All Rights Reserved. But I also recommend that you ask for the manufacturer's expiration date on meds that might need to be administered again in the future. That food is highly unlikely to become contaminated with virulent bacteria such as salmonella, E coli or listeria, but even less dangerous germs found in our homes will spoil the food eventually. I would not want to tell you that a medication is still good and it doesn’t work to later find out that it didn’t work putting your pet at risk. As happens with all of us, veterinarians can’t always say what they really think without offending some clients. If it was previously clear and it is now cloudy – even if it has NOT expired – I’d question the stability of this medication. So why make them come in again for a "fresh" round? Recently, they forwarded some emails they thought were suited to me, the Irreverent Veterinarian. You can incorporate pumpkin into cat treats since it’s both safe and healthy. Medication still in powder form is probably still good for 1 to 2 years beyond the expiration on the label. Most veterinarians, physicians and pharmacists well tell you to honor the expiration date on the package. ANSWER While it is true many products that are sold commercially are actually fine well beyond their expiration date, I never assume that is the case. We have reached out directly to Punkin’ Pawz Palace Cat Sanctuary. Yesterday's Morning Edition on NPR featured Joanne Silberner's report on human drugs and their expiration dates. Treats usually have the same shelf life as the manufacturer’s dry food – but just to … Our treats are about 2 calories each, and we recommend feeding up to 15 treats per 10 pounds of your cat's body weight. How long? However, there are a few liquid medications that are less stable if refrigerated and they should clearly say so on the package. Because people probably store animal medications even more carelessly than their own, and 2. Read between the lines: We don't want to be legally responsible. Though I'd never heard of this law, it seems pharmacists are required to attach a one-year expiration date to all of the drugs they dispense. Injectable medications are generally considered less stable and often have shorter shelf lives than oral pill or capsule medication. There is also a higher risk of the foods developing mycotoxins. That is the safest way to ensure that the medication is stable. Do cat treats expire? I have a couple bags of temptations cat treats that are pretty old but I don't see an expiry date on them. I accidentally gave my cat some Pounce treats that expired back in May 05 that I had in my cupboard and didn't realize the expired date. 4 Answers. If fed as a main meal, 1/4 cup of Temptations Treats for Cats can replace 1/4 cup of Whiskas Meaty Selections Food for Cats or Whiskas Kitten Food. In general it is best to avoid feed cat food and treats that are past their expiry date. Pic of the day: "Messed up" by maggiejumps. I don’t know. Generally speaking, cat grass is safe in small doses. Yes they do. Even expired cat food has to be better (safer) than tipping over garbage cans and hoping whatever you find isn't coated in something toxic. Cats will beg. Our customer service department gets a lot of emails from cat lovers about every type of question you can imagine about cats. This is the safest way to use the expiration dates on the package. ©Copyright 1999 - 2021. The shelf life once reconstituted is real. Provide fresh drinking water at all times. That really depends on the cat and how they respond to it. you might argue. I recommend that you follow your veterinarian's instructions. Still, there's one caveat. You can try to get in touch with the manufacturer and ask how long beyond the expiration date their product is good. If your pet is critically ill – I’d say no – don’t use ANY expired medications. Is it ok to feed your cat expired food? Pet food manufacturers don’t say “Expired By” on their packaging, which would be a clearer indication of when pet food is clearly too old and unsafe to use. Turns out I was right. canned and/or pouched products vary from 1 year to 5 years. Lv 7. What happens if a cat is given 2 year old cat treats. Yes, dog foods and treats have a shelf life — and often it is quite a lengthy period of time — but after that shelf-life has expired (as indicated by the “best by” date or the “expiration date” stamped on the side of the package), the stores are supposed to remove the product from the store shelves. (Good thing I'm not in charge, seeing as I'm occasionally ignorant of basic rules.). For two reasons, the former employee explained: 1. Sometimes I think the pharmacy industry protests too much on their own behalf. Get new medication. Many pet owners assume feeding things like organic brown rice, organic barley and organic millet is just fabulous for their dog or cat. If you give in, they will beg more frequently and urgently. But then, I've only ever prescribed Epi-pens for three patients. The Irreverent Veterinarian is a columnist that regularly contributes to PetPlace.com. The ‘best’ nutrition for your pet has expired, but again in most cases the food is still ‘good’. Turns out that my veterinary hospital employer follows the pharmacy rules. if it is not horribly out of date — like a year or more it should be fine — the date is usually a best used by date not an actual expiration date —- just check … Just like cookies don’t have enough nutrients to be the bulk of your diet, pet treats aren’t healthy … As the NPR report finally concluded, there's no need to trifle with meds that potentially offer immediate, life-saving benefits. All medications have an expiration date on their label. Follow the recommendations on the bottle for best results regarding the shelf life. That's wasteful! OK, so I'll concede to the second point. How Good is That 'Expired' Drug in Your Pet's Medicine Cabinet? Longer than 2 years, then I’d replace. Remain cautious and aware of the rare instances that common cat treats or foods are recalled. Most liquid medications that are not reconstituted also have a shelf life of 1 to 2 years but once reconstituted (mixed with water – such as powered amoxicillin is mixed with water) – most expire in about 7 to 14 days depending on the specific product. Fishy smelling, right? Read reviews and complaints about Greenies, regarding cat food options, dog food options, dental treats, nutrition, pricing and more. I think so, anyway. Diversity is also important. The expiration date is always one year out unless the manufacturer's expiration date precedes it. But if you're like me, you look up the manufacturer's expiration dates and you follow those instead of the pharmacy's. This evening and i was noticing the BB date so after 15 min searching for expired 2 big bags of dog food some dehydrated dog food and a few cat food bags were expired up to 1 1/2 ¥ears WTF … i dont pay 60-70 $ for food that is going to kill my much loved. cooking cat food sounds like stinky and messy business, though... it might just be easier to skip the whole idea. Like anything else, it's all about portion control and using your best judgment. My recommendation is to purchase treats (and pet food) made and sourced in the United States. Always say what they really think without offending some clients so regardless of owners. Safer than simply letting your cat doesn’t get a choice so please, prepared. And make their cat sick and more those are expired cat treats safe the pharmacy 's store-bought food. Explained: 1 chemically be stable for at least 1 year to 5 years they think and give you the... 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