As our lives become increasingly busy, and we spend more time away from home, our pets are often left alone for extended periods. As a result, automatic pet feeders have become a popular solution to help ensure our pets are fed regularly, even when we’re not there.
However, one concern that many pet owners have is how these feeders can keep our pets’ food safe and prevent it from losing its nutritional value. This is where the desiccant comes in – a key feature that has been implemented into many pet feeders to avoid this issue.
In this review, we’ll discuss the importance of choosing a feeder with a dessicant and provide a list of the best automatic pet feeders with desiccants. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of how desiccants work and which products are the best for keeping your pet’s food fresh and nutritious.
What Is a Desiccant In Your Automatic Pet Feeder?
A desiccant is a substance that is used to absorb moisture and keep things dry.
In automatic pet feeders, desiccants are often used to prevent pet food from becoming moist and losing its nutritional value. This is particularly important for cat food and dog food being placed into automatic feeders as there is not a airtight seal meaning the storage compartment can become moist and wet over time.
When pet food is exposed to this moisture it can spoil quickly. By absorbing excess moisture in the feeder, desiccants help to maintain the freshness and quality of the food, ensuring that your pet can enjoy a nutritious meal every time they eat.
Advantages of Using a Desiccant in You Automatic Pet Feeder
One of the key advantages of using desiccants in automatic pet feeders is their ability to absorb moisture, which helps to reduce water accumulation in the feeder’s storage compartment. This is especially important for pet owners who live in humid climates, where moisture can quickly accumulate and cause mold and bacteria growth in the feeder. By keeping the feeder dry, desiccants help to prolong the shelf life of dry kibble feed, preventing it from going moldy and ensuring that it stays fresh and nutritious for longer. This is particularly important for ensuring that our pets receive the necessary vitamins and minerals from their food, as moisture can cause nutrients to be lost from the food. By using a dessicant in your automatic pet feeder, you can help to prevent your pet from becoming deficient in various vitamins and minerals, ensuring that they stay healthy and happy.
How Often Do I Need To Change the Desiccant?
When it comes to changing the dessicant in your automatic pet feeder, the process can vary depending on the individual brand and model of feeder that you have. As such, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s advice on how often the desiccant should be changed, which can typically be found in the user manual. In general, however, desiccants should be changed every 2-4 weeks to ensure maximum effectiveness.
The frequency of desiccant changes can also be impacted by your climate, particularly in terms of humidity and temperature. Owners who live in hot and humid climates may need to change the desiccant more frequently, as moisture can accumulate more quickly in these conditions. It’s important to keep an eye on the condition of the desiccant and change it as needed to ensure that your pet’s food stays fresh and dry.
How Do I Change the Desiccant?
Changing the dessicant in your automatic pet feeder is a simple process that can be done quickly and easily. However, the exact steps involved can vary depending on the brand and model of feeder that you have.
In general, changing the desiccant involves opening the feeder’s storage compartment, removing the old desiccant, and replacing it with a new one. Some feeders may have a designated compartment for the desiccant, while others may require you to place it in a specific location within the feeder.
Is the Desiccant Included?
While many automatic pet feeders come with a dessicant included in the box, it’s important to note that not all brands provide spares for changing. This means that you may need to purchase additional desiccants separately to ensure that you can change them as needed.
For example, PETLIBRO includes one desiccant bag with their models, but additional replacements must be purchased separately. However, PETLIBRO also offers a replacement box that includes six additional desiccant bags, making it easy to stock up on replacements.
When purchasing an automatic pet feeder, it’s important to consider the availability of replacement desiccants, as this can impact the long-term cost and maintenance of the feeder so always look for a brand like PETLIBRO where the replacement bags are readily available for purchase.
Where to Purchase More Desiccants?
When purchasing replacement desiccants for your automatic pet feeder, it’s important to ensure that you are buying a product that is compatible with your particular model of feeder. This can help to ensure that the desiccant works effectively and does not cause damage to the feeder.
To ensure that you are purchasing the correct replacement desiccants, it’s recommended that you buy them directly from the manufacturer brand. This can help to ensure that you are getting a high-quality product that is specifically designed for your feeder.
If you choose to purchase replacement desiccants from a third-party seller, such as on Amazon, it’s important to double check the compatibility of the product with your particular model of feeder you have to avoid any compatibility issues.
Do I Have to Replace the Desiccant Bag?
While it is not fundamental to have a dessicant in your automatic pet feeder for it to function, I would highly recommended using one as it can significantly improves the performance and functionality of the feeder. Without a dessicant, dry kibble feed may not stay fresh for as long, which means that you will need to replace the feed more frequently which can be an inconvenience for owners.
Additionally, not using a dessicant in your automatic pet feeder will enable moisture accumulation which allows for bacteria to grow in the feeder, which can be harmful to your pet’s health. By keeping the feeder dry and free from moisture, desiccants can help to ensure that your pet’s food stays fresh and nutritious, even if you’re not there to feed them.
Best Automatic Pet Feeders with Desiccant Bag
Last update on 2024-08-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Summary
In summary, I would always advise selecting an automatic pet feeder with a dessicant bag. While there may be a slight additional cost involved in purchasing replacement bags, the benefits of using a desiccant far outweigh this issue.
Additionally, even if you choose not to use the dessicant in your automatic pet feeder, it’s still nice to have the ability to use it if needed. For example, if you live in a particularly humid climate or are going to be away from home for an extended period, you may want to use the dessicant to help keep your pet’s food fresh and safe for a longer period of time. Having the option to use a dessicant in your pet feeder can provide peace of mind and help you to ensure that your pet is always receiving the best quality, mould free food.
Where Can I Purchase Desiccant Replacement Bags?
- Use to keep pet food fresh and maintain dryness, prevent pet food from moisture, suitable for cat food and dog food, so that your pet can enjoy fresh food at all times
- Suitable for PETLIBRO automatic pet feeder models: PLAF001, PLAF005, PLAF006, PLAF101, PLAF103 and PLAF203, placed in the drying box inside the lid of the feeder. The drying box is safer by better avoiding direct contact of the drying pack with the pet food
- International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
Last update on 2024-08-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Being a 5th year Vet student and having a passion for improving the health and welfare of all animals, I am providing AblePaws.co.uk with a veterinary perspective / insight into the real word applications, including strengths and limitations of the products it reviews. This will allow you to make an informed decision as to the suitability of the pet products reviewed on the site to keep your pet mobile, comfortable and full of life!
