Buying in Bulk

• Bulk buying might mean one large sack of dry food for a Westie or purchasing four or five sacks for several dogs. Supermarkets are less likely to offer bulk savings than a large pet store. Talk to store owners and negotiate a discount for bulk buying. Check the shelf life of products you purchase to ensure food remains fresh until eaten.
  
  

Storage Conditions

• Consider how you are going to store quantities of food. Paper or polythene sacks may be attacked by vermin if stored in outbuildings or garages. Dry food should be stored in cool, dry conditions. Cans of moist food take up more space per meal than dry food but are less susceptible to variation in temperature or moisture levels.
  
  

Considerations

• While cans of dog food have a shelf life of at least two years, dry food, particularly if naturally preserved, will gradually degrade during storage and is best used within nine months of manufacture. Once opened, a sack of dry food is susceptible to attack by insects, mold and fat oxidation, which leads to rancidity. This is exacerbated by high temperature and moisture levels. If you have a small dog, it may not be sensible to purchase a large sack of food that cannot be eaten within two to three months.