Why You May Want To Transition Your Pet To A New Food
Just like you may have to make some adjustments to your own diet to keep yourself at your healthiest, you may similarly have to change your pets diet to keep them in tip-top shape.
Has your picky eater suddenly decided that they dont like their kibble? Has your kitten grown up into an adult feline? Consult your vetthey may recommend that its time to transition your pet to a new food. In addition to an unexpected dislike of their old food or transitioning into a new life stage, other reasons why your veterinarian may recommend changing your dog or cats food can include:
- Your pets current food causes gastrointestinal upset, like gas or diarrhea
- Your pet is overweight and needs a weight-loss food
- Your pet has allergies that may be alleviated through a specialized diet
- Theyre suffering from aliments like dull haircoat or poor energy that can be alleviated through additional nutrients in their diet
- Your pet has been diagnosed with a health condition that requires a specific diet to help treat
- Its otherwise been determined that their nutritional needs arent being
You may also find yourself considering a diet change-up if you want to purchase a food made and sourced in the United States, or be forced to find a new food if your pets old grub has been recalled or discounted. Just be sure to keep your vet in the loop: You should always consult them before making changes to your pets diet.
What To Expect When Switching To Raw Dog Food
This will occur mainly through the bowels and skin. During detox, your dog will act normal, be happy, bright and alert. But you may notice the following symptoms: Runny Eyes Earwax or debris produced from the ear Dry skin Chronic or periodic skin conditions may briefly worsen Mucus coating your dogs stool
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How To Transition From Another Raw Brand To Cali Raw
Remember, any time you are changing your dogs food it needs to be done with patience and care. When transitioning from one brand of raw dog food to another, we suggest doing so slowly and gradually as well. Your dogs digestive tract is already adjusted to a raw diet but since different brands have different recipes, the ingredients and ratios may vary. This transition will be much quicker than transitioning from a processed food diet, but it is still important to approach with care.
When To Stop Feeding Your Dog Puppy Food
while to forestall feeding your canine doggy meals
Right vitamins is an crucial a part of worrying for dogs and grownup puppies maximum proprietors recognise that dogs want meals especially made to sell increase and improvement but many proprietors conflict to decide while the time is proper to interchange to grownup canine meals that is due to the fact theres no rule that applies to all puppies unique puppies develop at unique quotes you and your vet can estimate the satisfactory time to make the alternate on your doggys food plan.
feeding doggy meals dogs want extra energy than grownup puppies to assist their increase improvement and excessive strength degrees younger dogs want approximately two times the quantity of energy as grownup puppies of the identical length as your doggy procedures maturity his increase starts offevolved to sluggish and his caloric wishes lower in case you keep to feed doggy meals as soon as your canine stops developing itll bring about weight benefit extra weight can speedy grow to be weight problems that may cause a bunch of fitness troubles while to interchange to grownup meals in general .
When to Transition from Puppy Food to Adult Food:
puppies are taken into consideration dogs till approximately 12 months of age but unique breeds age at unique quotes for instance many big and large breed puppies are taken into consideration dogs till or extra years of age
How Long to Feed Puppy Food & When to Switch to Adult Dog Food
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How To Change Dogs Food
Making a change in your dogs food all of a sudden can cause severe gastrointestinal issues, including vomiting, nausea, diarrhea. Transition to a new meal slowly and give your dog time to adjust to the new setting. The ideal time is 5-7 days during this time, slowly incorporate the new diet by mixing it with your dogs current diet.
- Day 1 and Day 2: 75% old diet and 25% new diet.
- Day 3 and Day 4: Half and Half of both diets
- Day 5 and Day 6: 75% new diet and 25% old diet
- Day 7: 100% new diet.
Every dog is different. If you feel that your dogs stomach is sensitive and has food allergies, follow a more extended transition period.
The key is to monitor the dogs response at any point, if you feel your dog is showing symptoms of diarrhea, nausea change the pattern. However, if the transition is real slow and your dog is not getting used to the new diet, consult with your veterinarian.
Transition Dog Food Gradually
Switching your dogs food suddenly can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and decreased appetite. Transitioning food slowly gives your dogs GI system time to adjust.
Plan on taking 1-2 weeks to transition from one dog food to another. Start by adding a small amount of new dog food in with the original food.
Wet Dog Food: Switching Dog Food in Seven Days
Pro Tip: Mix the new dog food thoroughly with the current food so your dog can’t pick and choose which food to eat.
Switching dry dog food follows the same slow transition, extended over 14 days instead of seven.
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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.
Are You Ready To Transition Your Dog To Raw
One last thing
Remember, a single correct way to transition does not exist. Choose a method that suits your dog. But also, consider your lifestyle. If you got some value from this guide, please remember to share on .
At this point, you know how to transition your dog to a raw diet. Now its in your hands. You have everything you need to ensure a smooth and successful raw dog food transition.1. Review the pros and cons for each transition option along with considerations for life stages.2. Determine if a cold turkey or gradual switch is appropriate for your dog3. After youve made a decision, brush up on what to expect along with tips for success.
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S To Switching Dog Food Brands Safely
- To introduce a new dog food the right way, youll want to mix the old and new brands together. For the first couple of days, youll want to go with a ration of 25% old to 75% new.
- After a few days, transition to a half and half mix of your old brand with your new one.
- The last couple of days, you should use 75% of the new brand of dog food and 25% of the old brand.
- After that seven day process, you can begin feeding them exclusively the new brand.
How Do You Change A Puppys Food
The first thing youll need to decide is which food to feed your puppy as an adult.
A good place to start would be an adult food from the same brand of puppy food youre currently feeding, assuming your pup likes the food and is doing well on it. If you are transitioning from one Fromm product to another, like Puppy Gold to Adult Gold, a transition period is not absolutely necessary, but is encouraged.
That way, the transition wont feel like such a big change, and it will be less likely to upset your pups tummy.
However, ANY food change can potentially result in an upset stomach or diarrhea. Thats because it takes time for the digestive tract to get used to something new, especially if your puppy has a sensitive stomach.
Making the change slowly and gradually will help prevent these symptoms. A slow change will also make your dog more likely to accept the new food if theyre a picky eater.
Here are two ways to make the switch slowly
- The Mixing Method.
- Mix the puppy food and new adult food together, starting with a smaller portion of the adult food. This works out to about 1 part new adult food per 3 parts puppy food.
- After a few days, switch to a 50:50 mixhalf puppy, half adult.
- After a few more days, switch to 75% adult food, 25% puppy food .
- In another few days, switch to 100% adult food.
From our family to yours,
Fromm Family Pet Food
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Things To Consider When Transitioning To Raw For Specific Life Stages:
Puppies:
Since puppies dont have the long term negative effects of a processed diet, they are likely to adjust to their new diet much quicker than adult dogs. Puppies have a healthier digestive system, making the transition process much quicker. With puppies we still recommend transitioning slow and gradually but it may take a couple days instead of a couple weeks.
Healthy Dogs:
If your dog has a healthy digestive system, they may be able to transition much quicker as well. We still do suggest starting slow, monitoring their stool, and adjust as needed.
Senior Dogs:
Due to their age and possible health issues, we suggest moving slower when transitioning a senior dog to a natural raw diet. They are less robust, and their digestive system is much more fragile and sensitive to change.You may need to extend the transition process for several weeks or months. Remember, if your senior dog has been eating processed foods their entire life they need a more gradual switch to detox the harmful built up toxins in their stomach.
Check Out Our Life Stage Nutrition Guide For More Information.
Lots Of Patience Is Necessary
Some dog owners argue that this transition approach is not natural. They say starting slow and taking a long period of time to complete the process is not what nature intended.Theyre right.But Dr. Karen Becker says:
With gastrointestinally debilitated animals, we must meet the patients where their bodies are at. Many animals must be on special protocols initially to assist in healing.
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But Isnt Variety Good For Your Dogs Health
You dont have to stick with one dog food all the time. Most people will change dog foods for various reasons from time to time. Certainly, variety is good for your dog when you are cooking for him or providing a raw food diet where you are trying to balance out his nutrition over the course of several days. But commercial dog foods are supposed to guarantee that every meal you feed your dog provides complete and balanced nutrition if they are AAFCO-approved for adult dogs or all life stages. You should not have to feed your dog a variety of dog foods in order for him to achieve good health under these circumstances, especially if you are feeding a good quality food. This is particularly true if you are feeding a dog food that has achieved AAFCO approval through feeding trials.
Change Of Dog Food Flavour Not Brand Do I Need To Make Gradual Change
Change of dog food flavour not brand. Do I need to make gradual change? Having the dog as a pet in the family surely makes people have to pay attention to its health and welfare. We can make sure that they have to make sure that the dog can enjoy the right food properly. This can be the reason why they try to change the favor of the dog food. They just want to give the opportunity for the dog to taste different flavor of dog food. The dog might be excited with the new flavor but the owners must also consider about its digestive tract which can give different reaction.
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Does Rotating Dog Food Prevent Allergies
Although you will find several sources on the Internet that tell you otherwise, the answer is no. As long as your dog is eating one food and not showing any signs of allergies or a food intolerance, there is no need to rotate food to prevent allergies. In fact, exposing your dog to the proteins in other foods can cause an allergic reaction to the new proteins. The more proteins your dog is exposed to, the more you increase the chance that your dog could become allergic to something. This is true even when you feed your dog novel proteins in expensive dog foods. Of course, its possible that your 10-year-old dog can suddenly develop an allergy to chicken after eating a chicken-based dog food for years but if he does, you will have lots of other good dog foods to choose for him that use other protein sources.
Best For Small Dogs: Wellness Pet Food
Just like larger dogs, small dogs have special nutritional needsthey burn more calories per pound than larger dogs, for instance, and of course, have smaller mouths which may make smaller kibble more comfortable for them to eat.
Wellness Pet Food makes food for both cats and dogs, and like many of the brands on this list, the company prioritizes using natural ingredients and doesnt include fillers on the ingredient list. They offer many optionsboth wet and dryfor small and toy breed dogs.
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Preparation Of Our Homemade Diet
All of the information above might seem intimidating, but I assure you that making the actual meals for our dogs takes no more than 20 minutes of actual hands-on time.
First, we cook our complex carbs, whether theyre grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables.
While that pot is simmering on the stove, we cook the meat in a separate pan in coconut oil and ground turmeric. After its cooled a bit, we add chunks of meat to our food processor and pulse until theyre broken down into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces.
Then, we gather whatever vegetables or fruits we have in the kitchen , chop them up as needed, and toss them into the food processor.
We also add a few clean, crushed eggshells to the mix. A few pulses turns all this food into smaller pieces, making them more digestible for our dogs.
Finally, we add the cooled, cooked carbs to the food processor and do a couple more pulses to combine. Everything should have a finely crumbled texture by this point.
Since dogs have short digestive tracts, its crucial that you break down the food to increase its bioavailability that is, making all the nutrients in those wholesome ingredients more digestible in a dogs system.
I prepare enough food to last my two pugs an entire week. Its unbelievably easy, and I like knowing exactly what goes into their food. Friends will watch us feed our pugs and remark that it looks good enough for them to eat!
Only Change One Food At A Time
It is best to just change one food out at a time. If your pet enjoys some wet food and some kibble or dry food, only change one of those at a time to not overload the system. This will also make it easier to catch food sensitivities and know which food your pet has an adverse reaction to.
Pick the food they have the most and do the transition with just that to start. If they seem to do well with this, you can wait a few weeks and start switching over the second food as well. The small transitions are the best here because they help your pet get everything they need without causing anxiety to your pet.
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