Last week, we shared tips on how to prepare a pet emergency kit for inclement weather. Today, I want to dive into emergency planning when feeding fresh foods like The Farmer’s Dog. As The Farmer’s Dog partners, we think this food is an ideal option for daily feeding. Made with human-grade ingredients and gently cooked, their meals are delivered directly to our home, which makes them as practical as they are wholesome. Our dog, Olive, is always thrilled when The Farmer’s Dog box arrives. Their meals are customized, pre-portioned, and made using USDA-approved meats, vegetables, and a nutrient blend to meet dogs’ specific dietary needs. Recipes avoid artificial additives, preservatives, and meat meals, focusing instead on transparency, quality, and balanced nutrition. We can’t blame Olive for doing a happy dance at mealtime but we have to think about emergencies and power outages because The Farmer’s Dog meals arrive frozen and must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Here’s what we recommend when emergency planning for your pet while feeding fresh foods.
Emergency Preparation with The Farmer’s Dog
As you might imagine, feeding exclusively fresh food requires extra preparation for emergencies, power outages, or disruptions in delivery. As stated above, The Farmer’s Dog (and other similar pet food subscriptions) are delivered frozen and in a box. They are shipped with insulation and cooling gel packs to maintain a cold temperature until arrival but must be frozen or refrigerated immediately upon receipt.
I typically put the majority of the packs directly into the freezer when I get a new box, thawing only what I need for the next few days. After thawing, the packs are fridge-safe for up to four days. However, if your power goes out or you have to evacuate for longer than four days, things get hairy.
Emergency Kit Essentials
Because time is of the essence when it comes to food safety, here are some top tips for continuing to feed fresh during weather emergencies, power outages, and evacuations:
- Always store at least a week’s worth of your dog’s food in the freezer so you have food on hand if you can’t get out to the store or receive shipments due to weather
- Keep an insulated cooler, ice packs, bags of ice, and travel-friendly containers readily available at all times
Food Storage Recommendations
- If power is lost, keep food tightly packed in the freezer or a cooler with ice. Frozen food stays colder longer when packed closely together.
- If the food is cold to the touch and has no unusual smell or puffed packaging, it’s generally safe; if not, it’s safest to discard
- If deliveries are interrupted, you can also home-cook for your dog, but it’s recommended only as a short-term solution due to the challenges of creating a fully balanced diet at home
- For longer unplanned outages, keep shelf-stable backups like freeze-dried dog food like YoDoggo
Evacuating While Feeding The Farmer’s Dog
Evacuating (or traveling for more positive reasons) is entirely possible while feeding your dog fresh food. It just takes a little planning. Here are The Farmer’s Dog’s recommendations for traveling with their formulations:
Bringing Fresh Dog Food on Trips
- Cooler with Ice: Transport frozen packs tightly packed in a cooler with plenty of ice or cold packs.
- Once there: Ensure your destination has refrigeration or freezing capability.
- Ship to Your Destination: For domestic travel (within the contiguous United States), The Farmer’s Dog can ship your dog’s food to your travel address. You can arrange this via your account a week in advance.
- Air Travel: Confirm with airlines whether sealed food packs are allowed in carry-on baggage.
During Your Stay
- Designate refrigerator or freezer space at your accommodations. Ensure they are cold enough to maintain food. Some places only have beverage coolers that don’t keep food at a safe temperature.
- Always feel the food before serving. If it isn’t cold to the touch or has been out for over two hours (one hour if above 90°F), discard it.
Additional Travel Tips
- Bring extra portions in case of delays
- Bring travel-friendly dishes and dish soap to use at your accommodations
- Always ensure your dog is wearing a collar with current ID tags
- Make sure your dog’s microchip info and vaccine records are up to date and easy to access
Start Your Dog on The Farmer’s Dog
The Farmer’s Dog is a reputable fresh food diet that your dog will love! By preparing ahead and following these guidelines, you can keep your dog safe, healthy, and well-fed, no matter what Atlanta’s weather or your travel plans bring!
We encourage you to explore how The Farmer’s Dog can transform your furry friend’s health. Click here to get 80% off your first box with our affiliate link!
Only The Best for Atlanta Dogs
Buckhead Pet Pals offers dog walking and dog sitting services, as well as cat sitting and care for other species. We proudly serve Atlanta, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Marietta, and Dunwoody.
Learn more about our onboarding process and scheduling software/app here. We welcome your questions and comments via phone at 404-303-0312 or email at office@buckheadpetpals.com. If you’d like to learn more about what it takes to work with Buckhead Pet Pals, check out our jobs page. Existing clients, please request dog walking services here
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