How To Pick An Adult Dog Food
Here are a few guidelines to help you choose an adult dog food when the time is right:
- To make the transition as smooth as possible, consider keeping the brand of adult food consistent with the brand of puppy food you were feeding.
- It is important that the food is complete and balanced so that your dog will receive all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need in the correct proportions to support a functioning body.
- Make sure you are happy with the ingredients list. If you have any concerns, speak to your veterinarian.
- Be sure you are happy with the price tag. Since your dog will be on this long-term, make the food fits within your budget .
Once you have found the right food for your young adult dog, be sure to follow the diet transition schedule above to minimize stomach upset.
Can You Alternate Dog Food
You can also rotate different types of food, such as changing from dry food, to wet food, to raw food. This type of rotation enables the pet to receive the benefits of each variety of food. It is always important to feed a high-quality nutritionally complete and balanced diet when rotating different types of food.
Does Dry Pet Food Clean Your Dog’s And Cat’s Teeth
This one is very common, even among some veterinarians, but it is most definitely not true. Dogs and cats have very pointed teeth even their molars are sharp edged, not flat. These teeth are designed to bite, tear, and chew raw meat, so when a dog or cat eats kibble, they either swallow it whole or shatter it.
Kibble does not scrape down onto the lower parts of the teeth or near the gums, which is where dental problems start. In fact, kibble can contribute to dental problems when the shattered bits lodge between the teeth, promoting bacterial growth. Just like with your diet, carbohydrate food debris breaks down into sugar, which dental bacteria feeds upon.
However, kibble isn’t going to help. Healthy teeth start with a natural diet, healthy chews, and regular brushing.
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Can Puppies Eat Adult Dog Food
Dog food for puppies and adult dogs are different. This is because puppies and adults have different biological needs. Puppies need more nutrients than adults as they are not fully grown yet.
They require more protein, vitamins, and minerals. Hence, it is not recommended to feed your puppy adult food.
This would result in them lacking sufficient nutrients to grow and might prove dangerous for your dog as a result.
Switching Dog Food: Tips And Recommendations
- There are a variety of reasons to switch dog food.
- Switching should happen gradually to prevent intestinal upset.
- Side effects of switching food to fast include diarrhea and vomiting.
- Planning and preparation can help make the transition to a new food easier.
Have you ever wondered how dogs can eat the same food every day? It turns out, dogs dont really need variety in their food. Often picky dogs are the ones holding out for human food.
For all the canines readily eating their meals, as long as the food packaging has a label from the Association of American Feed Control Officials , the food is considered complete and balanced. If the food you feed daily is complete and balanced, you are giving your dog everything they need to live.
There are a few good reasons to consider switching dog food. If you need to make a diet change , following a diet transition timeline will help your dog adapt to the new ingredients, and may help prevent some unwanted consequences.
This article will help you understand reasons to switch dog food, how to switch diets, and what to do if you accidentally switch too fast. If you do need to make a change, you will be ready.
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Dogs Are What They Eat Too
The point is, many of us have been conditioned to feed our dogs the same food, day in and day out. We are warned by food manufacturers and veterinarians alike that it is pointless and even possibly dangerous somehow to change a dogs food. But a dog who eats the same diet every day can eventually become the living embodiment of the nutritional levels ever-present in his diet. To prevent nutrient toxicity, deficiency, or imbalance, the simple solution is to feed a variety of high-quality foods.
This just makes sense. If a companys products are high in one nutrient, conceivably, after years of daily consumption of that food alone, a dog could develop problems associated with excessive levels of that nutrient. Years and years of feeding a food that is formulated to offer just slightly more than the minimum of another nutrient may result in a dog with a deficiency of that nutrient. Imbalances of nutrients that are best fed in certain proportions to each other can also become entrenched in a dogs body after years and years.
How To Change Your Dogs Food
Switching your dogs food abruptly can cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhea, and a decreased appetite. Any time you decide to change your dogs food, you should transition to the new diet gradually in order to give your dogs system time to adjust to the change. Ideally, these transitions should happen over 5-7 days. During this transition, you will gradually incorporate more and more of the new food by mixing it with your dogs current diet. For most dogs, a good diet transition will look like this:
- Day 1: 25% new diet and 75% old diet.
- Day 3: 50% new diet and 50% old diet.
- Day 5: 75% new diet and 25% old diet.
- Day 7: 100% new diet.
Some dogs with sensitive stomachs, food allergies, or other gastrointestinal diseases may need an even longer transition period. The key to a good diet transition is monitoring your dogs individual response. If, at any point during the diet transition, your dog displays concerning signs such as changes in appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should proceed more slowly. And if you have transitioned gradually and your dog is still experiencing stomach upset, it is best to consult with your veterinarian. In some cases, it may be necessary to choose a different diet.
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Should You Rotate Dog Food To Give Your Dog More Variety
Most dogs are happy eating the same food regularly. If you wish to add some canned food or a little homemade stew to their food to make it tastier, thats fine, but dogs usually dont like a lot of change. Changes in your dogs food often lead to an upset gastrointestinal tract with diarrhea or vomiting. If you change foods often you can keep your dogs GI tract upset on an ongoing basis which will lead to other health problems. Of course, it is possible that if you change your dogs food continually he may get used to the changes and adapt to them, but only after a lot of upset stomachs. Some dogs will continue to have gastrointestinal problems when you change foods.
Switching Dog Food: Should You Do It
There are a few situations in a dogs life that may justify a food change.
These include:
- A transition from puppy food to dog food
- A transition from dog food to a senior dog food
- A transition from kibble to a canned version
- A transition to a veterinary-recommended prescription diet
Many pet owners will switch from a puppy-specific formula to an adult dog food formula as their puppies grow up. A food change may also be recommended when dogs enter the senior phase of their lives as nutrient and calorie needs change.
If your dog was born with a medical condition, or develops one during their life, a change in diet prescribed to address the condition may help your pet to feel better and even live longer. For instance, if your dog has digestive problems, your veterinarian may recommend switching to a dog food for sensitive stomachs.
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Identify When They’re Not Ready
Your dog may not seem to tolerate the new food, no matter how slowly you go, and that’s OK too. Slowly shift them back to the old food and start again with something else after giving his tummy a break. It could be that the new dog food contains ingredients to which your dog has an intolerance or allergy. If you continue to have trouble changing dog food, or if his stools contain blood or an unusual color, you should consult a veterinarian.
When Switching Dog Food Is Not Recommended
There are situations where changing a dogs diet is not recommended. One such situation is switching a dogs food to prevent food allergies. Currently, there is no evidence to support this concept.
Since food allergies develop because of a dogs genes, and not because of the number of foods they have been exposed to, it is best to keep your dog on the one food they do well on and manage any allergies if/when they become prevalent in your dogs life.
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Changing Dog Food For Your New Dog
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Changing dog food isn’t something you should rush into, especially when bringing home a new dog. Seeing canines chow down on the contents of an overturned trash can you might be tempted to think they have iron stomachs. The reality, however, is that dogs have surprisingly sensitive tummies, and abrupt changes to their food can upset them. To help make a dog food transition go smoothly for your new housemate, follow these steps:
Transitioning To A New Food Without Illness
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Should You Be Changing Your Pets Food Regularly
Once your pet becomes all grown up and it starts to enjoy the same kind of good quality food, theres nothing else that needs to be done, right? Depending on the weight and type of pet you have, you should consider altering your pets diet periodically.
For many owners, the bag for life method is the most common because its routine and we like to think that our pet can handle or eat anything. The point of this article is to learn to not be one of those owners. Your pet is like family, and family deserves better. Change your pets food regularly to maintain optimum health and nutrition for your animal.
How To Switch Dog Food Brands
When changing a recipe for your dogs food abruptly, vomiting, diarrhea, or decreased appetite can occur. If you decide to replace the food when you have done it for many years, it is recommended you transition the new recipe gradually to give your dog the time he needs to adjust.
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Why Consider Changing Dog Food Within The Same Brand
Generally speaking, it wouldnt matter much whether you switch to a different brand or just to a different flavor/type within the same brand. Either way, the ingredients will likely be quite different.
The first and foremost rule, in either case, should be the actual quality of the food. If you believe your current brand offers high enough quality across all its different types of food stick with it. However, if the very reason for the switch is the low quality of the food then obviously, changing dog food within the same brand is a bad idea.
Switching Dog Food: Final Tips
If you choose to switch your dogs food due to a lifestyle change, a recommendation from your veterinarian, or a budgetary need, there are some things you should keep in mind.
Follow these additional tips when changing your dogs food:
Plan ahead. When a diet transition is needed or desired, planning ahead is important. Starting a diet transition a day or two before going out of town and leaving your dog with a sitter, or before bringing your dog on vacation is asking for trouble.
Have enough current food. Make sure you start the transition while you still have enough of the current food to last through the whole transition timeline.
Adjust the timeline if needed. If your dog has intestinal upset during a diet transition, start over and try a slower transition. The same transition speed will likely result in the same intestinal upset.
Observe your dog during and after the switch. After any diet transition, keep a close eye on your dog over the next several weeks. If they appear to be losing or gaining weight, alter the amount you are feeding by 5-10 percent and then watch them again.
Consult your veterinarian with questions. If you need help with your dogs daily calorie intake, and how much you should feed, give your veterinarian a callthey know best.
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How To Start Rotational Feeding
There are a few different approaches to rotational feeding. Some suggested plans are outlined below and our customer support team are here to help if you need a little guidance along the way.
- Switch from one protein to another, as you finish a packet of food and begin a new one. For example, feed one bag of grain free chicken Clusters and change to grain free turkey Clusters, with a few days of the two foods combined to make the transition smooth. Bag number three could see a return to chicken Clusters, or a new protein, like beef.
- Alternate between grain free and whole grain recipes, but keep the protein consistent. If, say, your pup has multiple meat allergies and can only eat fish, you could rotate between the whole grain fish, LID fish and grain free fish recipes in our Dehydrated line.
- Rotate between form factors. For example, if your dog typically only eats dry food such as our Beef whole grain Clusters, try our whole grain beef dehydrated food next time around, or our beef stew wet food as an occasional alternative. Outside of flavor variation, this solution really provides an assortment of different textures to help keep things interesting
- Have two foods on the go and mix and match at each meal. This could mean serving turkey at breakfast and beef for dinner, or Clusters in the morning and Dehydrated at night. This solution works well for those with busy schedules since Clusters are quick to serve, and a little more time can be take over hydrating the evening meal.
Best Probiotic With Fiber
Eliminate the fear of switching dog food by keeping a can of Fruitables Switch on hand. Touted as the just-right balance of soluble to insoluble fiber, Switch supports a healthy gut to ensure a smooth transition to your dogs new food. We love the transparency of this products, as its one and only ingredient is pumpkin. Pumpkin is safe for humans and dogs, and the pure pumpkin in Switch contains no additives or preservatives.
Highlights
- Tasty pumpkin base is a flavor most dogs love
- Helps decrease the risk of loose stool or digestive issues when changing foods
- Made in the USA and developed by a veterinarian
- Easily replace 30 percent of your dogs current food with Switch when transitioning
- Can be used after transitioning for a daily fiber addition
Things to Consider
- Unused portion must be refrigerated after opening and remains fresh up to seven days
- Contains 4 calories per tablespoon
- Consult with your dogs veterinarian first if your pet has a medical condition or takes medication
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Can You Feed Your Dog Different Flavors Of The Same Brand
Several brands suffer from differences in flavor and some do not have her to be sensitive ess just different flavor or can that cause her to have intestinal issues. Most dogs will have no issues changing between flavors but a minority can be sensitive to certain ingredients/proteins/flavours and can
But What If There Are Negative Reactions
The most common problems associated with switching your pets food are gastrointestinal in nature. If at any time during the food transition your pet develops soft stool, vomits, or refuses to eat, go back one day in your transition schedule and try again. If the problems persist, go back to the old food for one week.
If your pet eats the old food for one week without any problems, you can begin transitioning to the new formula againbut go slower: Start with 1/8 cup of the new food, and 7/8 cup of the old food, and so on. It can be especially difficult to get cats to switch foods. They may only like dry or canned food .
If you continue to have problems switching your dog or cat to the new food, it could be that your pet is sensitive to something in the formula and you should give youre a vet a call to see how you should proceed.
Take care to ensure that your pet is eating throughout the transition. While you of course dont want to see your fur baby go hungry, cats especially can end up with liver damage if they go without eating for more than a couple days.
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