Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 4/6/2009

Question
Dr. Gotthelf, I understand there is a correlation between storage mites in dry dog food and dry, itchy skin on my Newfoundland. If the dry dog food is heated in a microwave a couple minutes b4 feeding, will the heat kill the storage mites?

Answer
The problem with the storage mites is not whether they are alive or dead when the dog eats the food.  The problem is the antigens on the surface of the mites that stimulate the allergy when the food is eaten.  Killing the mites will still leave the antigens.

What is recommended is to buy small bags of food that are packaged in heat sealed plastic or cellophane bags, rather than in paper bags with glue.  Then store the food in the cool of the refrigerator to prevent the growth of any mites.

Of course switching to canned food eliminates the problem entirely.