet Foods is expanding an earlier recall of some of its Sportmix products to other dry dog and cat foods with an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022 that were manufactured in its Oklahoma kitchen. The recall includes all dog and cat pet food products made with corn products because they might contain elevated levels of aflatoxin, which is produce from a mold that can grow on corn and other ingredients used in pet food.

So below is the food that Science Diet grain free. Why if it’s so bad?
Ingredients in Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Grain Free Chicken & Potato Recipe dog food are peas second ingredient.

I like Stella n Chewys however they use synthetic vitamin pack. Freeze dried should be getting all necessary minerals and vitamins from natural sources. Synthetic vitamin packs are always added to highly processed dog food because nutrients are cooked out due to the high heat. My dogs do well with most of their proteins but if mistakes are made with amount in pack the results are lethal . As in below.

The FDA has become aware of reports of vitamin D toxicity in dogs that ate certain canned dog foods manufactured by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and marketed under the Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet brands. This is a developing situation, and the FDA will update this page with additional information as it becomes available.

I can only HOPE I’m making an educated choice in feeding my dogs a diet of good nutrition and food that is not slowly poisoning them. I have inherited my mom’s dog now that she is living with me after my dad passed. So I have three now. My Tia always gains weight easily even with exercise and string beans as treats. Loli gets growling stomach if given too much fat. If I have lean steak as treat one day I only give for that day. Two days in row and loose stools. Then there is my mom’s . Can’t eat the Primal Turkey n Salmon but the others do fine with it. UHHH I recently tried Small Batch turkey freeze dried. Trust company and love all the ingredients but ONE. They have garlic. Now way down on list of ingredients. Some say natural flea repellent. Great stools and none had stomach trouble. Been on the bag of the small sliders for a week. But I can’t continue not trusting that the garlic could build up to cause red blood cell destruction. They are all Chihuahuas’. Just would like to make it easy for me and get a brand I trust to be healthy and all three do well with. Guess for now I’ll stick to primal freeze dried. However, I do like to rotate between at least two brands just in case. Sorry for this being so long, Just hard to trust what’s in your dog food when I have to keep up with all the human food recalls making people sick. lol

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by Patricia A.

[Miyako K]

I want to ask if anybody received the dry dog food via online pet food company which the expiration date was passed already when you received.
I already received 4 times and the online company is a famous company and reputation for good customer service. However, I was just told as Return the product and they ship the replacement . I returned and got the replacement but it was the same old expired dated food.
I contacted the online retailer and their answer was maybe print mistake by the manufacturer. It should be 03/2023 but misprinted as 03/2022. This is prime food, $33.99 + Tax for 8.8 LB bag. Anyway, I don’t know what to do with this old products.
Is anyone received those expired dated products via online company? What did you do for the products , especially, they shipped the same old products as the replacement again?
Is that safe to give my dog? I can not return again because it is really heavy to carry and get subway to go to FedEx store (We have no FedEx store near home and have to drive or take subway). The online store just allow to return via FedEx.

[Eric L]

TOTW High Sierra Diarrhea Issues

I have fed my Texas Heeler TOTW dog for for all of his 6 1/2 years. This food was one of several recommended by a holistic vet when he was a pup. I have fed him this food consistently, switching the protein source/flavor each new bag. I rotate (excluding the Pacific Stream as he doesn’t like it) and have never had any problems. This last bag I bought was the HIGH PRAIRE variety which we’ve used MANY times before. I checked the expiration date before purchasing as I noted numerous other bags of foods had expired at this store. I then cycled this new food into his daily feeding which is twice daily.

the first night after feeding him two meals he had diarrhea all over his dog bed. We thought maybe he is sick and this will work out. He had no other abnormal symptoms. He’s had this food many times before. This continued for several nights. I then bought a small bag of TOTW “Sierra Mountain” and started feeding that. The diarrhea resolved. We fed that exclusively for two weeks. My wife told me NOT to feed him the High Prairie again. I thought that I needed to rule that out so I gave him a morning feeding of the High Prairie and evening Sierra Mountain. My wife didn’t know I was doing this. He seemed to be doing better so I thought that I’d go back to two meals of the High Prairie. MY MISTAKE. He had diarrhea all over his dog bed again. I will contact both CHEWY and TOTW to notify them and for you I’ll include the batch info so you can be on the lookout. (Best by 11 Jan 2022 1011 330 TDH0105D2N SMD 08:39)

[N M]

Bought food from petsmart and less than a week later at vet with both dogs having bloody stool. After notifying petsmart, they had two more bags of expired food on the shelf.

[anonymous]

I don’t buy dog food kibble from Amazon. Not sure how it’s stored. I don’t buy dog food kibble unless the expiration date is at least a year out. ” Amazon auction website” not a good idea. Don’t get me wrong, I love Amazon but not for dog food.

Don’t buy anything that will leave an opened bag not used up within 2 months at the most. Store in an airtight container, cool pantry or even better the fridg.

Better luck next time.

[anonymous]

Oops! I guess someone didn’t appreciate my opinion on supplements.

I do use fish oil for my allergy dog but I use the brand my vet approves of, also I initially will buy it from the vet clinic but then look around online for a better price.

Always check expiration dates. It’s always a bit of a risk because you don’t know if the product has been stored properly plus I have heard that counterfeit meds and supplements are a big business.

[ThisDogHunts]

@ Susan,
Thanks for the reassuring help and advice.
The PetCo. employees simply said that C&P were repackaging the product.
Which appeared to be true at the time because they did have slightly different packaging on the shelf as oppose to the product in the clearance section. Ingredients appeared to be the same, with an expiration date that was up in a couple months. So I factored that in to why they probably wanted it out of the store ASAP.
I sat there deliberating for about half an hour or so, over it and asked multiple employees what their thoughts were on the item.
In the end, I just couldn’t pass up on it because freeze dried is always a premium priced item, and I’m already familiar with the brand, having fed my dogs their treats, so I just felt like it was a safe, healthy and well priced option.
I’m just glad I didn’t start feeding that exclusively.
I’ll continue to lightly top it or mingle it into the regular food.
Thanks again for your help and suggestions.

[Vikki A]

What brand did you pick up? Also, all packages have an expiration date on the bag.

[Adriana R]

Best By Date.
So probably about 6 months ago I went to PetSmart and I bought about 9 bags of dog food that were soon to expire. Ranging from about 5 to 20 pounds and the brands were Natures Variety Instinct, Blue Buffalo and Nutro. All different varieties/lines and proteins/flavors.
Before I go any further: It wasn’t for my dogs, my dogs got none of this food. It was for a person in my neighborhood who was struggling to buy food for his 3 dogs, his dogs are not “sensitive” whatsoever. They did just fine on the kibbles I bought, none got sick. And by the time they ate all the kibble they were eating expired kibble.
When I went to PetSmart this week I got two bags of Purina Pro Plan lamb. After getting some more items I walked to check out. Right before I got in line it occurred to me I should check all the expiration dates as I usually do but I usually do it as I grab the item’s. And 1 of the Pro Plan bags said Best By Date: NOV 2017 Now I wouldn’t buy my dogs expired food. But I figured if they give me a good deal I’ll consider for someone in the neighborhood. I grabbed a salmon bag for my dog and told one of the workers. She told me we’d have to act as if it weren’t expired and give me 90% off, I agreed.
The bag was opened and a bunch of white lint was inside the bag. THE BAG WAS THROWN, NO DOG ATE THE FOOD (just in case someone thinks I’m getting dogs in my neighborhood sick)
My thing is this: why did the other bags bought 6 months did just fine and buy the time the dogs ate it/finished the kibbles were technically “expired” ? Is it because the food is “lower Quality” Tbh it gave me a bit of a “scare” to the point where I’m reconsidering if I will switch Sunshine off Pro Plan. When I go home I will open the lamb bag and check it just in case but its not expired. The next morning after coming from PetSmart I decided to open the salmon 1st. I doubt something is wrong with the other bag of lamb (not expired) but I want to make sure.
Now I know I was probably “stupid” for buying expired kibble but even when I bought the 9 bags, 1 was actually already expired but the kibble was just fine. I will from now on not buy kibble that’s already expired. But I will continue to buy kibbles “soon to be expired” for example when the store marks them down (50/75/90 percent off)
I will not make a claim to Purina or PetSmart as I knew the bag was expired and I still bought the bag.

[anonymous]

How long past the expiration date are we talking? Do you mean the expiration date or the best by date?
It may depend on how it was stored.
I wouldn’t take a chance. It may be okay for a month or two after, or not.
If you are going to buy a large bag, divide it up in airtight freezer bags or such. Store in the fridg. But, I would not go beyond the expiration date or best by date.
In the fridg or tightly closed container the kibble should be good for a month, two at the most.
I have stored kibble in the freezer, but check with the dog food company, some don’t recommend.

[Adriana R]

How long can dry dog food (kibble) last after the expiration date?
I know it might be a little different from brand to brand and maybe even type but what’s the general “rule”

[Michael D]

The following are several suggestions that would make dogfoodadvisor.com more useful for me. But, before I begin, let me say thank you for all the years of work that has gone into the site. Also, I know most suggestions are rejected or shelved for legitimate reasons.

1) I would like to be able to filter the lists by canned/dry, rating, manufacturer, primary ingredient, and keyword.

2) I noticed that many of the dog foods brands available in my local stores (Houston, Tx) are not listed on dogfoodadvisor.com. Most of the formulations are not listed. It is entirely understandable base on the variety available. Most are so cheap that I am confident they will be on the undesirable list. All I needed was a list of recommended formulations (thank you). However, I would like you to provide detailed instructions (video) so that your members could go to their local grocery and pet stores to collect the necessary information. A proper analysis likely requires experience and a doctorate. But your members should be able to submit a photo of the food package, ingredients list, expiration date, (and possibly the price). They could use this photo evidence to populate a database. Granted, 97% of your members will not be interested in contributing. But, dog lovers are more community-oriented than most. I bet one in fifty of the people who post on your forums would be willing to participate. With photographs and a few checks, it is not apparent to me how malicious actors could corrupt the systems. You could offer a reduced membership to participants if revenue increases as a result.

Thank for reading,
Regards, Mike

[Matthew D]

I have been dealing with 50% of the FreshPet rolls smelling awful for over a year now. I thought it was just my local stores but it now seems to be FreshPet or spoiling during delivery. I have learned that if a roll smells every other roll (at all of my 3 local stores) with the same expiration date will also smell no matter if the date is three months away. It has been very frustrating and very expensive because my dog will only eat that specific FreshPet when it’s actually fresh. I throw away a majority of the rolls I buy.

[anonymous]

I store the kibble in containers too. Rather than save the empty bag, I cut out the expiration date/lot number and the scan code thing. I tape it to my fridg and get rid of it when I open a new bag. Keep the receipt too.

PS: If this ends up being a double/triple post, I apologize in advance. I have a 3 year old refurbished laptop that is giving me trouble 🙁

[Therese M]

I threw out the bag 🙁 I assumed she would eat it and didn’t even think about it. Now I know always keep the bag until the food is gone for expiration dates and recall codes- I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. All our other open bags she wouldn’t eat went to Hurricane Harvey dogs so I’m very excited that’s being put to good use. We’re just stuck with this right now. I’ll probably give it to a friend if I still can’t get her to eat it this weekend. Always small bags now too- I learned!!!

[Cathy P]

Here is the serial numbers and expiration date on the bag:

3004120-70472
BB18 AUG 2018 23: 03BS

Hope that helps!

[Mary G]

Thank you!!!! Customs allows only one bag per person and they it.even.depends on their mood. It is hard to say since friends have tried and.some are allowed to import the kibble.and others do not. I can probaboy purchase online from people who import it but the cost is close to twice the value. I am weary of the expiration date on that as well.

He is taking homeopathic remedies and i also.give hm supplements such as taurine, l-carnityne, omegas 3 and 6, and co enzyme q10.

[S P]

I also just purchased (today) a 25lb. bag of ‘Acana Heritage Meats Formula’ (expiration date of May, 2018). I experienced the same horrible surprise – The kibble was full of white, brown and black hairs, just as pictured in a prior review!!! There was almost more hair than food product itself in each piece! The bag will be returned immediately! I had previously read some negative product reviews after Champion’s move to processing in the USA, but dismissed the bad reviews as probably being related to a transition into a new production facility. I guess I was totally wrong. At this point in time, Champion’s move to the USA is no longer “new”, and a transition period should no longer exist. There is absolutely no excuse for what I discovered in the food I purchased. I have always been a huge advocate for Champion Dog Food’s products, but no more. I can’t possibly continue to trust the quality control methods for either Acana or Orijen.

[Bea K]

I honestly do believe that the company isn’t purposely and knowingly wanting to put any pet in danger. Like any new formula or changes to what we are use to in feeding our 4 legged loved ones, there should be more testing of the product to reassure the customers it’s as safe or more safe than before. After doing more research I was able to find out some answers on why they built a new plant in Kentucky. The resources in Canada are limited, like eggs, poultry and the ingredients in general since they (Champion) supply to at least 80 countries and an ever growing USA market. They are very aware of the issues and are continuing to work on the concerns the consumers have. I’m a person who comes down very hard on companies off the bat then do more research which is the wrong way or approach. What needs to be done is to notify the FDA as CC has done, for mostly one purpose, not to shut them down but to make sure the pet food is safe and we don’t pay the price by our pets getting sick. My concerns about the plant in the USA is because of the GMO food chain we have in the U.S. as well as all the chemicals we put in the ground for insect and weed control, antibiotics and hormones in animals added to the pet food. Animals are much more susceptible to it but aren’t able to communicate before it’s too late in some cases. We also have the fears of past recalls where massive amounts of animals have died before the FDA was able to respond. I ask anyone who suspects its the pet food, to set aside a measurable amount to be tested should there be an issue. For me, I’m going to take out a half cup from each bag with its expiration date and batch that’s stamped on every bag should something go awry later. Not just for Orijen but for any dog food of any brand in the future. Believe it or not, Canada has much less restrictions for pet food than we have in the USA. Partially relieved but not completely given my issues stated above. On a side note; A year or so ago the FDA removed dog treats from shelves with ingredients from China that were killing pets but couldn’t find anything detectable so they were put back on the shelves. Just because they couldn’t find anything doesn’t mean there wasn’t some sort of new chemical added that the FDA doesn’t know to test for. To shorten the time for you, I’ve listed what I think are important for notification.
Please call Champion Canada at 780 784 0300 with your questions, issues or concerns,
By State FDA Phone Numbers http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm Orijen Kentucky Plant website https://www.orijen.ca/dogstar-kitchens/?lang=us&lang=us Like everyone else, I don’t want to have to worry about what I’m feeding my pet kid wondering if what he’s eating is safe. Sorry for being so long winded…

[Bobby dog]

Hello Sandra W:
For most kibble meals I use canned as a topper. I feed pate’s, stews, shredded meats, grain inclusive, and grain free.

Avoid over feeding when mixing canned with kibble. Be sure to reduce the amount of kibble calorie wise with the amount of canned you feed.

First, I look at who makes the food. I don’t feed anything made by Evanger’s due to manufacturing issues and various alleged legal matters. You can Google the company for further info. They have their own label along with co-packing for several other companies. The expiration date stamp on their cans is curved rather than straight. Wysong, Weruva (Kobe & Kurobuta recipes only), Dave’s, Wild Calling!, Party Animal, Against the Grain, and Tripette are a few companies that have some or all of their recipes co-packed by them.

Next, I look at the fat to protein ratio. I like the fat % to be about half of the protein %. For example 8% protein and 4% fat. Most of what I feed is about a 50% fat to protein ratio, but I do go as high as 70% I just don’t feed them as often. A quick way to figure it out is to divide the fat % by the protein % then multiply by 100. A food with 9% protein and 6% fat would be about a 67% fat to protein ratio. I find the 95% canned foods are high in fat which leads me to believe they are using fatty cuts of meat.

Calories are important. Need to add weight, look for higher calories, need to lose look for lower calories. My dog tends to gain weight easily, but the only thing I keep track of is the calories in the amount of canned fed for each meal.

Most important they have to like it. I also stick to common proteins such as some fish varieties, beef, chicken, or turkey. This is in case I ever have to feed a special diet that must consist of an exotic protein he has never had before. Good luck with your meal choices!!

[anonymously]

There are some on-line pharmacies out of the country that may let you purchase heartworm meds without a prescription (laws differ). They not only charge a lot, but it is not recommended to by on-line meds as there is a lot of counterfeit stuff out there, you can’t be sure how it has been stored, expiration dates etc,
If anything goes wrong because of the med, the company will have no liability because you did not purchase it from a veterinarian.
The annual Heartworm Disease/Lyme Disease/Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis test is important, I would not recommend skipping it.

per the search engine here:
/forums/search/heartworm+meds/

PS: I would listen to what your veterinarian recommends.

[alexis w]

my dog refused to eat the food after i put dinovite on it and when i gave her the lickochops she gagged and choked on it, i didnt even think to check the expiration dates on it! i just sent it back for a refund. now i am using Nupro supplement, seems to be much higher quality

[anonymously]

PS: Cut the code scan thing and the expiration date/lot # info off of the bag before discarding, in case there is a recall.

[anonymously]

Yes, it is. There are some on-line pharmacies out of the country that may let you purchase heartworm meds without a prescription (laws differ). They not only charge a lot, but it is not recommended to by on-line meds as there is a lot of counterfeit stuff out there, you can’t be sure how it has been stored, expiration dates etc,

If anything goes wrong because of the med the company will have no liability because you did not purchase it from a veterinarian.

The annual Heartworm Disease/Lyme Disease/Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis test is important, I would not recommend skipping it.

[Cannoli]

I agree with anonymously. I don’t trust supplement companies that state their supplements are miracle wonder pills that can prevent a plethora of ailments.

These are the questions I ask myself when I rarely use supplements, hence I would ask the same questions to companies who make supplements for my dog.

1) Has the product triggered any health warnings or sanctions
Searching for a product or its maker on the FDA’s website will unearth any safety advisories or sanctions issued against them. The agency also maintains a list of all recent recalls and market withdrawals. I know this is tough but if this company makes human supplements it might be good to know if they ever had any human supplements recalled.

2) Has the product been tested by independent labs?

A reputable supplement company must have DNA testing to prove that all of there ingredients actually are what they state it has.

3)Is the product too good to be true?

For example they write “Nuvet contains those ingredients and can help strengthen the immune system to help prevent the development of allergies.” There is no supplement that can help this.

or this “Nuvet plus contains those ingredients and can help strengthen the immune system to help keep the body in balance, and less likely to develop the medical conditions that can lead to seizures.” more none sense.

4) Do I really need supplements? If so, am I taking the right amount?

a supplement may have considerably higher quantities of a vitamin or mineral than it says on the bottle. Because certain vitamins degrade over time, manufacturers often provide more than the labeled quantities, to ensure there is still the labeled amount at the expiration date

You should really be careful with giving your dog supplements. There are too many snake oil salesmen in this unregulated industry

[MALS M]

Our dog Lola was hospitalized with hemorrhagic gastritis and colitis after eating Fresh Pet Select Tender Chicken and Vegetables Dog food in the tube. There were no visible signs of mold and we were within the expiration date. She is currently on day 3 of IV medication and hydration. The vet said she could have died.

Anyone else have this experience?

[Cindy L]

Tommy T:

I wanted to address this mainly because of the date. What you are looking at is NOT an expiration date. It’s a Julian date and reflects the production date. The numbers are this:
01 is the batch that was produced that day. 2015 is the year it was produced. 350 is the day of the year that the product was produced. So what you received was produced in our first batch on Dec. 16, 2015.

What you were told about LickOchops is absolutely correct. In fact, we just did a video addressing this because the product gets very “jelly” in cold weather and is very watery in warm or hot weather, so your concern/question is common. This is why we sell this in a bottle (easy for liquid) and in a tube (easy for the “gel” in cool weather). We don’t add any emulsifiers or artificial, unneeded ingredients to keep this from happening. The ingredients are each there for a specific nutritional reason.

We do tell folks not to worry about Dinovite expiring because, being a small company, we make small batches of products and sell them very quickly. And we encourage all customers to purchase what is needed for 90 days/3 months. So, your products won’t expire, they will get used.

We also tell folks that Dinovite for Dogs has a shelf life of about a year if kept in a cool, dry place. It’s a whole food supplement, so think about it like food. You buy it fresh and eat it. Don’t leave it laying around in heat or humidity. We don’t add any artificial preservatives, colors, flavorings, etc.

All of our products are made at our single facility in Crittenden, KY from ingredients from the USA. Our facility is inspected by the FDA and our products are tested regularly by the state of KY. We’ve been doing the same thing, the same way since 2001.

I’d be happy to address your concerns personally if you would like to contact me at customersupport@dinovite.com with ATTN: Cindy in the subject line. We value our customers and truly care about your pets.

Blessings,
Cindy Lukacevic
Owner
Dinovite Inc.
http://www.dinovite.com
859-428-1000
customersupport@dinovite.com ATTN: Cindy

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Cindy L.

[tommy t]

Customer service and quality of product has diminished as they have grown in recognition. At first, I didn’t have any issues with paying more than you should if the product worked. The last couple of orders however, the product has been sent after the expiration date. When I called their “poor” customer service, they tried to tell me the shipment I received was made only 3 days earlier. The date on the bottle of lick o chops was 01 2015 350. She tried to telling me it was the “chicken fat” causing the product to stay in a gelled state. The powder product actually stunk when I opened it. Tried returning it, they refused to accept it. After 3 years of using their product, I am currently looking at an alternative due to these issues. I hope you do not experience the same problems I had and their neglect for concern when they were contacted. I feel they will self destruct if they don’t change their customer service and ensure their products are safe and not expired. The last agent told me none of their products expire, it had to be me. This was after being a loyal customer of theirs for over 3 years. While I never review products or services, I had to make the exception on this one. Hope this helps. tbt

[Pitlove]

Hi Huskypup- One thing I can tell you with FreshPet is, if the store you’re purchasing it from is not keeping up with the expiration dates this could be why you’re getting funky smelling rolls. This food does not have a long shelf life and where I work (small family owned pet shop) we check weekly to make sure none of the FreshPet is expired and keep notes on what is expiring soon. Have yet to have any issues of customers saying it smelled funny.

I would try purchasing it from another store. Sometimes smaller pet shops are able to keep better track of expirations than the big box chain stores.

[C4D]

Hi September D,

I’ve owned a lot of dogs over the years. I’ve never fed a senior dog food to them. Senior dog food is really just a marketing ploy. My large breed dogs live well over their expiration date. The most important thing is to watch that they don’t gain too much weight, get exercise on a daily basis, and address any health issues they might have as they age or due to injuries they have sustained. I also get yearly checkups and do blood panels on a regular basis. That let’s you know if there are any issues that might need addressing. My vet once said to walk my dogs for as long as they could walk. I’ve always done that. I’m not saying this is a miracle cure, but dogs need exercise and they need a job. That’s their job and they love it. I have a senior right now, 11 yo Lab along with other older adult dogs, but if you didn’t know her age, you wouldn’t think she was that old. She has bad knees too, but she walks briskly almost 2 miles daily and runs the yard after everything she sees. She does get supplements (fish oil, joint care) and I am very careful about her diet to keep her lean. I also feed her a combination of kibble, canned and fresh/raw food daily. So, I’ll get off my soap box now. Best of luck with your pup!

[Shawna]

Hi Pittiemama,

So sorry for the delayed response… Although you can certainly buy Standard Process products on Amazon and other various websites, the company does not condone the selling of their product from those sites. SP is only legally sold through health care professionals. Anything you buy online could be close, or past, it’s expiration date, tampered with etc. Standard Process has a find a practitioner near you link on their website however if there truly is no place to purchase from locally (I would check with chiropractors and holistic vets), it can be recommended by professionals via phone consults. Once you have a recommendation you can then buy/ship direct from SP.

For nitrogen trapping purposes the prebiotics MUST be utilized along with the probiotics. You may have got this but mentioned only probiotics so thought I’d emphasize just in case. The Merck Vet Manual has info on prebiotics (fermentable fiber). It reads “In addition, feeding moderately fermentable fiber can facilitate enteric dialysis and provide a nonrenal route of urea excretion.” http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/management_and_nutrition/nutrition_small_animals/nutrition_in_disease_management_in_small_animals.html There’s other sources too, but for a vet tech (very cool by the way) I imagine this would be a good source, at least to start. 🙂

I did as much as I could to help prevent inflammation and damage to her kidneys. She had both of them and they looked good but were small in size. I wasn’t thinking straight on diagnosis and allowed her to be spayed the same day as diagnosis. I was later told by a vet here on DFA that I was lying about her because no vet would do an elective surgery on a dog with kidney disease. I asked him if he thought I should sue them or contact someone about it but he never replied. 🙂 Anyway, the vet who did the spay “opened her up a little more than necessary for the spay” as to get a look at the kidneys. Both there, a healthy color but smaller than should be.

Like you, I research everything – even material presented by those I trust. I like knowing the information but by researching I can often learn the whys and hows. I was at a Standard Process seminar back in 2009 and learned the words and brief understanding of apoptosis and phagocytosis. As soon as I got home I started looking at research. 🙂

I hope you quickly and easily find the best path for you and your little man!!!

[Daniel]

Dog food manufacturers like to keep it a mystery as to the actual date of manufacture and date of expiration/best by date.
As a purchaser of dog food for over 40 years, I have found it almost impossible to learn from ANY manufacturer these two dates. You can get a expiration/best by date, but how many years out do they go? WHO KNOW?
I have seen expiration/best by dates that are as much as 2 years out! Does anyone believe that a dog food on the store shelves can sit for two years and still be “good”???? If it is, what is in it that is keeping the fat(they call it lipids) from going rancid(spoiling)????
My opinion I would assume that ANY dog food that is at the end of it’s expiration date is probably at least 2 or 3 years old.
That’s my opinion.

[Joe A]

We bought a bag of this about 3 weeks ago from our local Whole foods we have been feeding our Shih Tzu the food and he has been very sick, I.e. Shaking and throwing up. I just examined the bag closely and the best buy date is oct 8th 2015 this is the end of December so out dated. But not positive that his illness is directly related to the outdated food in all fairness. I called our Whole Foods and most bags had 6 months before expiration but he did find some bags that expire in two weeks on shelf. I feel terrible that I was not more dillagent in looking at the dates but you would think at a store like that you would not have to.

[anonymously]

Of course, cover and refrigerate all opened dog food in tightly covered containers. In fact, I refrigerate or freeze dry food in containers too, if I have the room.
Wet food or dry food soaked in water is good for about 3 days (in my experience).
Just sniff it, you will know if it’s going bad. Dry food without anything added in a tightly covered contained is good for at least 2 weeks, unopened bags are good a lot longer, but check the expiration/best by/use by dates on the package.

[anonymously]

I would not. This is a controversial subject.
Also, “best if used by” “use by” “expiration date” are different things and have different meanings.
You could call the 1-800 number on the item and ask what they recommend.
Per the search engine here: /forums/search/expiration+date/
/forums/topic/suggestions-please-kibble-for-shelter-dogs/

[ShepAussie]

Would anyone feed a commercial food that has passed the best by date or expiration date?

[Bobby dog]

I feed a few Newman’s canned. They sell them at my grocery store too, very convenient. A back-up food is always good to have IMO. I have quite a back-up list going. I haven’t fed any of Newman’s kibble because they wouldn’t provide manufacturing info. I’ll check out Wysong cans next time I visit the pet store to see if it’s an Evanger style expiration date. I wouldn’t mind trying out their canned if they are using another cannery.

[Pitlove]

Barky, more likely than not (and this is my experience from working pet food retail), Whole Foods has not been keeping up with expired or close to expiration foods. That also means, it’s not a big seller. I’m usually the one at my store that checks the expiration dates and if we end up with foods that are close to expiration and haven’t sold, we usually don’t order the food again because it means its not popular.

[Barky]

I was attracted to this brand because of the stated humane farming practices.

I visited a local Whole Foods to check out the ingredients and analysis first hand. I looked at the Chicken & Brown Rice All Life Stages dog food. The ingredients looked typical for a high-end brand. The analysis indicated 26% protein, 16% fat, 10% moisture, and so on, again seemingly pretty typical.

My concern was the very short shelf life. The two bags that I looked at had expiration dates (actually “best by” dates) less than one or two weeks away (kind of surprising for Whole Foods). This tells me that either the product isn’t moving off the shelves or that it comes from the manufacturer with a short shelf life.

The manufacturer (Tender & True Pet Nutrition in Omaha NE) is developing a website but there is no content yet: //tenderandtruepet.com.

The manufacturer also has a Facebook page: //facebook.com/tenderandtruepet.

[C4D]

I buy a lot of various foods, including Earthborn. I have The Honest Kitchen, Nature’s Variety Instinct and several others in my house right now. THK has a manufacturer date and best buy date of 1 year apart. I don’t have any Earthborn in my house but it’s made by the same company as ProPac. It has a manufacturer date & expiration date right next to each other. That’s what you would go by. I often buy bags of various dry food that has 1 year to 18 months expiration from when I’ve bought it, depending on the brand. It’s printed on the bag, but usually in the same place all the time. I think the Earthborn is always on the top. ProPac might be the same.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by C4D.

[Daniel]

Hi and thank you for responding.
I just talked to their nutritionist at HQ yesterday and he told me the mfg date is a year before expiration date. TODAY the sales rep said the mfg date is 18 months before the expiration date. Seems like quite a long time for a product with no preservatives in it.
They said the date on the bottom of the bag is merely the date the bag itself was made.

[Daniel]

Hello, Please excuse my rambling, I am not a writer, just a farmer.

I give my dogs Pro Pac dog food, and my pups Pro Pac Performance Puppy food. At least I have been, but I recently stopped using the puppy food as I am worried it is harming my puppies.
FIRST QUESTION: ANYONE USING THIS PUPPY PRODUCT AND HAVING PROBLEMS KEEPING PUPPIES healthy and ALIVE?

I have contacted the company and they informed me that their product is fresh and good of course, and when I questioned them about the shelf life they said each product has an expiration date, and the date of manufacture is a year before that. Keep in mind this info is straight from the company headquarters. ALSO, keep in mind this product has no actual preservatives in it(their proud claim), so one year seems to be the max shelf life assuming all making, shipping and storing are good.
OKAY, then this leads me to another question; HOW CAN IT BE POSSIBLE FOR MY BAG, WHICH SAYS IT EXPIRES JAN 13, 2017 TO HAVE BEEN MADE ON JAN 13, 2016???????
Now, at the very bottom, inside the crease of the bag there is a date of 9/14
Makes me wonder if they are actually going for a 3 year shelf life.

My daughter’s has lost some of her puppies(she is a hobby breeder 5 Collies) too, and her bag of same brand of dog food shows it expires in 2016, but at the very bottom, inside the crease of the bag there is a date of 3/12?

Her bag of puppy food smelled funny to her, and when I questioned her about it we determined that the smell was most likely rancidity.

Last, her neighbor who my daughter talked into using this dog food is having the same problems, in fact, one of her dogs is seriously ill at the vets right now. She is a small hobby breeder and she called the company sales rep in Springfield Mo about it. He sent her some new bags and told her he went to the place she buys them from and pulled all their product off the shelves for now, and sent it in to HQ to have them test it. Of course claimed no liability, but that’s a given.

The company sales rep now wants to pick up my daughters bags of food and replace them. I told her do not give him those bags.

JUST GIVING A HEADS UP, AND ANY HELP/ADVICE WOULD SURE BE APPRECIATED.
Of course we have all stopped using this puppy product for now.

I’m not claiming they are selling bad food or doing anything bad, just trying to keep my dogs and others healthy and well, and trying to do some problem solving. Heck, maybe it is us three families not doing something right! 🙂

• This topic was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Daniel. Reason: added disclaimer
• This topic was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Daniel.
• This topic was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Daniel.

[Anonymous]

The shelters and food pantries in my area do not accept donated food items that have gone beyond the expiration date on the packaging. Period.

They throw them out, I know, a lot of people put old stuff in the bins.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

Well, I have offered to purchase food at my local supermarket (1 day beyond the expiration date). It was a dog food item.
The manager told me: “No way Jose”. He disposed of the canned items in the trash right in front of me. He told me he could not even give them away, per Board of Health laws.

What people do behind the scenes is another story. I guess it’s a question for the FDA.
And it might depend on the wording, “best if used by” “use by” “expiration date”

PS: Food pantries for humans will not accept expired items, that is a fact.