When Should One Switch Dog Foods
- Puppies become adults at 12 months of age and should transition to an adult dog food to ensure they are receiving proper nutrient levels for adult dogs.
- Large breed puppies should switch to a large breed adult dog food to ensure that their unique needs are met.
- Pregnant or nursing dogs need energy-dense foods with increased calcium content, so be sure to transition them during this particular time to puppy food. However, during pregnancy or nursing, large breed dogs should be switched to regular puppy food, not a large breed puppy food.
- Anytime you plan to switch from kibble to a raw or freeze-dried diet. Adding canned food to kibble is an effortless transition, but if youre making a switch to a raw diet, youll want to take it slower.
How To Transition Dog Food
Your dog may enthusiastically dive into their new dog food, but their system will likely need some time to adjust to a new diet. When switching dog food, our nutritionist Sara recommends making a slow, measured, and gradual change between over a 7-10 day period to help your dog avoid digestive upset. Thats something that both you and your dog will appreciate!
When To Switch To Senior Dog Food
A dog is more or less considered a senior at around 7-8 years of age. A senior dog food provides fewer calories to your dog during a given meal. The assumption behind the design of a senior diet is that, as dogs age, they are not as active as they once were and do not need the same number of calories as an active adult dog.
The problem with that assumption is that each dog is an individual whose energy, appetite, and metabolism are unique to that individual.
Here are a few guidelines to help you decide whether and when to switch your dog to a senior diet:
- If your senior dog is healthy, maintaining a healthy body weight: It is generally recommended to continue feeding your dog the adult food they know and love.
- If your senior dog is healthy but is gaining weight or overweight: A senior diet might be a good idea so you can meet your dogs calorie needs without the extra weight and stress on their body.
- If your senior dog is seemingly healthy but unintentionally losing weight: Consider an exam with your veterinarian to figure out the cause of weight loss before making a decision about your dogs diet.
- If your senior dog has a disease condition , there are many commercial and prescription diets you can feed to help manage those conditions.
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When People Find Out We Make Our Own Dog Food At Home They Always Ask Us What About A Raw Diet So Lets Get That Out Of The Way First
There are LOTS of thoughts and theories on feeding your dog a raw diet especially a dog that is living with kidney disease. Our vet however, was personally opposed to feeding a raw diet due to the fact that dogs, just like us, are very susceptible to food poisoning. Besides that, a raw diet can be tricky to get just right! You run the risk of giving your dog a horrible belly ache by mixing a raw diet with cooked treats, so if you decided to go raw it is important to have both raw meals and raw treats planned for your pup at all times. NO MIXING the two! Since raw and cooked foods digest at different rates any combination of the two can wreak serious havoc on your pups gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you if you get my drift.
Is It Okay For Me To Feed My Pet Human Food As A Treat Sometimes
Generally, it is fine to treat your dog with human food occasionally.
However, it is important that you closely monitor the ingredients of the human food you are giving your pet. You must also take into consideration if this human food is too rich or acidic for their stomach and could cause them to become sick.
It is important to remember that not all humans foods are actually good for your dog, so you must always closely monitor the ingredients.
Make sure that you do not feed your dog any human food that is high in fat, sugar or salt because this could cause them to become obese.
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Best Recipes For Dogs Diarrhea
Barks! Please share Woof!
If you have a dog, at some point you’re going to have to deal with vomiting or your dog’s diarrhea. It’s awful for them and for you!
Every dog suffers from diarrhea at some point in their lives. Diarrhea is normally caused by digestive issues, so the right food is important when your pet is suffering from this condition.
These homemade dog food recipes will not cure diarrhea, but it will help your dog recover.
Diarrhea results from an upset stomach. In most cases, your dog ate something that wasn’t good for him, but he could also have an allergic reaction, stress, or bacteria.
Diarrhea is how the body gets rid of toxins and cleanses itself.
Help My Dog Doesnt Like The New Food
There are many reasons you might decide to switch your dogs food.
Sometimes a change of life stage requires a change of food. Or you may wish to switch from a dry food to a fresh dog food. Or perhaps the dog has a medical condition requiring a special prescription food.
If your dog turns up their nose at the new ration, the following suggestions may help.
- Take it slow: A fussy eater may object not only to a new taste, but also to a new texture or smell. Transition them very slowly so they become accustomed to the different sensory experience of the new food.
- Warm the food up: This can work for wet or canned foods. Warming it gently can make it more appealing and release some of the tempting food smells to stimulate your dogs appetite. For dry food, you may wish to add a little gravy or the water from some boiled fish.
- Give a fresh portion each meal: If the dog refuses the food, reduce the portion size, but offer fresh each meal. Also, pick the food bowl up between meals. This helps them realize that if they dont eat the food, it disappears until the next mealtime.
- Sprinkle a probiotic over the food: Again, FortiFlora is tasty stuff for dogs and will tempt some fussy eaters to tuck in.
- Dont make a fuss: Dont stand and watch, biting your nails, waiting for your pup to eat. Instead, leave the room. To do so removes the potential for your concern to accidentally reward the dog for not eating.
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Catering To Your Dogs Preferences
When Should I Consider Changing My Dog’s Diet
- Your dog is moving out of one three key life stages and into another: puppy, adult, and senior. Each one of these life stages has a unique set of needs that can benefit from tailored nutrition.
- Your dog is pregnant. A lactating dog will need extra energy, and may require a new diet that is better suited to their nutritional needs.
- An illness or condition which needs added nutritional support, such as skin sensitivity or gastrointestinal upset.
- You’ve been researching various dog foods or have spoken to your veterinarian and have decided to change your pet’s food.
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Transitioning From Wet To Dry Dog Food
- When shifting from wet to dry food, similar tips apply. Make it a slow transition by gradually mixing in the new food while removing the old to avoid any digestive upsets. However, the shift to dry food can be a bit tricky depending on your furry friends tastes. If your dog dislikes dry food, there are a few tricks of the trade to help get you both on the same page.
- Add some water to your dogs dry food bowl to help soften the kibble
What Kind Of Snacks Can I Feed My Dog With Kidney Disease
Our dogs walk a bit on the wild side when it comes to snacks as they love thin apple slices, banana chunks, carrots, whole unsalted peanuts in the husks, and dehydrated sweet potatoes! Dogs with kidney disease should avoid meat based chews/treats that are high in phosphorus, so you may find that you need to explore doing friendly fruit and veggies for treats like we have. We still on occasion will offer Hooch bully sticks or a jerky treat, but it is better for him if we limit his intake due to the levels of phosphorous that those treats contain.
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Oops Too Late I Already Made The Switch
If you are reading this because you switched dog foods and now your dog has diarrhea, heres what to do.
If the dog seems fine and doesnt need the vet , then withhold food for 1224 hours. This allows the gut to rest and regroup. During this time, make sure your pet has access to plenty of fresh drinking water.
When you feed them again, offer a bland diet that is easy to digest. Suggestions include:
- Protein: White meats such as chicken breast, turkey thigh, cod or other white fish, or cottage cheese
- Carbohydrate: Boiled white rice, pasta or potato
Offer 4 small portions spread over the day, rather than 12 big meals. Feed this until the dog produces stool that you can pick up. Once this occurs, you can go back to once or twice daily feeding and reintroduce the new food but gradually, as outlined above.
Doggy probiotics are also helpful. These are dietary supplements that contain the correct type of bacteria to assist a dogs digestion. My personal preference is for FortiFlora, which has saved the day many times after Pogss dietary indiscretions.
However, dont use human probiotics the bacteria are different. Plus, many human probiotics come in a dairy drink, and the lactose in these can be a cause of dodgy tummies in dogs.
How To Transition Your Puppy To New Food
Whether you have just adopted a puppy and need to switch the food that he is one or you are weaning your puppy off of milk, there is a transition process that you need to follow to ensure that your puppy is healthy.
Switching your puppy to a different type of puppy food should happen slowly and gradually over the course of many days.
You start by mixing in the new puppy food with the current food. Only change out about 25% of it at a time. After a couple of days, make it 50% old and 50% new.
Then move on to 75% new, and finally all new. It should take one to two weeks to do well.
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How To Switch From Puppy Food To Adult Food
When you are reading to switch your puppy from puppy food to adult food, you will follow the exact same feeding plan that we mentioned above.
You will gradually add the new food into the old one, changing the quantities to the point that there is more new food than old and then eliminating the old altogether.
Do not rush your puppy into adult food, however. The caloric and nutritional content are so important with a developing dog that you only want to switch the foods when he has reached maturity.
Identify When He’s 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 him 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.
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What Is The Difference Between Puppy And Dog Food
Adult dog food is usually given to dogs four to seven years of age, while puppy food is for puppies up until they are one year old.
Puppy food has higher levels of protein, fat and calories than adult dog food.
Puppy food also has higher calcium levels to help build strong bones, teeth and muscles.
Puppies also need more protein than adult dogs because they are growing so rapidly.
Puppy food kibbles are generally smaller and softer. This is to make it easier for puppies to chew them and help their teeth to come in.
Dog food can be fed to pregnant dogs, but be sure to also feed them puppy food when they are nursing the puppies.
How To Transition To A New Dog Food
Whether you want your dogs to be in peak shape for hunting season, or youre trying out a medical diet to alleviate some canine health problems, there are many reasons you might want to make a dog food transition. So what should you do to make the switch as easy and painless as possible for both you and your dog? Follow these eight strategies to successfully transition your dog to a new diet.
Consider how major the switch is.Some dog food transitions are relatively easy for example, switching from chicken flavor to beef within the same brand like Mossy Oak’s Nature’s Menu. Others are more significant, such as changing brands of dog food, incorporating wet food, or eliminating certain ingredients due to allergies or sensitivities. The more significant the switch, the longer of a transition period you will need. Your dog is also more likely to react negatively to more drastic dog food transition, so if its a big swap, anticipate issues such as upset stomachs or refusing to eat.
Space the transition out over time.Some dogs have an iron stomach and will eat anything in sight, so you can theoretically make the transition cold turkey. But most dogs wont take well to a sudden switch, so its usually best to spread the transition out over five to seven days, using the following food ratios.
- Days 1-2: 75 percent old food, 25 percent new food
- Days 3-4: 50 percent old food, 50 percent new food
- Days 5-6: 25 percent old food, 75 percent new food
- Day 7: 100 percent new food
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Transition To New Food
Because your puppy is eating either three or four times a day, mix a day’s amount of food and then divide it into equal amounts for the scheduled feedings. For the first two to three days, mix 75 percent of the old food with 25 percent of the new food. For the next two to three days, include equal portions of both foods. For the next two to three days, mix 25 percent old food with 75 percent new food. Then your pup should be ready to continue with just the new food, without any diarrhea, vomiting or indigestion.
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:
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How Many Calories Do Puppies Need
When you are considering how many calories your puppy needs a day, you should understand how to calculate your puppys resting energy requirement or his RER.
The RER is the amount of calories a dogs body needs for basic organ function, like the brain and heart and it is not affected by dog breed.
You can calculate this by multiplying your dogs body weight in kilograms to the three-fourths power by 70.
If your puppy weighs 3 pounds, he will need about 88 calories based on his RER, but if he is under 3 months of age, that number needs to be tripled.
If your puppy is over 4 months of age, the number doubles because puppies require more calories than adult dogs do.