Dry food can be left in your cat or dog's bowl indefinitely if the bowl is kept in an area that is cool, dry, out of direct sunlight and not subject to contamination by insects and vermin. However, we recommend that your cat or dog's food bowl is washed and filled fresh each day.
DON'T LEAVE PET FOOD SITTING OUT TOO LONG
The best recommendation is to contact the manufacturer to find out the recommendation for your pet's specific food. Canned food, once opened, can be left out from 2 to no more than 4 hours.
Downsides: Leaving dog food out all day could attract insects, rodents, or raccoons. That's especially the case if you feed your dog outside, so be on the lookout. And if you have more than one pet, they may bicker over the food.
So, how long should you soak their food? We suggest a minimum 15 minutes in warm water, and no more than an hour at room temperature, to prevent bacterial growth. You can soak overnight in the fridge for maximum water absorption.
However, you should avoid saving uneaten kibble for more than a day or two (and avoid putting it back in the unused storage bag or container) because it can spoil and degrade when left out.
You can safely leave dry cat food out for several days and it won't spoil, but it's best to throw out leftovers and wash the dish on a daily basis, to keep Fluffy's food at its freshest. Keep in mind that dry food will grow stale within a day and may not be as appealing to your cat once this happens.
Dry food can be left in your cat or dog's bowl indefinitely if the bowl is kept in an area that is cool, dry, out of direct sunlight and not subject to contamination by insects and vermin. However, we recommend that your cat or dog's food bowl is washed and filled fresh each day.
The Best of Both
A third option is to choose both wet and dry foods. You can do this by mixing the foods together in the same bowl, giving dry in the morning and wet in the evening (or vice-versa) or by giving them wet food as a "treat" for exceptional behavior.
Store dry pet food and unopened canned food in a cool and dry place. The temperature should be less than 80 F. Excess heat or moisture may cause the nutrients to break down. If your pet is overly persistent or clever at getting into her pet food, store it in a secure location.
Keep It High and Dry
Dog food should be stored at room temperature in a place where it does not reach above 80 degrees. Heat and moisture may cause your food to degrade.
You can feed them before or after a walk, but you have to ensure that the walk or exercise takes place at least one hour before or after the meal is eaten. Any exercise performed within that hour can result in an increased risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus, which is something just not worth risking for your pup.
Controlling for sex, age, breed, and other potential confounders, we found that dogs fed once daily rather than more frequently had lower mean scores on a cognitive dysfunction scale, and lower odds of having gastrointestinal, dental, orthopedic, kidney/urinary, and liver/pancreas disorders.
If a perishable food (such as meat or poultry) has been left out at room temperature overnight (more than two hours) it may not be safe. Discard it, even though it may look and smell good.
If your dog does happen to get into spoiled or expired dog food, you may see signs of general gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting or diarrhea. 2 Depending on the pathogen, though, your dog may become seriously ill. Bacteria like E. coli can cause life-threatening illnesses if left untreated.
Purina advises that “you might consider microwaving wet foods (out of the can) for a short time. But avoid serving food that is either too hot or too cold.” So, there are owners who warm their dog's chilled food to simply bring it back to room temperature or slightly above.
No matter the type of dog food storage container you choose, it's important to buy one with an airtight seal. This can keep your food fresh and dry for longer periods of time.
When the fats and oils of kibble make contact with the walls of a pet food container, they begin to oxidize. In other words, over time, the residual fats and oils that have settled along the inside of the storage container start to grow rancid and develop invisible molds that can wreak havoc on your pet's health.
As a rule of thumb, remove the food and water bowls about two-to-three hours before bedtime. So, if your lights-out time is at 11 p.m., a puppy should have no food or water after about 8–8:30 p.m. This gives you a chance to take him out for a one last potty break before settling in for the night.
In the end, it is largely up to you whether or not you give your dog water at night. For adults that are potty-trained, we absolutely recommend giving them water at night. There should be no reason that they can't hold their bladder overnight.
No Food or Water Before Bed
If they go to sleep on a full stomach and bladder, it won't be long before they're whining to go out. Don't feed your puppy in the three hours before bedtime, and do your best to withhold water for the last hour or so.
Don't leave food out for your dog to graze on — take it back within 10 minutes if it hasn't been eaten to help cement the idea of mealtimes. Use your dog's kibble as treats, and only offer meals for short periods of time. This leaves your dog no choice but to eat their food and hopefully get used to it.
With air-dried food, it will last in the re-sealed bag for about 8 weeks before it starts to lose some of its flavor. In humid environments or if you have a very small dog that takes a while to go through their bag of Sundays, we recommend storing the food in an air-tight container to prolong its shelf life.
Free-feeding means leaving a bowl of dog food on the ground for hours at a time, if not all day long, rather than giving the dog regularly scheduled meals which need to be eaten immediately. Here are some of the problems with free-feeding: Free-fed dogs are harder to housebreak.
Adding water to your dog's food bowl when feeding a dry kibble will improve the rate of digestion. Hydrating a dog's stomach contents is a major assist in digestion by starting the breakdown of food particles.
The USDA says food that has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours should be thrown away. At room temperature, bacteria grows incredibly fast and can make you sick. Reheating something that has been sitting at room temperature for longer than two hours won't be safe from bacteria.