# exp dates on canned dog food??



## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

How low would you go?? I had several cases of canned dog food given to me...some are current, some recently exp (2008), and some later exp....
2007, 2005 and 2004.
they are Iams (exp dog food) and the cans look fine. 
what do you all think?
I separated all the 2008 to current for future use, and have the questionable ones waiting for what you all think
Thanks 
:0


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## tinda (Jun 11, 2005)

Contact the Iams people & they will help you out.

On the other hand, dogs eat anything! They will chew on, and roll in any old dead carcas they find. They must have a cast-iron gut.

My DM's pekingese found a bear carcass. She was so proud of herself when she came home reeking to high heaven. Many baths later and a can of Right Guard and she was fine.


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## greenmulberry (Nov 28, 2006)

I personally would not have a problem feeding my dog expired canned dog food. I think the worst that would happen is some of the flavor and vitamin content may not be as good as it could be, but my dogs won't care. As far as I know, if a commercially canned food can is intact, it won't grow bacteria. (correct me if I am wrong folks!)

However, I would be concerned that some of it may have been involved in those pet food recalls a while ago, for the melamine from China that was killing pets? You might want to do some googling to see if the kinds you have were recalled. That would be my only issue. My father in laws cat died from the melamine tainted pet food, lots of other people had pets die too, so it is worth checking out.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I agree, make sure the melamine recall doesn't involve these cans, and then just do the smell test. There's a big difference between smelly wet food and rotten food. I'd feed them to my dog past the expiration date.


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## Michgranny (Sep 9, 2008)

I would be using that food, oldest cans first of course! I would do the sniff test, but they should be fine!


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Depends...
on if it still tastes good or not.

Or, were you feeding this to your lil buddies? You got dogs, you know they'll eat anything, literally!:benice:


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2009)

If they're still sealed, they're perfectly fine.


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2009)

Open a representative can of each expiration date lot. You'll know as soon as you open them whether they are fit to feed. The oldest cans may have lost some of their more sensitive vitamins, but unless they were stored in poor conditions they should be otherwise OK to feed out.

.....Alan.


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## Cotton Picker (Oct 10, 2008)

texican said:


> Depends...
> on if it still tastes good or not.


Yeah buddy!... That would be my question too. 

But seriously folks... I would say that as long as the cans were not severly dented to were it compromised the seal and if the cans are not bloated on the ends... I would feed it.

Truth be told.... I've eaten canned goods (People food... OK) that was more than a year out of date.


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