How To Keep Mice Away From Dog Food

Mice are destroying your dog’s food, and you want to get rid of it? I get it. Continue reading for the best ideas about keeping mice away from dog food.

In this article, we will offer you the best advice about keeping your dog food out of mice’s access. If you have this situation in your house, read it carefully before it’s too late to control.

7 Ideas To Keep Mice Away From Dog Food

Mice are dog food lovers. So stick to these seven steps and ideas to get rid of it.

1. Use Airtight Containers for Your Dog Food Storage

Storing dog food in its original cardboard or plastic packaging is not a good option. Mice can easily cut through this packaging. Once they get into food storage, they return for more until nothing is left.

For this reason, use airtight food storage bins made of metal or thick HDPE plastic. These two options make it impossible for mice to cut through. So using an airtight sealed dog food storage container is the first and foremost step.

Moreover, airtight containers will keep your dog’s food storage fresh and bugs away so that your dog loves eating meals every time.

2. Use Elevated Food Bowls

Did you know that mice are very good climbers and jumpers? They can climb rough vertical or near vertical surfaces without much effort and jump up to 10 to 13 inches on a flat horizontal surface.

These tiny little unwanted guests can easily get into dog food bowls if they are made of rough material and not elevated enough.

So what makes a bowl mouse-proof and handy?

1. They are elevated enough so that mice cannot jump into them.
2. They are made of smooth, slippery side surfaces so mice cannot climb into them.
3. Easy to clean after every mealtime.

Also, dogs feel easy to eat in elevated bowls while lying down.

3. Feed What They Need, and Don’t Leave Food Overnight

Dogs are good habit adopters. Therefore, keeping their bowl filled every time is not a good option. Instead, feed them according to their daily need so there will be no leftovers. 

You can calculate your dog’s feed per day on your own, or you can consult your vet. Overfeeding leads your dog to gain more weight and causes health problems like bloat, pancreatitis, joint pain, etc.

Mice are most active at night when everyone is sleeping. Leaving food for your dog overnight can cause mice to attract it. Check out your dog feed bowl every time before sleeping.

4. Cleanup Bowl and Leftovers After a Meal

Cleaning leftovers and washing the bowl is another best way to keep mice away from dog food. Dog food kibbles and leftovers attract mice as they have the best smelling power. 

Give your dog feed bowl a nice wash after every feeding so that any leftovers will be discarded. Moreover, use a broom or vacuum cleaner to dump any leftovers on the floor.

To clean the bowl easily:

1. Use a half cup of regular bleach in a gallon of water.
2. Let the bow rest in it for 10 min.
3. Then, take it out and wash it with regular water.

Cleaning properly will keep the house clean and prevent any health issues from your dog.

5. Feed Wet Food Only at Scheduled Time

Dry dog food is cheap, easy to handle, and stored. But do you know dogs love eating wet food?

Why? Because it is more smelly, flavored, meaty, and easy to digest.

But due to its strong odor and smell, you may find mice lurking around your dog bowl. So wet food can cause more problematic mice situations than dry food.

Start feeding wet food only once a day with a proper right amount so there’ll be no leftovers, usually in the daytime.

You can also mix dry and wet food to balance the feeding. Consult your vet before starting to feed mixed food.

6. Keep Mice Out of Your House

You can take early precautions before mice enter your house and contaminate your dog feed.

Adopt the steps below:

1. Start using door bottom seals.
2. Next, locate any cracks and small entries in the house and block them.
3. Finally, use mice deterrents and repellants at possible mice entry points and around the dog food bowl.

These steps restrict mice access to dog feed and keep your house clean from mice poops.

7. Use Mice Traps

There are a lot of mice traps available at the market, or you can make one at home. Use traps to restrict mice access into your home. These are enlisted below:

1. Snap traps
2. Glue traps
3. Electric mouse traps
4. Catch and release traps

Some people are uncomfortable using poison with the possibility of eating by a child or their pup. In this case, catch-and-release traps are the best option.

Call for a pest and rodent control service if your mice situation is at an extreme level. 

Conclusion

Keeping mice away from your dog food is not difficult until and unless it is too late. Moreover, mice not only destroy your dog’s food, but your dog’s health depends on it.

A clean environment is the most important step to keep your dog’s food safe. With a dirty and stinking environment, mice and other harmful rodents and pests start to migrate into your house.

Follow the steps discussed above to build a safe environment for your dog. These steps discussed above will save you from destroying your dog’s food and health.