# Pet preps



## jazygirl (May 2, 2012)

I have 5 chihuahuas and 2 cats and I've started to prep for them. But I wanted to know what others out there are doing for their pets. Today I'm going to buy two bags of dog and cat food. Along with a few cans of food for both. I have enough crates for all seven in case we need to bug out.


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## Moose33 (Jan 1, 2011)

I keep a years worth of food for the dog and cat. I know how much they need monthly and I just rotate through it on a regular basis. I've never had a problem with anything going bad.
Moose


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

I have at least 9 months of dry & wet food at our BOL. Probably about 3 months here at home. I also have stored treats, flea meds, extra beds, & old towels.


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## jazygirl (May 2, 2012)

Moose33 said:


> I keep a years worth of food for the dog and cat. I know how much they need monthly and I just rotate through it on a regular basis. I've never had a problem with anything going bad.
> Moose


We too want to store a year supple. We currently have three bags for each. But I wonder if I'm storing them right. We have a storage room off our basement for all our preps and the bags are off the floor but still in their original bags. I need to work on treats for sure.



PrepN4Good said:


> I have at least 9 months of dry & wet food at our BOL. Probably about 3 months here at home. I also have stored treats, flea meds, extra beds, & old towels.


I hadn't thought about extra beds or flea treatments...something else I have to work on. Thank you!


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

If your budget allows pick up some 5 gallon buckets with lids. Home depot has them for around $5. You might even find them at your local grocery's bakery dept. free. I fill them about 90% full then toss in a couple large O2 obsorbers then seal them up. I rotate these buckets out about once every year, and so far food has kept very well.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Tonka has his own BOB (he's a 6lb min pin), 2 crates (one we use while we're gone if he's in the house and another that's brand new), and I've slowly started making his food myself to keep down costs and in case we run out of food SHTF. 

We have treats and toys too. He doesn't like the beds, but lives blankets so I've stocked up on those.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

Sarge my 4 year old German Shepherd has his own BOB that he can carry saddle bag style. I keep food, emergency water, water treatment tablets, FAK, blanket, handwarmers, collapsible bowls, extra collar, extra leash, booties, hi-visibility vest, and papers in his BOB. The whole thing only weighs a few pounds.


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## jazygirl (May 2, 2012)

ras1219como said:


> Sarge my 4 year old German Shepherd has his own BOB that he can carry saddle bag style. I keep food, emergency water, water treatment tablets, FAK, blanket, handwarmers, collapsible bowls, extra collar, extra leash, booties, hi-visibility vest, and papers in his BOB. The whole thing only weighs a few pounds.


I have Bobs have the dogs obviously them being so small they can't carry their own. I'm looking into buy what looks like a push stroller for pets just in case we have to bug out. They each have a blanket, clothes, collapsible bowls.

I just laughed thinking of my smallest carrying a BOB...haha a bottle of water is bigger than her...lmao.



dixiemama said:


> Tonka has his own BOB (he's a 6lb min pin), 2 crates (one we use while we're gone if he's in the house and another that's brand new), and I've slowly started making his food myself to keep down costs and in case we run out of food SHTF.
> 
> We have treats and toys too. He doesn't like the beds, but lives blankets so I've stocked up on those.


I found a few videos on YouTube for making dog food but there are so many different versions.

When mine have upset stomachs I make them a bland diet of chicken and white rice. Currently they have their own 25lb bag of rice downstairs. I plan on canning chicken this summer for them as well.



101airborne said:


> If your budget allows pick up some 5 gallon buckets with lids. Home depot has them for around $5. You might even find them at your local grocery's bakery dept. free. I fill them about 90% full then toss in a couple large O2 obsorbers then seal them up. I rotate these buckets out about once every year, and so far food has kept very well.


Do you put the food in mylar bags? Or skip that part since the food will be used every year?

I get the 40lb bags of food and I do worry about rodents, a bucket would ease that worry...thank you!


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## Moose33 (Jan 1, 2011)

I don't do anything special with mine. I'm careful to use it prior to the expiration date, the critters seem to like it just fine. I have it stacked up in the spare room closet. Would love to use the basement but it is just too dampish. Everything down there gets musty.


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

I worked in the Pet Dept at Wal-Mart many years ago,we had trouble with mice and bugs getting into the bagged food..I would most certainly put it in buckets with sealed tops.When the SHTF we will have enough to worry about without more pest.Think of all the unwanted things they carry.They will get very aggresive as the food get more scarce too(I have extra traps).


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Ground chicken/turkey, mixed veggies and rice. I make a big stock pot with chicken broth, we all have it for dinner then the rest is Stinky food for the week. He gets half chicken/rice, half beneful.


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## jazygirl (May 2, 2012)

gabbyj310 said:


> I worked in the Pet Dept at Wal-Mart many years ago,we had trouble with mice and bugs getting into the bagged food..I would most certainly put it in buckets with sealed tops.When the SHTF we will have enough to worry about without more pest.Think of all the unwanted things they carry.They will get very aggresive as the food get more scarce too(I have extra traps).


I never thought about mouse traps...that's on my list now.



dixiemama said:


> Ground chicken/turkey, mixed veggies and rice. I make a big stock pot with chicken broth, we all have it for dinner then the rest is Stinky food for the week. He gets half chicken/rice, half beneful.


My Nysa has a sensitive stomach so that food would actually work perfectly for her and I'd add half Science Diet for her. 
Thank you for your input.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

We buy our dog food in 50lb bags that come vacuum sealed. We open the bag, break it down into roughly 10lb bags and vacuum pack those bags. One of those go to long term storage and then they are rotated through when we buy the next 50lb bag.

I also can beef scrapes. When I make a pot of soup, anything that is trimmed off and doesn't go in the pot is frozen until I have enough to make it worth firing up the canner. I just started doing this last year so there are only about 5-6 qts so far.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I keep 6 large bags rotated for my 17 month old black lab, roughly a 6 month supply. If those run out I have a few #10’s of beef bouillon and lots of rice which will be supplemented with whatever I am having. Sunshine will eat anything, and I mean that literally, so filling her will not be an issue. At this point she has a cast iron stomach but that will likely change as she gets older. If needed I have over a year’s supply of vitamins so can slip her some of those.

She is field stock with an energy level that is over the top so I also have 60 doggie downers (two at a time barely touches her) just in case. Have a year’s supply of heartworm and monthly flea medication. Couple bottles of Adam’s shampoo, styptic powder, extra nail clippers, extra brush and all that. She will share my first aid supplies in case needed. I did buy extra ace bandages and have duct tape if required to hold something on her. She never wears a collar but I do have one in the car for when we travel and an extra choke chain in the closet. For leashes I use ¼” nylon cord with a bowline knot which I slip over her head. She is never leashed at home only when we go out so that is in the vehicle also. There is a copy of her vaccinations in the glove box along with the vets number and their emergency number.

As far as creature comforts like blankets, pillows and all, she does without on her own. All’s she needs is to have me close by and she is happy. Toys are sticks, pinecones, tennis balls and basically anything that can be thrown and retrieved. Not an issue as she is handy on finding something to bring to me to throw. 

I would like to get her started with a pack but she is still too young and wild for that. There are plenty of 'dog towels' in the house and car but they are mostly to wipe slobber off her and myself. Labs are pretty much hose and go creatures which makes them low maintenance as far as grooming. The only issue is that if it is wet, she will find it and either swim, wade or roll in it.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Tonka doesn't have a sensitive stomach (Stinky is his nickname for obvious reasons- Mamaw spoils him, feeding him whatever he wants) and will eat anything. 

It's a great dinner and if you dehydrate everything, you can dry can it for dinner and use it when camping. I'm all about multi use stuff lol


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

We have about a ton of kitty litter. We have a dozen 17 pound bags of cat food. We find that we use one every other month for two cats. We also have 360 5.5 ounce cans of cat food. We're prepping for our two cats plus my stepson and his wife's two cats. We rotate the dry food. The wet food is good for a few years so we haven't started rotating it yet.


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## jazygirl (May 2, 2012)

BillS said:


> We have about a ton of kitty litter. We have a dozen 17 pound bags of cat food. We find that we use one every other month for two cats. We also have 360 5.5 ounce cans of cat food. We're prepping for our two cats plus my stepson and his wife's two cats. We rotate the dry food. The wet food is good for a few years so we haven't started rotating it yet.


My two cats are picky about their litter so I should stock up on that more. 360 cans of cat food...your my hero!!! My hubby and I have only fed dry food but we agree that we should by canned food too. In a shtf situation my cats would have to eat even if they don't like it now.


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## jazygirl (May 2, 2012)

dixiemama said:


> Tonka doesn't have a sensitive stomach (Stinky is his nickname for obvious reasons- Mamaw spoils him, feeding him whatever he wants) and will eat anything.
> 
> It's a great dinner and if you dehydrate everything, you can dry can it for dinner and use it when camping. I'm all about multi use stuff lol


Brilliant idea about dehydrating type the dog food...


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## jazygirl (May 2, 2012)

Woody said:


> I keep 6 large bags rotated for my 17 month old black lab, roughly a 6 month supply. If those run out I have a few #10s of beef bouillon and lots of rice which will be supplemented with whatever I am having. Sunshine will eat anything, and I mean that literally, so filling her will not be an issue. At this point she has a cast iron stomach but that will likely change as she gets older. If needed I have over a years supply of vitamins so can slip her some of those.
> 
> She is field stock with an energy level that is over the top so I also have 60 doggie downers (two at a time barely touches her) just in case. Have a years supply of heartworm and monthly flea medication. Couple bottles of Adams shampoo, styptic powder, extra nail clippers, extra brush and all that. She will share my first aid supplies in case needed. I did buy extra ace bandages and have duct tape if required to hold something on her. She never wears a collar but I do have one in the car for when we travel and an extra choke chain in the closet. For leashes I use ¼ nylon cord with a bowline knot which I slip over her head. She is never leashed at home only when we go out so that is in the vehicle also. There is a copy of her vaccinations in the glove box along with the vets number and their emergency number.
> 
> ...


I'm right there with you on the rice. We want the dogs to have their own 75-100 lbs of rice. And we can add canned chicken or beef.

We got a pet first aid kit but its basically the same as a human one so I've increased the gauze bandages and alcohol.

My five love their beds and blankets. So I have extra beds and blankets put away.

I've been looking at tick meds and this stuff is increasing in price. But I have to stock something. I thought heck lets get flee collars to stock...it would be better than nothing. But I use heartgaurd and a pricey tick and flea item now.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Talk to your vet about dosing out a large vial of flea/tick drops for all your pets. Our vet showed me how to use one extra large vial of drops to dose our 5 cats and the puppy. One vial last 1.5 months for us and I can buy it in bulk when it is on sale at the feed store.

Dewormer pills are a must around here. Our pup will eat anything smelly including **** scat! 3 of the cats are mousers so deworming them is a must or the other 2 will get worms from sharing litter boxes.

Think about adding the Comfort Zone collars to your preps. We have one cat who is a great mouser but is a total fraidy cat about anything else. If I could get a Thundershirt on her I'd have one for her but I have scars on both arms that prove she is a frighter.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

The drops sound like a plan but my pup does not stay dry for more than a day. The muddly little creek is way too close for her to resist.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Woody said:


> The drops sound like a plan but my pup does not stay dry for more than a day. The muddly little creek is way too close for her to resist.


There are also flea pills. Comfortis is one. They work well but don't repel ticks. They do kill them but they have to attach first.


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